Christmas in July 2019: Tony Scotto
1. What is your favorite Saturday Night Live Christmas/Hanukkah/New Year's sketch?
Eddie Murphy doing Mr Robinson's Neighborhood
He talks about how his landlord gave him a eviction notice for Christmas. Then he goes into the closet and pulls out a ball and bucket that Santas use to collect for the Salvation Army. Then he taught us about x-mas and other words that begin with x. X-con and x-scape! Lol
2. Do you most look forward to watching holiday episodes from series? Specials? Movies? Animation? or, all of it?
The Spirit of Christmas. It's a marionette double feature. First is The Night Before Christmas and the second is The Greatest Story Ever Told. They are local (Philadelphia region) but I now I think people have seen it nation wide. Made by the the Bell Telephone Company in the early 60s. Real classic. My elementary school had it on film and the classes would take turns going to the library to watch it.
3. What's your favorite soundtrack from a holiday program? (it doesn't have to have been officially released as an album--just what program features your favorite collection of music?)
I wish they made the soundtrack to A Christmas Story. All those great Christmas songs from the 40s just make the season feel right and make me feel like I'm a kid again.
4. What one program are you patiently (or impatiently) waiting for me to review on this blog?
The Paul Winchell Christmas Special
This guy is a legend. He did this show, did one of the voices for the Banana Splits, did the voice for Tigger, played the director in the episode of the Brady Bunch when they got to star in a soap commercial if you can remember that, and even patented the artificial heart!
https://youtu.be/recGPhrqUPE
5. What change in Christmas entertainment have you noticed over the years? Do you like the trend?
There is very little effort into making one great Christmas special but rather they make 20 mediocre ones to fill time. Also the good movies and specials are played to death. Would like to see a slowed pace to it all.
The music in A Christmas Story really does set the mood and feeling that you're in the '40's. The popular songs are mainly Bing Crosby with The Andrews Sisters and can be found on Bing's "Merry Christmas" album. It also looks like someone put together the incidental music on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YW7JaJRj3cw
ReplyDeleteThe Bell Telephone puppet shows are an excellent choice. Like you, my elementary class was allowed to watch them in the early 60s. I have always been fascinated by puppets and puppetry. Also it's great that they did one secular and one religious. They're still available on YouTube and I watch them every year.
ReplyDelete