Xmas in Film: Bell, Book, and Candle

Witches, jazz clubs, drunken writers- not words traditionally associated with the holidays.  They do make for a unique take on the Christmas season, which is why today's film selection is such a Christmas treat.  Released in 1958, and starring the electrifying Kim Novak and her Vertigo leading man (and later day Christmas icon) James Stewart, Bell, Book, and Candle is an unusual film which sees that first act taking place on a very unusual Christmas Eve.

Directed by Novak paramour Richard Quine, Bell, Book, and Candle stars Novak as Gillian Holroyd, a bored, beautiful witch who owns a New York based African Art Store.  In the apartments above live her Aunt Queenie (famed character actress and former Bride of Frankenstein, Elsa Lanchester) and publisher Shep Henderson (Stewart).   Gil is fascinated by Shep, and when she discovers that Shep is engaged to a former college nemesis she decides to steal his heart for herself.  Using her magical Siamese cat, Pyewacket, she casts a spell on Shep to fall in love with her.  Shep is instantly smitten with her, dumps the evil fiance, and takes up with Gil.  The remainder of the film centres around Gil's brother, Nicky (played by the great Jack Lemmon) helping drunken writer Sidney Redlitch (played by comedy legend Ernie Kovacs) write a book about the New York witch community, Shep eventually discovering Gil's true identity, and Shep's attempt at breaking the spell that's Gil's put him under.  To be honest, none of these plots compare to the first forty minutes of the film.  I don't even bother with the final ten minutes which, like many films with a strong female lead, destroys everything about the character that makes her interesting.

Check out that awesome tree!

In spite of this film's shortcomings let's highlight what makes this film worth talking about - the Christmas scenes.  If you're looking for sleigh rides, people dancing the Reel, and turkey dinners look elsewhere.  If you're a witch you don't go in for that traditional Christmas stuff.  In the universe of this film, witches get dressed to the nines and go to the local jazz bar to hear songs about corpses at the bottom of the river.  I haven't even mentioned Gil's Christmas tree, yet.  Yes, witches have Christmas trees, and Gil's is a marvellous piece of modern art design.  Gil's wardrobe, designed by Jean Louis, is probably my favourite wardrobe in any film.  Seriously, the costume design of in this film is phenomenal.

As previously mentioned, this is not a great film.  It is a visual marvel with some creative details which make it something beyond the ordinary.  Here's a clip featuring the jazz club scene...

Three Festive Hollywood Pin-ups

Surprisingly enough, it is way more difficult to find Christmas pin-up pictures than it is Halloween ones (at least ones that weren't taken within the last five years).  Fear not gentle readers, I have come through with a few non-traditional pin-ups  for your viewing pleasure.  The one to the left is a picture of the star of White Christmas herself, Vera Ellen having fun while stooped upon a chimney top with bag and horn in hand. I'm not quite sure of the identity of the lady to directly below, but I think she's very brave to go snow shoeing in shorts and high heeled shoes.  The group of ladies in the picture at the very bottom of this page seemed to have moored their toboggan and fireplace on some one's shag carpeted stage.  At any rate enjoy everyone!

Xmas in Film: The Bishop's Wife

Films that feature characters who wear their religious beliefs on their sleeves (or in this film's case their collar), often fall into the dangerous territory of turning into overly sweetened tripe.  When angels are involved that tripe can become a diabetic coma inducing goo.  Shockingly though, The Bishop's Wife (1947) directed by Henry Koster, manages to sidestep that pitfall, in spite of starring a Bishop and the angel sent down from heaven to help him.  Mind you, it helps that the Bishop is played by the debonair David Niven, and the angel is played the equally suave and endlessly charming Cary Grant.  No Clarence Oddbody types for this movie.

It's Christmas time, and David Niven's Bishop Henry Brougham is trying to finalize the funding for the grand new cathedral that he and his congregation endeavour to build.  Unfortunately, all his efforts are at the expense of his relationship with his wife, Julia(played by Loretta Young).  The trouble is that our Bishop is so focused on the funding issues that he does not even realize the toll it is taking on his marriage.  After praying to god to send him help for his cathedral, Dudley the angel appears in his office claiming to be the answer to the Bishop's prayers. Everyone is charmed by Dudley and he soon inspires a wealthy old woman to donate her large fortune to the needy rather than to the cathedral; helps the community rediscover the old community church, and pretty much thwart all of the Bishop's, attempts to get the funding for his cathedral.  He also helps break Julia out of her sadness, further angering the Bishop.  Things get really sticky when Dudley realizes that he is deeply attracted to Julia. 

The Bishop's Wife is imbued with an incredible amount of wit and sophistication which acts as a safety net ensuring that the film never get too treacly.  When you have to lead actors who both perfectly embody the stereotype of the rarefied English gentleman playing against each other, there's not a lot of room for cheap sentimentality.  Representing the female side of the equation you have an actress like Loretta Young who brings a warm, down-to-earth honesty to Julia.  She is never a victim or a whiner, she puts on a brave face for her husband but her eyes give away the pain she feels at the increasing distance between she and her husband.  When she does start to experience happiness again, the feeling is so infectious that you can't help but smile.  The unusual triangle that springs up between the three never goes into crass territory, and feels original in spite of having a fairly obvious outcome.

Other than three great performances by three greats leads, this film features a wonderful supporting cast, beautiful black and white cinematography, and a merry dose of Christmas cheer.  Here's a most unusual trailer for the film.

What's Your Favorite Flavor of Retro Christmas Party?

There are some awesome scenes in classic films that display the chaos and debauchery of Christmas parties.  While I doubt that most Christmas parties of the era ever reached the level of drunken craziness that the ones in these three clips do, but it's fun to pretend that they did. 

Our first clip comes from the classic detective film The Thin Man (1935), in which the film's two protagonists,  Nick and Nora Charles hold an impromptu Christmas party for Nick's old cop friends (from when he used to be on the force).  Considering that Nick and Nora both consider themselves professional drinkers, it is no surprise that their party is teeming with booze, dancing, and one sad drunk desperately trying to call his dear old sweet, Ma.  Here's the clip...

Our second clip comes from Billy Wilder's Oscar winning film The Apartment (1960).  Behold the wonder of the office Christmas party in the sixties.  Men and their mistress secretaries smooch in the open, women dance salaciously on the desk tops, and the alcohol never stops.  Dionysus himself would be proud.  Take a look...

We travel a decade later in our third and final clip, to another Academy Award winning film, Woody Allen's Annie Hall (1977).  For this party we see our romantic leads Alvy and Annie (played by Allen and Diane Keaton) head off to a California Christmas party, with all the schmoozing.  There's groovy music, drinks, executives trying to get meetings, and Jeff Goldblum looking for his mantra.  Funny thing is, it seems to be the most sedate of all three parties.  Here's it is...

Lucky Strike - What Everyone Wants to Find Under the Tree

That's right people, what wholesome well adjusted family doesn't want to get a pack of Luckies under the tree? Apparently in the good old days, it was completely acceptable to give and receive cases of cigarettes for Christmas.  If you've ever done a search of vintage Christmas advertising about 65% of the results are for major cigarette companies (major back in the day that is).  They've got Santa smoking Chesterfields, Bing Crosby in a Santa hat proclaiming the thrill he gets from Marlboros, and as in the case of the advertisement to left beautiful Hollywood star in their holiday finery with some cigarette paraphernalia.  Well if Joan Crawford's cigarettes don't kill the kids she can always beat them with some wire hangers. 

Below is a vintage Lucky Strike commercial, featuring a wholesome, bubbly woman proclaiming the joys of giving Lucky Strikes as a Christmas present.  Imagine ten packs of cigarettes in a box specially designed by Raymond Loewy- you don't even need to wrap it.  It can go straight from the gas station convenience store to under the tree.  She's even got a happy little ditty- doesn't it just make you want to take up smoking.

Those of you who are into Mad Men (Lucky Strike is a huge advertising account on the show) this is kind of stuff that ad agencies were actually coming up with in those days.