Melodramas, a musical & a Seasonal film.....

......start off December. Also, sleet, snow flurries and cold, cold, cold. Nice by the fire to see these films:

Mad About Music (1938) Deanna Durbin fluff but she is darling and sings a lovely Ave Maria. Deanna {Gloria) was 14 and just delightful as a pupil at a Swiss boarding school who makes up stories about her father. Her mother (Gail Patric) is a famous movie star, who in those days "couldn't" have a grown daughter. Herbert Marshall is a composer who chances to be on a train as the girls all come to meet this 'father.' One mixup after another has Gloria busy until the final song. A treat for her fans. 9/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0030395/

Mildred Pierce (1945) Joan Crawford's Oscar performance. She is a mother who will, and does, do anything for her oldest daughter, the evil Veda (Ann Blyth). Great cast doing great melodrama. Jack Carson (Wally), is terrific, and never gets enough recognition for his acting. Zachary Scott, Eve Arden, and Bruce Bennett round out the top players. Story of a woman's rise from housewife/waitress to owner of a chain of restaurants, and the bad choices she makes that finally bring her down, was way before women in films were usually this strong without some man behind them. One of the 1st showing a determined, smart, ambitious female. 9/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0037913/

Possessed (1947) Joan Crawford, another Oscar nominated performance. The gradual desent into madness, is Joan at her best. Van Heflin is the object of her desire; Raymond Massey is the stalwart husband; Geraldine Brooks, his daughter. Story of a nurse taking care of an invalid wife, who ends up marrying the husband after the wife dies, but who really wants to stay in contact with her former lover. Murder happens. Collapse happens. Semi-happy ending happens. 9/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0039725/

The Bishops Wife (1947) Loretta Young, Cary Grant, David Niven. Starts my Christmas season films. Cary's the angel, Loretta the bishop's wife, David the bishop. The character actors are delightful: Elsa Lancaster, the maid; Gladys Cooper, Mrs. Hamilton, the grande dame; James Gleason, the cabby who almost steals the show; Monty Woolley, the professor; Sara Haden, the bishops' secretary; Karolyn Grimes, daughter Debby. What a cast! A fable - done with great seriousness, and good humor, to continue to delight even our cynical age. The final lines are for all times, everywhere. 10/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0039190/

Into The Wild (2007) Beautiful and sad true story. . Emile Hirsch plays Chris McCandless, the college graduate who decides he doesn't want or need modern life and really wants to 'get away from it all.' His trip across country and the folks he meets is wonderful and entertaining. His final trip to Alaska and trekking out into the wilderness, to find an old bus sitting miles from anywhere, where he settles down for the season is interesting and hopeful. The final days of his life are heartbreaking. Can't say I admire his attitude, but his courage is great. Extremism, no matter what the cause, is bad. 9/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0758758/

"24"-Redemption" (2008-2 hr. TVmovie) Jack Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland) kicking ass and saving African children. After a year and a half of no new episodes, this is the reintroduction of badass Jack in his life under the radar of his former CTU agency. Story is about African warlords and the fact that militias round up children from all over the countryside and make them into soldiers, teaching them to shoot guns and kill. Jack's friend, a school teacher, is targeted because of the young boys at his village school. They try to get the children to the embassy miles away, and finally make it after much mayhem. Still like Jack and his "just get it done" attitude. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0813980/

My daughters helped me get my lights up along the front walk and driveway. Just have a scene with trees, a deer and big presents on the lawn. The two small spruce trees at the ends of the house have white lights. So that afternoon as they were finishing - the sleet/snow began falling. Great gobs, but it melted on the concrete. Stuck to the lawn and trees. A true holiday start to the season. Fireplace on, supper and a good movie. I'm happy!