MIKE BURKE
Allegany Communications Sports
Here’s hoping your Christmas was merry and that you were able to watch many of the great Christmas movies that flood the airwaves from mid-November to December 26, unless they are Hallmark Christmas movies that seemingly air from mid-October to the first pitch of the baseball season.
I didn’t see as many of the great old Christmas films that I love so much, though I estimate I did watch the best one, “It’s a Wonderful Life” five or six times.
Just can’t get enough of it during the holiday season and this year it was on television quite a bit, unlike in past years when NBC had the market on its unannounced showings of the film on Christmas Eve.
The film, which was released in 1946 to mixed reviews, had been purchased by Paramount and was pretty much shelved through the years. However, in 1974 the company made a mistake and failed to renew the copyright, which meant any TV station in America could air the movie for free.
Thus, starting in the mid-1970’s, “It’s a Wonderful Life” aired nonstop through the holidays, which is when I initially saw it and fell in love with it.
The film then grew to be so popular and became a holiday tradition for families that weren’t even around in 1946 that the copyright was reclaimed in 1993 and the film was licensed to NBC. The re-airings of it then became exclusive to Christmas Eve, and NBC did air it again this year in Christmas Eve primetime, but for some reason, the E! Network, beginning on Thanksgiving weekend, aired it marathon style on various Sundays and during the days and late nights leading up to Christmas, and for that, many of us are grateful.
About the only other old holiday movies I watched were the 1938 and best version of “A Christmas Carol” and then “Holiday Affair.” (A Robert Mitchum Christmas movie. Who knew?)
Frankly, I was disappointed in the selection this year, as for the first time in some time, I missed “The Bishop’s Wife, “White Christmas,” “Desk Set,” “It Happened on Fifth Avenue,” “The Shop Around the Corner (the original “You’ve Got Mail”) and “Christmas in Connecticut.”
“A Christmas Story,” of course, was on all day Christmas, and I watched some of it before intruding upon the homes of family and friends to watch football on Netflix (and to see friends and family, of course).
I did catch some of “Trading Places,” but for the first time that I can remember I did not have a chance to watch the 1947 “Miracle on 34th Street,” which was a bummer, because it is one of the three best Christmas movies of all time, along with the aforementioned “It’s a Wonderful Life” and the 1938 “A Christmas Carol.”
If you recall last year’s discussion on Christmas movies (and I’m sure you don’t), I put it to you that the 1988 Bruce Willis film, “Die Hard” was, in fact, a Christmas movie. Even though it is not specifically about Christmas, the story takes place on Christmas Eve and the Christmas spirit permeates the entire production, even through the backdrop of blazing gunfire, bloody feet, exploding bombs and f-bombs and killing. And this year, proof was offered for this opinion, as the Paramount Network aired an all-day marathon of the film on Christmas Day.
What further proof do the doubters need? It was on all day long on Christmas Day. Remember what the judge in “Miracle on 34th Street” declared in his ruling after thousands of letters addressed to Santa Claus and Kris Kringle were emptied onto his bench?
“Since the United States Government declares this man to be Santa Claus, this court will not dispute it. Case dismissed,”
Thus, if the Paramount Network declares “Die Hard” to be a Christmas movie (and what else does a Christmas Day marathon declare?) we will not dispute it.
Case dismissed.
Mike Burke writes about sports and ..other stuff for Allegany Communications. He began covering sports for the Prince George’s Sentinel in 19.81 and joined the Cumberland Times-News sports staff in 1984, serving as sports editor for over 30 years. Contact him at [email protected]. Follow him on X @MikeBurkeMDT