Better than " It's a wonderful life" .old films

[AndThereSheGoes]

Maybe should have posted in "Films"

I love the concept of Its a Wonderful Life but the actual film is terrible. So dated, schmalzy, America at its worst.

But just watched The Bishops Wife. Made 2 years after IAWL and still American moralising but.... much better. Edgier, less cheese, interesting characters, unresolved angst...

So what other forgotten gems have I missed

The remake isn't a patch on the original!

Christmas in Connecticut, with Barbara Stanwyck and Penny Serenade with Cary Grant and Irene Dunne. Have kleenex handy for the latter film.

I agree with @Chickoletta , "Meet Me in St. Louis" is a nice Christmas movie.
That's where the song "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" came from.

Holiday inn

The shop around the corner is a must see

IAWL is probably my favourite film of all time, but other Christmas movies

Love Actually
Always shown over Christmas... the Railway Children
The Holiday
Home Alone 2
Maybe controversially - Die Hard

Meet Me In St Louis (1944) starring Judy Garland. Worth a watch even if only for the first, and best, performance of "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas".

Citizen Kane is brilliant! Haven't seen it for ages and must dig out my DVD copy.

My DD also loved it! Such a clever film I think.

The Night of the Hunter (1955 version) with Robert Mitchum as the sinister preacher.
A Matter of Life and Death.
The Apartment.
Arsenic and Old Lace.
Rebecca (1940) with Joan Fontaine and Laurence Olivier.
But I do love IAWL and try to watch it every Christmas!

My favourites are

Charade
Love is a many splendored thing
Casablanca
Sunset boulevard
Gone with the wind
Doctor zhivago
North by north West
Some like it hot
Funny face
42nd street
White christmas

I love Meet Me In St Louis too!

Brilliant performance from Davis..And the script - sharp as a razor. It's the quality of the scripts which raise these older films to a level so many can't reach nowadays.
Who can forget Davis's ,declaration: Fasten your seat belts. It's going to be a bumpy ride.

Christmas: The Bishop’s Wife - the original with Cary Grant and David Niven.

And Doris Day films especially Pillow Talk and Don’t Eat the Daisies.

I love several already mentioned.
This Happy Breed is good, starring John Mills. About a family and their ups and downs. It's on talking pictures alot!

Have you watched all the incantations of "A Christmas Carol" ?

Start at the earliest and work through (if you start now you might be done by December )

Some might say "A Muppets Christmas Carol" is the peak but I haven't seen it so cannot possibly comment .