What in the hell does Alfred Hitchcock have to do with Christmas Day?

[slaytonf]

Maybe as a palate cleanser, or a wicked counterpoint, TCM is showing a full day of Hitchcock movies starting at 5 pm, PST (Now, whose sardonic take on the world I wonder could account for that?).  I don't know of any Hitchcock movies that take place in winter, let alone center around Christmas.  Come to think of it, almost any kind of bad weather, rain, snow, heat, is absent from his movies--perhaps as a as a consequence of his sunny disposition.  True, a lot of times it's night.

Maybe we're supposed to work out hidden themes in his movies.  Lemme see. . . .so Thornhill's flight across America could be symbolic of Santa's Christmas Eve ride, only he ends up getting the present, instead.  There aren't too many families in his movies that could be taken for the Bethlehem Trio, and nothing in a manger, but the building where the Lawrence kid was held captive in The Man Who Knew Too Much (1934) was pretty mangy.  Ingrid Bergman always seemed elfin to me.  Wonder what else I can think of?

[jakeem]

Remember, TCM had a month-long retrospective of Hitchcock's films in July. It probably cost a pretty penny to secure the rights to many of them, and I suppose TCM must burn them off whenever they can.

Also, Ingrid Bergman elfin? Are you kidding me? She was almost a 6-footer and said to be very healthy. 

[laffite]

2 hours ago, slaytonf said:

Maybe as a palate cleanser, or a wicked counterpoint, TCM is showing a full day of Hitchcock movies starting at 5 pm, PST (Now, whose sardonic take on the world I wonder could account for that?).  I don't know of any Hitchcock movies that take place in winter, let alone center around Christmas.  Come to think of it, almost any kind of bad weather, rain, snow, heat, is absent from his movies--perhaps as a as a consequence of his sunny disposition.  True, a lot of times it's night.

Maybe we're supposed to work out hidden themes in his movies.  Lemme see. . . .so Thornhill's flight across America could be symbolic of Santa's Christmas Eve ride, only he ends up getting the present, instead.  There aren't too many families in his movies that could be taken for the Bethlehem Trio, and nothing in a manger, but the building where the Lawrence kid was held captive in The Man Who Knew Too Much (1934) was pretty mangy.  Ingrid Bergman always seemed elfin to me.  Wonder what else I can think of?

Interesting ...

I'm not anti-Christmas but I admire TCM for doing this. They are not afraid to do something different and something apparently not just a little surprising. It's good that the world doesn't have to stop just because it's this day or other. For a change.

[Sepiatone]

And besides, after a near month long glut of holiday movies from TCM and other outlets, AND being Christmas day, when their viewership probably drops a good 90%+, why BOTHER with more Christmas fare?

But, I feel they at least should have taken a cue from retailers and started showing VALENTINE'S DAY films on Christmas day. 

Sepiatone

[Fedya]

5 hours ago, slaytonf said:

I don't know of any Hitchcock movies that take place in winter, let alone center around Christmas.

"Phoenix, Arizona, Friday, December the Eleventh".  Not that anybody in Psycho is celebrating Christmas.

There's also snow in Spellbound when they get to the professor's house in Rochester and then to Gabriel Valley.  How else is Gregory Peck going to see those lines on white?

5 hours ago, slaytonf said:

Come to think of it, almost any kind of bad weather, rain, snow, heat, is absent from his movies

Why does Marnie go psycho every time she hears thunder?

[slaytonf]

5 hours ago, jakeem said:

Also, Ingrid Bergman elfin? Are you kidding me? She was almost a 6-footer and said to be very healthy. 

In her manner.  Recall that the elves in Lordatherings were all tall, lithe and graceful.  Hey wait.  Elves aren't healthy?

2 hours ago, Sepiatone said:

l they at least should have taken a cue from retailers and started showing VALENTINE'S DAY films on Christmas day. 

Ooo, goody.  Um, can't recall any, unless you're talking about Karen Valentine.

1 hour ago, Fedya said:

"Phoenix, Arizona, Friday, December the Eleventh".  Not that anybody in Psycho is celebrating Christmas.

There's also snow in Spellbound when they get to the professor's house in Rochester and then to Gabriel Valley.  How else is Gregory Peck going to see those lines on white?

Why does Marnie go psycho every time she hears thunder?

Thanks for the info.  Come to think of it, Bates doesn't have a tree up, or lights.  Now that should have been a dead give away.  Keep driving, Marion.  Oh, I remember, it rains in Rear Window (1954).  And of course Marny looses it because thunder is so rare, she doesn't know what the hell it is.

[jakeem]

5 minutes ago, slaytonf said:

In her manner.  Recall that the elves in Lordatherings were all tall, lithe and graceful.  Hey wait.  Elves aren't healthy?

I guess I forgot about the 6′ 3″ Will Ferrell in "Elf," too.

[scsu1975]

It is not generally known, but The Man Who Knew Too Much was originally supposed to be about a bearded jolly old soul who kept dossiers on who was naughty and who was nice.

[jinsinna13]

5 hours ago, laffite said:

Interesting ...

I'm not anti-Christmas but I admire TCM for doing this. They are not afraid to do something different and something apparently not just a little surprising. It's good that the world doesn't have to stop just because it's this day or other. For a change.

I agree. There's only so many Christmas movies people can watch without getting sick of them. (Or they're already sick of them like I am with It's a Wonderful Life.) Comedy Central seems to be the only channel that agrees with us and plays a That '70s Show marathon instead.

It took guts for TCM to make a bold move like this. And that I give them credit for.

[LawrenceA]

Strangely they're not showing Foreign Correspondent, and that one has Santa Claus as a killer.

[sagebrush]

Well, some folks don't celebrate Christmas, and for them it's just another day, so why not a Hitchcock marathon?

[sewhite2000]

Are you complaining that TCM didn't show ENOUGH Christmas movies already this month? Because ...

[TomJH]

Hitchcock has, obviously, nothing to do with Christmas.

But in broadcasting his films TCM is offering a Christmas day alternative to the White Christmases and wonderful lives and Christmas Carols and Bing Crosby priest films being shown elsewhere. Some viewers don't like the sentimentality of Christmas movies (I'm among them) and would rather watch James Stewart using his binoculars on neighbours or Cary Grant scaling up Mount Rushmore (both great movies, by the way).

Then, again, you might try applying a seasonal interpretation to the Christmas Day Hitchcocks.

"Holy . . . is that who I think it is?"

"Ho, Ho, Ho."

[marcar]

[Dargo]

1 hour ago, TomJH said:

Hitchcock has, obviously, nothing to do with Christmas.

But in broadcasting his films TCM is offering a Christmas day alternative to the White Christmases and wonderful lives and Christmas Carols and Bing Crosby priest films being shown elsewhere. Some viewers don't like the sentimentality of Christmas movies (I'm among them) and would rather watch James Stewart using his binoculars on neighbours or Cary Grant scaling up Mount Rushmore (both great movies, by the way).

Then, again, you might try applying a seasonal interpretation to the Christmas Day Hitchcocks.

"Holy . . . is that who I think it is?"

"Ho, Ho, Ho."

 

And, there IS another way in which Rear Window has a connection, although remote, to Christmas ya know.

So, who plays the songwriter sitting at his piano which is also one of Jimmy's voyeuristic subjects in that film?

Uh-huh, that would be Ross Bagdasarian, and who would later change his stage name to David Seville.

And I suppose I don't have to remind, especially to any of my fellow Boomers around here, what Christmas song Dave wrote and recorded using sped-up versions of his own voice, now do I?!

(...but just in case I do, it has three imagined cute and furry little rodents singing about how Christmas can't come soon enough for them, with one of 'em hoping to find a Hula Hoop sitting under his tree on that morning)

[TomJH]

1 hour ago, slaytonf said:

Hey wait.  Elves aren't healthy?

 

Not after they slip on something Rudolph left in the snow.

 

[shutoo]

Sure! Hitchcock is perfect for Christmas!

The Birds--shop wisely..a gift may have consequences

Shadow of a Doubt--you think your visiting relatives are bad...

Secret Agent--a candy factory! snowy mountains! (of course, one poor guy gets pushed off..)

The Trouble With Harry--wishes come true for everyone! (except Harry..)

Family Plot--at the end, she Is psychic..it's a miracle!

[Fedya]

Also regarding bad weather, there's an autumn thunderstorm in Saboteur.

[Bethluvsfilms]

It could have been worse.....they could have chosen Stanley Kubrick! (Even though he's my favorite director, plus I know there's no way in the world TCM would show A Clockwork Orange or Eyes Wide Shut on such a sacred holiday).

[Swithin]

Oh dear, another "every holiday must have related films" thread.

 

 

[jinsinna13]

1 hour ago, shutoo said:

Sure! Hitchcock is perfect for Christmas!

The Birds--shop wisely..a gift may have consequences

Shadow of a Doubt--you think your visiting relatives are bad...

Secret Agent--a candy factory! snowy mountains! (of course, one poor guy gets pushed off..)

The Trouble With Harry--wishes come true for everyone! (except Harry..)

Family Plot--at the end, she Is psychic..it's a miracle!

Shutoo, these are excellent points. What's great about these movies are they can work for other holidays, too. The Birds and The Trouble With Harry work for birthdays. Shadow of a Doubt works for Thanksgiving. Family Plot works for Halloween. Secret Agent works for Valentine's Day and winter break.

[papyrusbeetle]

It's nice to have a "theme" day with movies that should interest the whole family at once.

(if that family is interested in MURDER, that is!)

Sometimes, "Christmas" themed films can get sad. So this is a break from that.

Hitch is beloved. He just is.

[speedracer5]

I don't know what Hitchcock has to do with Christmas and frankly I don't care.  What a fun way to spend Christmas evening! I don't know about everyone else, but by Christmas evening, I've watched all the Christmas movies I care to see, I'm sick and tired of the Christmas music (2 months of banal Christmas music is more than enough, I only want to hear Charlie Brown, Grinch, Bing and The Rat Pack), and I'm just tired of Christmas in general.  Don't get me wrong, I love the Christmas trees and I do genuinely like some Christmas movies and music, but I'm so tired of the emphasis on buying the right gift.  I do empathize with Charlie Brown's feelings that Christmas has become too commercialized.

Anyway, by Christmas night, I'm ready for an evening of murder, suspicious characters, false accusations, stalking, and everything of that ilk. Kudos to TCM.

[papyrusbeetle]

A question for PSYCHO-heads>>>

 

Aren't there Christmas Decorations downtown in Phoenix as Marian drives away?
just saying.....

 

[LsDoorMat]

Well, Christmas is also supposed to be a time of thanksgiving and reflection as well as giving. So maybe TCM is saying we should all be thankful to not be falsely accused of a crime, have a broken leg, be living across the alley from a murderer yet nobody believes us, be married to a ne'er do well who apparently wants to kill us for our insurance money, etc. Just guessing.