My Advent Calendar of Music – Day #11: Christmas at the Movies

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Not every character in the movies likes Christmas:
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Happily, however, most of them do! I thought today I would share some Christmas music from the movies – many of the songs that we think of as “Christmas Classics” started out life as just another scene in a film…..

Perhaps the most popular Christmas song of all time, “White Christmas“, debutted in the film “Holiday Inn” (1942). Although it had previously been recorded and released, it wasn’t until the film premiered that a wider audience heard this tune. It took a while to catch on with the public, but it has become a staple in the Christmas repertoire. In this scene from the film, the song is sung by Bing Crosby and Marjorie Reynolds:
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From “Meet Me In St. Louis” (1944) comes the beloved Christmas classic “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas“, sung by the incomparable Judy Garland to teary-eyed moppet Margaret O’Brien:
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In the movie “Neptune’s Daughter” (1949), audiences were treated to two different versions of “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” – one time with Ricardo Montalban trying to convince Esther Williams that she really didn’t want to leave (a clip isn’t available, due to copyright restrictions; but there is a snippet of them singing it in this trailer from the movie), and again with Betty Garrett turning the tables on Red Skelton, trying her best to convince HIM to stay:
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From “The Lemon Drop Kid” (1951) came “Silver Bells“, sung by Bob Hope and Marilyn Maxwell, with a cameo appearance by William Frawley (Fred Mertz on “I Love Lucy”) – this was the first time audiences heard this song:
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And finally, while the film “It’s a Wonderful Life” (1946) wasn’t the origin of the song “Hark, the Herald Angels Sing“, the carol has come to be associated with the climactic ending of the movie. No matter how much of a Scrooge you may think you are, I bet you get a little something in your eye every time you see this:
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Well, that’s it for today – thanks for dropping by!
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About Teresa in Fort Worth, TX

A short, fat, over-the-hill, happily-married mother of 4 daughters. I know just enough to get myself in trouble....
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