Dukes of Hazzard Christmas (1980)

Last month at Mid-Atlantic Nostalgia Convention in Baltimore, I gave a presentation called Entertaining Spirits: The Many TV Adaptations of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol.  I had so much fun discussing the highs and lows of television's own take on the Christmas literary classic that I thought I'd share The Dukes of Hazzard Christmas episode here on the blog.  My reference to this episode inspired a bit of discussion--and laughter--that weekend in Baltimore.  I hope it brings back good memories for you as well.

Boss Hogg has the Duke boys thrown in jail at Christmas time!

In the 1980 Christmas episode, "The Great Santa Claus Chase," the Duke boys pick up a truckload of Christmas trees for the local boy scouts, who took orders from the townspeople for them.   On their way back to town, Bo and Luke are stopped and their truck filled with Christmas trees is hijacked.  Bo and Luke become even more suspicious of who would commit such a low-down crime when Boss Hogg accuses them of stealing the trees themselves, frames them with circumstantial evidence, and has them thrown in jail.

"We look like the bad guys!"

The Duke family name is so tarnished that Uncle Jesse's children's Christmas choir concert is cancelled.

Bo and Luke are feeling down because no one in Hazzard will have a Christmas tree now that their truck was stolen.  They're also frustrated because Uncle Jesse had to spend all the family's Christmas money on bail to spring them from jail.  On top of it all, the Duke family reputation is now tarnished as J.D. Hogg has made them look like criminals and everyone in town doesn't know what to believe.

Can these three get Boss Hogg to reveal his guilty feelings for his greedy crimes?

When Boss Hogg begins selling his own truck-load of Christmas trees at three times the price, the Duke boys know who is behind the hijacking.  Not sure how to catch J.D. Hogg at his game, Bo, Luke, and Daisy conspire to trick Boss Hogg into confessing his scheme.

While Hogg naps, Daisy turns on the radio receiver in his office.

Each of the Dukes takes a turn, speaking across the top of the jug to create a spooky voice--and hopefully frighten a confession out of Boss Hogg.

Using the police radio, Daisy, Bo and Luke each give voice to the Ghost of Christmas Past, Present, and Future, speaking to Boss Hogg during his daily 4:30pm nap in his office at the Boar's Nest.  The three Dukes try to inspire a Dickens-style Christmas conversion in their hillbilly nemesis, making him think he is visited by three ghosts teaching him to be less greedy.  Unfortunately, the well-intentioned scheme fails.

Bo, Luke, and Cooter "stealing" back their own stolen Christmas trees.

Trying another tack, the Duke boys and Cooter make plans to "steal" back their own Christmas trees from Boss Hogg and deliver them to the residents of Hazzard as originally promised.  They decide to try to confuse law enforcement by each disguising themselves in a Santa Claus suit and driving three identical pick-up trucks for the deliveries.  Sure enough, Cletus, Roscoe, and J.D. Hogg are driving around the dusty country roads trying to follow one gray-colored pick-up truck driven by a Santa Claus--never realizing there are three of them driving in different directions.

The three hijackers return to take more of Boss Hogg's bounty.

Uncle Jesse and Daisy following the hijackers at top speed in Daisy's white Jeep.  YEE-HAW!!

Adding to the chaos, the three original hijackers, once employed by Boss Hogg, have returned to Hazzard County in order to rob Boss Hogg's safe in his office at the Boar's Nest.  The three hijackers have coincidentally disguised themselves in Santa Claus suits as well.  When Uncle Jesse and Daisy interrupt the professional thieves' heist, they begin a car chase hoping to identify and capture the thieves and prove that the Duke boys have been innocent all along.

The car chases and jumps by the General Lee are always the best parts in every episode.

The high-speed chase ends in one dusty crossroad when all the vehicles involved end up in the same place at once!

The climax is Bo, Luke, and Cooter dressed as three Santas in a classic car chase delivering Christmas trees and evading Boss Hogg and his corrupt law enforcement team, while the three thieves--also dressed as Santas--try to escape the high-speed chase from Uncle Jesse and Daisy Duke.  Can Boss Hogg ever learn his lesson about greed?

Alone on Christmas Eve, Boss Hogg has nothing better to do than read his new book, Dickens' A Christmas Carol.

Though the Duke boys are able to get themselves out of trouble with the law and restore the family's reputation, the episode's story isn't finished yet.  We see Rosco P. Coltrane and Boss Hogg exchange Christmas gifts.  It turns out that Rosco gives his boss a copy of the much beloved holiday classic, Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol.  Reading it (and not recognizing the references from his experiences earlier in the episode), J.D. Hogg is moved by the book and has a change of heart!  He decides to set aside his greedy ways for once and join Rosco at the Duke family's Christmas party.

"Merry Christmas everybody and God bless us, everyone!"--Boss Hogg, of course!

If you've seen this series even once, you've got to recognize Hogg's Christmas transformation as a temporary state.  What would be the point of this series without their number one villain?  But it is nice to see Boss Hogg change his heart--even if it doesn't last very long.  I'll leave it to you to decide if this is an example of a high or a low in TV versions of Dickens' classic literary tale.  But if you're anything like me, watching this ridiculous Christmas episode always makes me laugh.

Cash On Demand (1961)

This post is part of the Hammer Halloween Blogathon hosted by the Classic Film & TV Café. Click here view the complete blogathon schedule.

This theatrical release film is based on a play written by Jacques Gillies.  The entire story takes place within a bank.

Christmas stories have long been filled with frightening elements.  One doesn't have to look any further than Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol to find a very popular ghost story.  This blogathon is a celebration of Hammer Film Productions, which tended to feature horror stories, but I'm not going to be sharing a ghost story, nor a movie with an axe-wielding Santa Claus.  However, there is an enjoyable psychological thriller worth discussing.  1961's Cash On Demand is a British-made Hammer production and its story takes place at Christmas time.  Perhaps not so coincidentally, you may also recognize a bit of Dickens in it, as well.

Actor Andre Morell plays the intellectual bank robber, Hepburn (left), and Peter Cushing (right), plays the bank manager and martinet, Mr. Fordyce

The movie's story takes place on the morning of December 23rd within a bank, in a small community in southwestern England.  A gentleman named Colonel Gore Hepburn passes himself off as a bank insurance inspector, and cleverly robs the bank.  In this heist, the robber convinces the bank's manager Mr. Fordyce that he is conspiring with a team who holds Fordyce’s wife and child hostage until the robbery is complete.  Fordyce must endure a humiliating morning while the robber demands that he cooperate with a complex set of instructions.  Pretending to investigate and evaluate the bank's staff on their security procedures, Hepburn has Fordyce assist him in removing the vault's cash holdings while the rest of the bank's staff are unaware of the ruse.

The well-thought out scheme forces Fordyce to assist in the robbing of his own bank.  Will he be implicated as an accomplice when the criminal act is eventually discovered?

While this story may not satisfy your appetite for a Halloween monster picture, it is an edge-of-your-seat, suspenseful tale, as we watch the brilliance of Peter Cushing's character, Fordyce, pushed to his psychological limits.  In the opening we are introduced to Fordyce as a martinet, an unforgiving boss without any holiday spirit.  As the other bank employees look forward to the office Christmas party, Fordyce is more concerned with pointing out their individual weaknesses and using humiliation to keep them in line.  Later in the story, the mastermind Hepburn uses Fordyce's tight grip on his own sense of superiority and dignity in order to manipulate the manager to Hepburn's criminal will.  Fordyce's character is repeatedly challenged and he begins to mentally crumble, desperate to adhere to his high standards while frightened into submission for the safety of his family.  This film's strength is the tension that is built and held while we watch the heist unfold, and Fordyce comes closer and closer to mental collapse.

Shot with many close-ups, you'll watch as Fordyce is pushed to his mental edge.

It's not a stretch to say you'll be impressed with the acting in this movie.  It’s wonderful to see British actor Peter Cushing in this black-and-white cult classic--introduced to many American audiences by his small role as Grand Moff Tarkin in the 1977 movie Star Wars: The New Hope.  However, classic horror film fans may recognize Cushing from his many appearances in Hammer Films.

Can Fordyce get away with assisting Hepburn in robbing the bank without the staff becoming suspicious?

Comparisons between the stern boss Fordyce and Ebenezer Scrooge are inevitable here as the robber challenges the bank manager’s prickly character again and again throughout the story.  Fordyce is just as insensitive to the holiday spirit with his subordinates as Scrooge is with his employee, Bob Cratchit.  Just as in Dickens' A Christmas Carol, viewers may ask themselves if Fordyce will transform his character, promising to change his ways at the end of this Christmas tale.  Watching this thriller may be the perfect antidote if you’re feeling the uneasy pressure of commercialism and monetary concerns at Christmas time, once again reinforcing my claim that there's a Christmas movie for every taste preference.

 Please check out the other Hammer Films in the blogathon.  Happy Halloween!

Bewitched Christmas (1970)

Of the four Christmas episodes on Bewitched, which one is your favorite?

Warning: the 1970 Christmas episode of Bewitched in my summary below contains images of blackface that are arguably culturally insensitive. However, what makes this episode worth talking about is that blackface here is not being used to dehumanize but to make a point about racial equality. How successful this story is in effectively sharing its intended message is up to each TV viewer to decide. Christmas TV history includes other instances of culturally insensitive images and story lines across a spectrum of offenses. I think it is important to examine these stories because in doing so, we examine ourselves and our culture. --JW

 

It's October and everyone seems to be looking forward to Halloween at the end of the month.  Talk of ghosts, goblins, monsters, and witches reminds me of my favorite TV witch, Samantha Stephens.  I've already shared my favorite Christmas episode of Bewitched--1964's "A Vision of Sugar Plums" which included guest stars Billy Mumy and Bill Daily.  Last month in Chicago at The Hollywood Show, I bumped into actor Bill Daily in the hallway and he wished me a good morning.  It was just a brief encounter but one that made my day.  Also while in Chicago, I was lucky enough to have my booth located next to actress Erin Murphy, the actress who played young Tabitha on Bewitched.  Of course, our talk turned to Christmas on TV and she proudly spoke about the 1970 episode "Sisters At Heart."  So I thought I'd it would be fun to share this special Christmas episode with a socially conscious message.

Lisa is spending the night at the Stephens' house while her parents are out of town on a business trip.

In "Sisters At Heart," Tabitha befriends the young daughter of one of Darren’s colleagues at McMann & Tate, an African-American girl named Lisa Wilson.  The two girls quickly become best friends and wish they were sisters. Unfortunately, another child on the playground suggests that they can’t be sisters because they don’t have the same skin color.

At first, Tabitha makes both girls white skinned.

Then Tabitha makes them both black skinned.  However, Lisa worries their mothers won't be able to recognize them.

Hearing this, Tabitha uses her magic to make the two girls look more alike in order to be sisters.  Eventually her spell causes Lisa to be covered in white spots and her own skin to be covered in black spots.

Tabitha's solution: their polka dots make them sisters!

 Once Samantha discovers her daughter's hijinks, she sets out to correct the matter.  However, overcoming Tabitha's spell becomes more complicated as the little witch doesn't want to change back.  While Samantha waits for help from Dr. Bombay, the little girls happily continue on as "sisters in spots."

Sam's magic isn't powerful enough to overcome Tabitha's wishcraft!

This gives Samantha an opportunity to talk to the youngsters about their common human bond despite their skin color.  The Stephens family continues to confront issues of race when a bigoted client of Darren’s fires him after mistaking Lisa to be his daughter.

The McMann and Tate office Christmas party is held at the Stephens' family home--all while Samantha races to change Lisa back to normal before her parents come to pick her up!

The party is held at the Stephens' home to show their client Mr. Brockway that Darren is a stand-up guy.

 The McMann and Tate client, Mr. Brockway (played by Parely Baer), had visited the Stephens home earlier in the story and after being greeted at the door by Lisa had assumed that Darren had a racially mixed marriage and fires Darren from the account.  When Mr. Brockway attends the office Christmas party, he eventually offers the job back to Darren despite his mixed marriage.  But Larry is offended by Mr. Brockway's subtle racism and tells him to take his account to another firm.  Mr. Brockway makes the claim "some of my best friends are negroes," and Samantha decides to show him how deep his racism runs.

Under Sam's magic, everyone Mr. Brockway sees has black skin.

Samantha is delighted in showing Mr. Brockway the difference between racial tolerance and acceptance.

After seeing himself in the mirror with black skin, Mr. Brockway flees the Christmas party.

This episode has a happy ending when Mr. Brockway returns to the Stephens' home on Christmas morning to apologize for his prejudices--and viewers are reminded about the holiday-appropriate moral lesson about brotherhood, kindness, and love. 

Lisa's parents.  Her father is played by Don Marshall--who also appeared in a classic episode of Star Trek in 1967.

This unique holiday story with a social message is based on a high school writing assignment from the fifth period English class at Thomas Jefferson High School, in Los Angeles.  The entire class is listed in the episode's closing credits!  Making this episode even more special, it won the Governors Award by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences the following year.  How cool is that?

The Wilsons and the Stephens together on Christmas morning.

Mid-Atlantic Nostalgia Convention--Recap

I'm still a little dizzy from all the excitement and incredible conversations that took place over the weekend at the Mid-Atlantic Nostalgia Convention, just outside of Baltimore, MD.  This particular convention which gathers the fans of old-time radio programs, movies, and television shows offered me an exceptionally warm welcome and an introduction to quite a few like-minded TV fans.

League of Holiday Bloggers: RigbyMel and J.A. Morris of Holiday Film Reviews. 

I was thrilled that J.A. Morris and RigbyMel from Holiday Film Reviews came up to Baltimore to see me and sit in on my presentation.  I first met them when I was on book tour in 2010--but we have stayed connected by guest blogging for each other ever since.  This past summer, they shared a review on the Batman: The Brave and the Bold Christmas episode for my Christmas in July: Animation Celebration blogathon.  What a treat it was to see some familiar faces.

Myself with Jaleh Najafali who also blogs for the Hungry Nomad as a food blogger!

It was also thrilling to meet face-to-face with another blogger who contributed to the Christmas in July party this past summer.  Jaleh shared with us her passion for the memorable Disney short film Mickey's Christmas Carol.  It was such a treat to finally meet someone else I've worked with.

I couldn't pass up this photo opportunity!  If Peter Capaldi needs a replacement--I'M READY TO FILL-IN as the new Doctor!

A few other surprises brightened my weekend:  I met Mark who remembered me from the 40th Anniversary screening of The Homecoming movie/The Waltons Reunion event from 2011--where I was The Walton's reunion moderator.  I also connected with someone who heard me on one of my radio interviews on TV Confidential.  And, I got to meet Amy--a blogger from Embarrassing Treasures--who also participated in the Classic TV Bloggers Association blogathon earlier this year about Me-TV's summer programming.  Amy blogged about Leave It to Beaver--and I blogged about the 1966 Christmas episode of That Girl.  Remember that?  This weekend's experiences left me feeling more connected to the blogging community and TV viewers than ever before.  It felt good.

Look for Ed Asner in a new Christmas TV movie coming to Lifetime in 2013 entitled Papa Noel.

Even though I was busy meeting people and talking Christmas entertainment, I did manage to sneak away from my table briefly to get my photo taken with a few celebrities.  I wasn't the only fan there who fondly remembers the 1977 Christmas TV movie The Gathering--which stars Ed Asner.

Actress Margaret O'Brien

I also wanted to make sure I got a chance to meet Margaret O'Brien--the child actress who not only appeared in 1944's Meet Me in St. Louis but 1948's Tenth Avenue Angel--both movies which include significant Christmas scenes.  Turns out Margaret really admired the ceramic Santa Claus holiday figurine I had at my booth I was using to decorate with--so I gave it to her!

Oh Magoo, you've done it again!

But the highlight of my time at Mid-Atlantic Nostalgia Convention was the tremendous response I received for my presentation Entertaining Spirits: The Many TV Adaptations of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol.  My seminar was scheduled for Friday at 11am--which must have been the ideal time because the large room was filled with interested listeners.  Not only were video cameras streaming my presentation live but there was a live feed for internet radio as well!  There were more participants than I had made copies for my handout--so I had extras printed and available at my table the rest of the weekend--I hope everyone who wanted one got one.  But the exciting part was how the conversations about TV adaptations of A Christmas Carol continued after the Q & A--and I'm still receiving emails and fb messages from people responding to my talk.  I'm so glad everyone connected with it.

If you follow the blog, you know I always try to make a special TV stop on all my journeys.  Here's me in front of Charm City Cakes in Baltimore--the location for the Food Network's Ace of Cakes.  Have I had an Ace of Cake's cake?  Why YES, I have! I was at LebowskiFest in 2008, the event during the 5th season episode "The Big Cakeowski" and it was delicious!

I want to thank all my readers who took the time to stop my table and introduce themselves.  What a nice thing to hear from people who read my blog!  I'm looking forward to hearing from all the new friends I made in Baltimore as well.  Please feel free to comment on any of the posts--that's what social networking is all about.  And, my biggest thanks goes to Martin and everyone else involved in Mid-Atlantic Nostalgia Convention for creating such a wonderful event and community. 

Tenth Avenue Angel (1948)

 
I'm really looking forward to being at the Mid-Atlantic Nostalgia Convention on Sept. 19th-21st, 2013.   One of the celebrity guests I'm most excited about meeting is actress Margaret O'Brien who has appeared in several theatrical release movies with significant Christmas scenes.  Surely you know that O'Brien played the youngest sister Tootie in the 1944 movie Meet Me in St. Louis.   It is Tootie to whom older sister Ester, played by Judy Garland, sings the now iconic holiday song "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" in that film.

However O'Brien plays the lead role in 1948's Tenth Avenue Angel, an MGM movie directed by Roy Rowland which has an emotional climax that takes place on Christmas Eve.  It is this movie which I'd like to focus my attention on now.

Flavia keeps company with the blind newspaper vendor Mac.

O'Brien plays 8 year-old Flavia Mills, a confident outgoing girl who delights in knowing everyone--and everyone's business--in her Tenth Avenue, downtown New York, neighborhood.  But she learns a hard lesson when she first discovers that not everything her mother tells her is true.  When young Flavia is afraid of mice, she is told that mice are good luck because they turn into money.  After discovering that this isn't true, Flavia painfully realizes her favorite friend Steve didn’t travel around the world, as she was told, but was sent away to prison. 

Flavia isn't sure she can trust what her mother tells her about the world anymore.

Feeling betrayed and lied to by her family, Flavia isn't quite sure what to believe anymore.  On Christmas Eve, Flavia's mother falls down a flight of steps and pre-maturely gives birth to the child she was carrying.  The doctor explains that while the baby will be okay, her mother's health is jeopardized.  Earlier Flavia had been told that cows kneel every Christmas Eve when they feel God's presence close to them--as cows have always done since the birth of the baby Jesus in the stable at Bethlehem.  Choosing to believe with her heart rather than her head, Flavia sets off in the night, alone on Christmas Eve in search of a cow in lower Manhattan.   The little girl desperately wants to offer up a prayer on behalf of her mother when God comes nearest the animals on that cold December night.

Though he has lied to her in the past, this Christmas Eve at the stockyard, Steve becomes a believer in Flavia's search for truth.

This is another one of those old Hollywood movies that has you in tears, rooting for a miracle at Christmas time.  It's also a thoughtful movie that urges viewers to consider larger issues such as the difference between fairy tales and reality, innocence and cynicism, freedom and destiny, and knowledge gained from one's mind and from one's heart.  It's the perfect sort of movie to watch at Christmas time when we reconsider what is most important in our lives and we are looking to be reminded of our emotional truths.

If you look closely, you may recognize Flavia's friend Cynthia in one scene--it's a very young Elinor Donahue!

I've seen this movie airing on TCM at holiday time--is this one of your annual favorites to watch?  If you're interested, it is available for viewing on DVD from the Warner Archive.  What's your favorite Margaret O'Brien role?

Film Review: They Wore the Red Suit (2012)

 
I was recently granted access to watch the new documentary film They Wore the Red Suit: The Santa Documentary released within the past year.   The film is directed by Larry Peter and has spent the year on the film festival circuit.  This is where I heard about it.  The documentary focuses on the men who choose to work professionally as Santa Claus.

The film acknowledges the role of Jim Yellig, a professional Santa Claus who forever shaped and influenced all other professional Santas.

This film is a rare glimpse at those who make Santa Claus their vocation and the behind-the-scenes industry that supports them.  Phillip L. Wenz who works as a professional Santa and serves as this movie's consultant estimates that up to 10,000 men work as Santa Claus seasonally, several hundred men are able to make working as Santa Claus their primary career, and only a handful work as Santa year round.  However the challenges and rewards to working as Santa may not be obvious to the casual observer.

Students at Santa Claus school.

The film explores the history of noteworthy professional Santa Clauses and the International Santa Claus Hall of Fame.  Viewers are also introduced to several Santa schools and their importance in the industry, as well as Santa Conventions and their value in gathering professional Santas together to share their unique experiences, wardrobe requirements, and camaraderie. The film also details the history of several tourist destinations, for example Santa Claus, Indiana, where Christmas culture exists year round giving several professional Santas a chance to earn a full time living.

Why would someone choose to work professionally as Santa Claus?

Perhaps the most interesting scenes in the film concern the psychology of the men who choose to take on this particular vocation, asking questions such as what initially attracts them to this work? what continues to inspire them? and how do they handle answering children's "difficult questions?"--children asking Santa for impossible Christmas wishes.

Santa Claus, Indiana has been an important hub of Christmas culture for decades.

They Wore the Red Suit is currently on the festival circuit while its filmmakers are seeking to get it aired on PBS in the near future.  While it's not available for purchase yet, I'll let you know if I see it airing on television in the upcoming holiday season.  You can check out their website at They Wore the Red Suit and follow the film's progress and receives updates on their facebook page.

You may also remember another documentary movie that aired on OWN in 2011 entitled Becoming Santa.  Directed by Jeff Myers, Becoming Santa explores one man's transformation to become a professional Santa Claus for one holiday season.  This sub-culture is a world unlike any other and if you're drawn towards understanding the men who take on this role, I encourage you to seek these films out.