I’m not ready for Christmas Yet: 2 Movies to Watch

Posted on December 16th, 2006 by SusieJ

The train has done a great job of keeping the boys busy. Thank you Brio. Tommorow I’ll post the results from the “Where do you hide the presents” survey.
No, we’re not keeping up with our advent calendars every night. Some cookies are baked, but there are no there are no cut-out cookies. I still don’t have all the Christmas decorations up. (And who’s missing those?) You let so many of those things slip by, and you realize those things really don’t matter. And then you start to wonder what does. Cornstarch Ornaments: I’m not going to have time to make these this year, but maybe you will. This dough is easy, and makes pure white beautiful ornaments. Of course, you can paint them or color the dough. Use a cookie cutter to make the shapes. Recipe: Argo Cornstarch

Movies I haven’t watched yet, but I must before Christmas.
The Bishop’s Wife.
This is not just another sappy Christmas film. This is a human story about weakness and human character. And remember, it’s 1947 and the angel becomes romantically involved with a married woman. Cary Grant is nothing short of delicious to watch, and the crispness of the black and white film holds you through the entire movie.

Some trivia from the movie:
In the version of the Christmas sermon dictated to the typewriter by Dudley, the following is shown typed onto the paper: “You give me a tie. I give you a book.” However, in the pulpit on Christmas morning the Bishop reverses these two sentences when he reads, “I give you a book. You give me a tie.”

Teresa Wright was playing the bishop’s wife in the William A. Seiter version until the director was abruptly fired. She was not recast, as she was then pregnant. Goldwyn’s decision to start the film over again was a costly one, as a million dollars had already been spent.

Grant and Loretta Young told Goldwyn about the “right” and “wrong” sides of their faces, and explained the scenes had to be shot to show them off. Goldwyn said, “Look, if I’m only getting half a face, you’re only getting half a salary!” and stormed off the set. The subject of “right” and “wrong” sides never came up again.

The other movie is It’s Wonderful LIfe. Now, this is a sappy Christmas movie, but I can’t live without it. There are moments, even when it’s not Christmas, when I replay that scene in my head when Bailey says, “George you’re worth more dead than alive.” And then I remember George walking into his house and all of his friends are there to greet him. I’m teary-eyed just thinking about it.

Trivia:
Lionel Barrymore convinced James Stewart to take the role of George, despite his feeling that he was not up to it so soon after World War II.

Films made prior to this one used cornflakes painted white for the falling snow effect. Because the cornflakes were so loud, dialogue had to be dubbed in later. Frank Capra wanted to record the sound live, so a new snow effect was developed using foamite (a fire-fighting chemical) and soap and water. This mixture was then pumped at high pressure through a wind machine to create the silent, falling snow. 6000 gallons of the new snow were used in the film. The RKO Effects Department received a special award from the Motion Picture Academy for the development of the new film snow.

James Stewart was nervous about the phone scene kiss because it was his first screen kiss since his return to Hollywood after the war. Under Capra’s watchful eye, Stewart filmed the scene in only one unrehearsed take, and it worked so well that part of the embrace was cut because it was too passionate to pass the censors.

The set for Bedford Falls was constructed in two months and was one of the longest sets that had ever been made for an American movie. It covered four acres of the RKO’s Encino Ranch. It included 75 stores and buildings, main street, factory district and a large residential and slum area. The Main Street was 300 yards long, three whole city blocks.

The scene on the bridge where Clarence saves George was filmed on a backlot on a day where the temperature was 90 degrees Fahrenheit. This is why Jimmy Stewart is visibly sweating in a few scenes.

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