Christmas Movies

Our favorite Christmas movies are like beloved members of the family that come to visit once a year. They bring with them memories of youth, Christmases past and sentimental feelings of peace and good will. Just about everyone has a favorite.

Animated Classics
Some of today's most beloved Christmas movies actually premiered as holiday television specials in the 1960s. The first such production, Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol, made its debut in 1962 and was soon followed by a string of other animated holiday features that became just as popular - Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1964), A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965), Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas (1966), The Little Drummer Boy (1968), and Frosty the Snowman (1969). The animated Christmas specials of the 1960s remain cherished classics, as do many of the animated flicks they inspired. The most popular include: Santa Claus is Coming to Town (1970), The Year Without a Santa Claus (1974), Twas the Night Before Christmas (1974), Rudolph's Shiny New Year (1976), and Nestor the Long-eared Christmas Donkey (1977).

Theatrical Christmas Releases
No one can predict which Christmas movies will become classics and which will be dismissed and forgotten. When It's a Wonderful Life was released in 1946, the film did not draw much attention and remained largely unnoticed until the 1970s. By contrast, Miracle on 34th Street (1947) was lauded by critics and received several Oscar nominations. Now, both films are equally cherished by the public and are watched over and over again throughout each holiday season. Undoubtedly, our lists of holiday favorites will keep changing as new films are released and older films are rediscovered. Today, some of the most popular Christmas movies include: The Bells of St. Mary's (1945), The Bishop's Wife (1947), A Christmas Wish (1950), A Christmas Carol (1951), White Christmas (1954), A Christmas Story (1983), Scrooged (1988), National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989), Prancer (1989), Home Alone (1990), The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992), The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993), The Santa Clause (1994), Jingle All the Way (1996), How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000), and Elf (2003).