Lover of anything vintage.
I spend my free time looking at antiques,watching and collecting classic films,and reading some of the greatest literary classics known to man.This blog is just my way of sharing my interests with other people.
Happiest of holidays to one and all! Thank you for taking the time out of your schedule to keep up with us once again, and participate in A Very Vintage Christmas. We hope you are ready to read about another classic Christmas movie, as today is Sunday.
Miracle on 34th Street
1947 film
Starring Maureen O'Hara, John Payne, Natalie Wood, and Edmund Gwenn
A man by the name of Kris Kringle (Gwenn), a good-natured resident of Brook's Home for Old People in New York City, is shocked when he catches a glimpse of the man who is to portray Santa Claus in Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, and discovers that the man is drunk. Wishing to file a complaint, Kringle goes directly to the parade's coordinator, Doris Walker (O'Hara). The genial, bearded old gentleman is so passionate in his plea that they find someone else to portray the spirit of Christmas, and it does not escape Doris' attention that he looks the part of Santa Claus, so she hires him on the spot to dress up for the parade.
Later on in the day, once the parade is safely underway and going according to schedule, Doris returns to her apartment. Her young daughter Susan (Wood) is spending the afternoon in their neighbor's apartment watching the parade. When Doris goes to join them, she learns that her neighbor Fred Gailey (Payne) has developed a camaraderie with her daughter in the hopes of meeting Doris, who he knows to be a single mother. His plan works and he finally gets to meet her, and Susan even persuades her mother to invite him to eat Thanksgiving dinner with them.
Meanwhile, once the parade has finished for another year, everyone was so impressed with Kris Kringle that he is hired by Macy's Department Store to portray Santa for the rest of the holiday season. During his training by the manager of the toy department, he is instructed to suggest items from the store to holiday shoppers. Kris, however, believes in telling the truth, and tells shoppers who cannot find what they are looking for that they might be able to find it another store for a better price. The manager is furious at first, until one such customer declares that she will do all of her shopping at Macy's because Kris helped her discover the true spirit of generosity that comes with Christmas.
Eventually, Fred Gailey brings Susan to Macy's to visit Santa. Doris meets them in the store and gets upset
with Fred for filling Susan's head with frivolous nonsense. Susan, however, already believes that Kris Kringle is the real Santa Claus, no matter what her mother says. Doris gets fed up and demands that Kris tell her daughter who he really is, but he insists over and over that he truly is Santa Claus. Losing her patience, Doris asks to see his identification card. When he gives it to her, she sees that his name is listed as "Kris Kringle." She becomes unnerved, thinking that perhaps this new employee is mentally unstable. She wants to fire him on the spot so that he will not be able to influence any other children, but a surprise visit from store owner R.H. Macy prevents her from doing so. Later on, Doris and a store manager decide they will have Mr. Kringle evaluated by a director before they decide to dismiss him. Kriss passes his evaluation. Still believing that something is wrong, Doris contacts the doctor at the senior citizen center where Kris lives, only to be assured that nothing is wrong with the old gentleman, and that he might actually benefit from living closer to his place of employment. Fred Gailey hears of this and offers Kris a place in his apartment, not only because he wishes to help, but also because he thinks that Kris has had a good influence on Susan. The first night that Kris is staying at Fred's apartment, Susan comes to see him. She tells him that what she truly wants for Christmas is a real home to live in, like one she has seen in a magazine. Kris tells her that he will do his best to get it for her.
As time passes, a store employee takes steps to get Kris committed to a psychiatric institution. When Kris finds out what is going on, he believes that Doris had something to do with it as well. Feeling brokenhearted, he deliberately fails his competency test. Fred Gailey, who is not only a lawyer, but has also come to know
Kris as a friend, goes to his aid at once. He promises to try and get him out of the institution. Everything builds up to a trial in court to decide whether Kris is mentally sound or not. Knowing it will cost him his job, Fred represents Kris, determined to prove to he public that he is the real Santa Claus. Doris hears of this and tries to talk Fred out of it, but he refuses. She tells him that he is out of his mind to act on some "idealistic binge" over "lovely intangibles," to which Fred replies that hopefully one day Doris will learn that the "intangibles" are some of the only things worth having in life.
With a lot of hard work, and successful sway of public of opinion, Fred gets the case against Kris dismissed. On Christmas Day, Fred, Doris, and Susan are out and see the house that Susan wanted out of the magazine with a For Sale sign in front of it. Susan rushes into the vacant house, and the other two follow. Doris and Fred decide to get married and buy the house. When they turn to the door, Kris Kringle's old cane is propped up against the wall.
Miracle on 34th Street is a classic holiday gem that helps any viewer get in touch with the genuine spirit of good will and generosity which should accompany Christmas.
If you are interested in pricing or purchasing Miracle on 34th Street for yourself or someone else this holiday season, click on the following links:
Thank you so much for joining us again today for A Very Vintage Christmas.
Today, being a Thursday, is a day devoted to Christmas music. We have a beautiful song that you may or may not be familiar with, but will undoubtedly enjoy regardless.
"Ding dong merrily on high,
In heav'n the bells are ringing:
Ding dong! Verily the sky
Is riv'n with angels singing:
Gloria, Hosanna in excelsis!
E'en so here below, below,
Let steeple bells be swungen,
And 'Io, io, io!'
By priest and people sungen.
Gloria, Hosanna in excelsis!
Pray you dutifully prime
Your matin chime, ye ringers;
May you beautifully rhyme
Your evetime song, ye singers.
Gloria, Hosanna in excelsis!"
Ding Dong Merrily On High is a traditional Christmas carol with a bit of history behind it. Like so many other similar seasonal tunes, the instrumental music has been around much longer than the words that now accompany it. In fact, the tune dates back to 16th century France, when it is believed to have been written by Jehan Tabourot. The song was meant to be used originally as a secular dance melody, which is why it is livelier sounding that some traditional Christmas carols which might have been composed for religious purposes.
The credit for the lyrics which we now associate with the music goes to an Englishman by the name of George Woodward. He wrote the words, in prose style, and they were published in 1924 as a part of a collection entitled The Cambridge Carol Book: Being Fifty-Two Songs for Christmas, Easter, And Other Seasons.
For your listening pleasure, here is one of our personal favorite renditions of Ding Dong Merrily On High:
If you enjoyed the version of Ding Dong Merrily On High that we have posted, and you would like to hear or purchase more from the artist Celtic Woman, please click on the following link:
Good afternoon, everybody! And welcome to the official kickoff for Think Classic's third annual A Very Vintage Christmas! We are so thrilled that you have decided to join us, and hope that we can do our part to make your days merrier and brighter with our charmingly vintage holiday festivities.
Today is Sunday, which means, according to ourschedule, that it is time for a classic Christmas movie post.
Holiday Affair
1949film
Starring Janet Leigh,Robert Mitchum, Wendell Corey, and Gordon Gebert
Steve Mason(Mitchum) is a war veteran who has no sense of direction in his life, and as a result drifts from place to place, just trying to get along. His wanderings bring him to New York City, and he acquires a job as a sales clerk at Crowley's Department Store for the busy Christmas season. He is working at the counter one day when he is approached by a young woman by the name of Connie Ennis(Leigh). He suspects that she might be a hired comparative shopper for another store, and his suspicions are confirmed when she asks to buy
an extremely expensive and valuable toy train set without hardly looking at it. Later that evening, Connie, who is a recent war widow, returns to her apartment and her waiting sonTimmy(Gebert). Connie sets her purchases aside, but Timmy sees the train and becomes ecstatic, believing that it really is his Christmas present. She does her best to explain to her son that it truly isn't his present and that they aren't going to keep it, and Timmy is heartbroken. Connie does indeed go back to Crowley's the next day to return the train set. She is once again assisted by Steve. When she tells him that she needs to return it, but that nothing is wrong with it, he tells her that he knows what she is up to and threatens to report her. Connie panics and tells him that she is truly sorry. She knows it isn't honest, but she is a widow with a young son, who is just trying to make ends meet and get through the holiday season. Steve feels badly for her, so he decides to let her return it and he gives her a full refund. Unfortunately, Steve was being observed by a manager, and since he acted against store policy he loses his job. He follows Connie into another department and helps her as she selects another purchase to do comparative pricing for her
employers. They leave the department store together and walk about the city, talking and getting to know one another.
They then go from one department store to another to buy more things on Connie's list, and as there is so much to carry, he helps her with it until they get separated by a crowd at a bus stop.
Connie heads home on her own, where Timmy and her fianceCarl Davis (Corey) are
decorating a Christmas tree. Unexpectedly, the door bell rings and when Connie goes to answer it she finds Steve standing there with the rest of her packages. Carl is instantly jealous and suspicious of the two of them, while Timmy is instantly smitten with Steve and takes to him naturally. As they are all talking together, Timmy blows up at Carl, who he doesn't really like. When Carl tries to discipline Timmy, Connie gets upset and tells him to "get your hands off my boy!" Carl is very upset by her reaction, feeling that she doesn't trust him with her son, so he promptly leaves, despite Connie's apologies.
Steve believes it is because of his presence in the Ennis home that such trouble was caused, but Connie doesn't agree. He tells her goodbye, and promises not to trouble her anymore for fear that he will fall in love with her. He says goodbye to Timmy and then kisses Connie before he goes, wishing them both a Merry Christmas.
The next day, Connie meets up with Carl at a restaurant and the two of them discuss what happened at the apartment. They forgive one another and make up, and they decide to get married on New Year's Day, to "start the year off right."
On Christmas morning, Timmy is ecstatic and thanks his mother over and over for his present.
She is confused about which present he means, and then he shows her the train set she had returned earlier. Connie catches on quickly, knowing exactly where the train came from.She is honest with Timmy, telling him that the train is a gift from Steve, not from her. After breakfast, Connie goes to Steve's hotel to try and make things right, only to discover that he checked out. She finds him in Central Park and offers to pay him for the train, but he refuses. She gives him a necktie that had been wrapped under the tree to give to Carl. The two are getting along fine when Steve tells Connie that she would be making a mistake if she married Carl. She gets angry and goes home.
Later that afternoon, some police show up at the Ennis household and explain that Steve Mason has been arrested, and he requested that they come down to the station to help straighten everything out, as it is all a misunderstanding. Carl, who is a lawyer, takes on Steve as his client, but what really sets Steve free is the necessary confession from Connie that she had gone to see Steve that morning and had given him a necktie as a present. Everything gets set in order, Steve is released, Timmy invites him over for Christmas dinner, and Carl is very unhappy with everything. Christmas dinner is a little awkward, but fine overall, until Steve announces to everyone, including Connie's former in-laws, that he is in love with her and she should marry him instead of Carl. Connie gets upset and asks him to leave.
The next day dawns dismally with everyone still upset over the night before. Timmy decides to take his train to Crowley's Department Store and return it so that he can give the money to Steve. Connie and Carl then go to Steve's hotel to give him the money from Timmy, but Connie is afraid to see him. Carl realizes that he has no chance against Steve and breaks it off with Connie. She is already distraught when she finally goes into the building to see Steve, and the two of them bicker and she storms out on him.
In the nick of time, Connie realizes that she can't keep walking out on Steve if she really loves him, and she knows that she does. Steve had told her that he was leaving for California, so she takes Timmy and the two of them board the train and find Steve together to ask him to stay.
Holiday Affairis a delightful and lighthearted Christmas romance, which will remind you of the optimism and hope that the Christmas season brings when you endeavor to enjoy it with all of your heart.
If you would like to see this classic Christmas film, you can view it uncut and commercial free on Turner Classic Movies on Sunday, December 15th, at12:15pm ET.
Also, if you are interested in buying Holiday Affairas a Christmas gift for yourself or a loved one, you can click the following links to price and buy it online:
We hope that you have enjoyed this post today, and that you will come back and join us this Thursday, December5th, to add a classic Christmas tune to your holiday playlist.
Until then, we wish you a very merry, andA Very Vintage Christmas!
Good morning, everyone! I trust that you all had a happy Thanksgiving, and that if you are out and about today during Black Friday, that you stay safe. This is just a simple post to serve as a reminder that this Sunday, December 1st, is the beginning of A Very Vintage Christmas here at Think Classic. Also, remember that there is a schedule for the month, as follows: Classic Christmas Movie Posts: Sunday, 12/1 Sunday, 12/8 Sunday, 12/15 Sunday, 12/22 Christmas Music Posts: Thursday, 12/5 Thursday, 12/12 Thursday, 12/19 Christmas Tradition Posts: Tuesday, 12/10 Friday, 12/20 AND a special Christmas Eve post on Tuesday, the 24th. We are so looking forward to sharing this holiday season with you, and we hope to see you back here this Sunday!
R.H. Macy & Co.was opened as a dry goods store on Sixth AvenueinNew York City in the year of 1858. At the time of it's grand opening, the building's location was very important. It was specifically placed at a great enough distance from other well known dry goods stores in the city, so as to increase it's sales and popularity. This was not only a clever business move, but it was also a ray of hope for locals who were seekingemployment opportunities, as it created several new important positions for hire. Naturally, as the store grew over time, so that it offered more than dry goods, more and more positions were created that needed to be filled, which presented an even higher number of employment opportunities. Many of these people, or families, who worked for the department store, were first-generation immigrants to the United States. They were naturally to be proud of their new country and heritage that they were providing for the families by their relocation, and there is no denying that it was very important and noteworthy for so many foreign immigrants in New York during that time period to have such good permanent positions at a booming and rapidly expanding department store. They wanted to show their appreciation and celebration of thanks for their new country and employer, and they finally found a way in the1920s, in the form of a parade, which has an extensive history in Europe.
Plans were drawn up, and what was known at the time as the first official Macy's Christmas Paradewas marched in the late fall of1924. Employees, musicians, entertainers in costumes,
and even animals from theCentral Park Zoowalked along the route, which stretched from Harlem to the store on 34th Street. Once the crowd surrounded the storefront at the end of the route, athrone was set up on the Macy's balcony, andSanta Clauswas officially introduced for the holiday season, and was crowned and titled the "King of the Kiddies."There was such a large turn out and favorable response for that first parade that Macy's Department Store officially announced that they hoped to make it an annual celebration.
Seeking to make improvements and small changes for viewer satisfaction, large balloons were added to the parade. Many balloons of different grades and sizes and themes have been added and many have been kept as a tradition of the parade over the years, such as Uncle
Sam, Superman, Kermit the Frog, Betty Boop, the Toy Soldier, Mickey Mouse, and many others. In earlier years, people were undecided as to what to do with many of the balloons after the parade was over. Were they to be kept and stored? And if so, where? In1928, the big balloons were all released into the sky at the end of the parade, but they all burst, causing much chaos and confusion. The following year, they were specifically designed so that they would stay inflated for several days. They were then released at the end of the parade, with address labels sewn into them, so that when they deflated and fell to the ground, the person who found and returned them would receive a free holiday gift from Macy's. The first of these giant balloons that was introduced was
Felix the Cat in 1927, which was also the first year that the parade was broadcast on the radio. It was announced and broadcast every year on the radio up until 1951, as the number of household television sets began to increase, thereby bringing about a decrease in the total number of people who listened to extended radio broadcasts. The only years that the parade was neither broadcast on the radio or the television were from1942 to 1944, when the parade was actually temporarily suspended due to the large percentage of rubber, and helium that was given to the military in the war effort. It's first official year of television broadcast byNBC was in 1948. This was largely due to popularity and interest that was sparked in movie-goers who did not live in or near New York and had been to see the famous motion pictureMiracle on 34th Street(1947) the previous year.
Floats are also added to the parade frequently, and there are many floats that are a sure tradition. TheTom Turkeyfloat was first added in1971, and has been seen every year since, along with floats like Sesame Street, and Marvel Comics. Santa Claus is also seen every year as the finale of the parade, and his appearance marks the official beginning of the Christmas season, just as it did 87years ago.
There have been many different famous celebrities that have shared a part in the tradition of Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, such as Betty White, Willard Scott, Katie Couric, Ann Curry, Al Roker, and many more.
Over the years, despite the many different changes that have been made,Macy's Thanksgiving Day Paraderemains an annual holiday tradition that promises festive family fun for all who watch or attend.
This post is just a part of the 24 hour preview for A Very Vintage Christmas!
The site looks very festive, doesn't it? It will stay like this until tomorrow afternoon at 4:00pm ET. At that time, it will return to the festive look for Thanksgiving.
This is just a way for us to make sure that the look we have put together for A Very Vintage Christmas goes together smoothly, and it's also fun because it's the perfect excuse to give you a little sneak peek!
So go ahead and take a look around for the next 24 hours.
But don't worry, it will be back bright and early on December 1st.
Historical records tell us that Thanksgiving celebrations for the harvest and the end of the year first began in November of 1621--392 years ago. Obviously many things have changed during the passing of those many years, and that begs the question of how different our Thanksgiving feast is from the original celebration? What exactly was on the menu almost 400 years ago? Well, look no further, because we have the answers to that question right here at Think Classic.
One of the most important parts of the average family's Thanksgiving meal is a cooked turkey. And while it is
true that the turkey is native to North America, most historians do not believe that it was the main attraction at the first Thanksgiving. There are historical records and journals from some of the Pilgrims during those early days, who partook in that celebration, that tell of large hunting groups who went out before the meal to find poultry. More than likely they came back with more than one type of water fowl, such as ducks, or geese. These birds were plucked, and stuffed with things like herbs and nuts, and roasted over a fire. However, poultry was not the only source of protein on the menu. The same sources also tell us that there was a plentiful amount of deer that was brought to the feast as an offering from the Native Americans.
We must also remember that one of the main components of the colonists diet in this region was seafood. They often used different types of lobster, oysters, clams, and various kinds of fish in their cooking, and while these things could possibly have been a part of the first harvest feast, it is almost certain that there was a large quantity of mussels, which are abundant in that region and are easy to collect. One traditional way to serve mussels was with curds.
Naturally, as a celebration of gratitude for a plentiful harvest, there were many different types of fruits and vegetables that were available, and more than likely consumed by the attendees. Corn was definitely an
important part of the feast, as it was very plentiful. However, it was usually ground into a kind of meal or mush and served hot like porridge. It is very possible that there were some leafy vegetables served, such as cabbage or spinach. Carrots were also abundant, along with peas.
Absent from the table was any kind of potato. The Spanish discovered the potato during their time in the New World, and they did take it back to Europe with them, but it was not very popular or abundant, especially in the norther region of Plymouth at that time.
Perhaps everybody's favorite part of the meal is the very end, because of the traditional pies that are served. Whether you eat the traditional pumpkin pie, or apple, or any other kind. While the Pilgrims were definitely familiar with the concept of baking things like pies, they did not have two important things in those early days: some of the ingredients that would be necessary to make a pie crust, and any kind of oven to bake it in. But that does not mean that a sweet pumpkin dessert was not available. It is believed that the Pilgrims took pumpkins, cut them open and hollowed them out, stuffed them with milk, honey, and spices, and then buried them whole in a fire pit to bake.
Another sweet side that was not included was any kind of cranberry sauce. Cranberries are certainly just one kind of fruit that was available to them, and may have been included in the feast in some other way, but the colonists had low rations of sugar that would be necessary to cook or stew with the sour berries in order to create a sweet sauce or relish.
Things are bound to change over time, and there are always differences from one household to another. But it is very interesting to look back at the beginning of this great and meaningful day of Thanksgiving and see the similarities that we still share in some ways with our ancestors.
If you are interested in looking at or using Thanksgiving recipes that have been converted from or inspired by the dishes served at the first Thanksgiving, here is just one website to help you recreate traditions from almost four centuries ago:
The food is fabulous at Thanksgiving, there's no denying it. But this season, let us not forget that the people we share it with are even more important. Let us always be truly thankful.
"We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures."
