the ghost and mrs. muir

the year: 1947

the genre: drama


the cast: Gene Tierney (Lucy Muir); Rex Harrison (Capt. Daniel Gregg); George Sanders (Miles Fairley); natalie Wood (Anna Muir)


the plot: Living in a haunted house by the sea is a less frightening prospect for Lucy Muir, a young widow with a small daughter, than continuing to live with her sisters-in-law. At first Captain Gregg (the ghost) plays the same tricks on Lucy he has used to get rid of previous tenants. And while he loves solitude, he soon comes to admire her spunk and to make it possible for her to afford to stay in the house by deciding she will write a best-seller - his memoirs. When Lucy visits a London publisher, she also impresses a famous author of children's books, Miles Fairley. Can a ghost be jealous?


did you know: Bernard Herrmann considered his musical score for this film to have been his best. Herrmann also did the scores for Psycho, North by Northwest and Citizen Kane.


don't miss: Mr. Coombe - realtor.


extra bonus points: if you know what the word "muir" means in Gaelic.


listen for: "You said I should see men." "I said men, not perfumed parlour snakes!"



The trailer can be watched here.

miracle on 34th street

the year: 1947

the genre: comedy


the cast: Maureen O'Hara (Doris Walker); John Payne (Fred Gailey); Natalie Wood (Susan Walker); Edmund Gwenn (Kris Kringle)


the plot: When Doris Walker frantically recruits a last minute replacement for a drunken Santa for Macy's Christmas parade, he seems just ideal for he job and perhaps for good reason - he says his name is Kris Kringle and that he's the real Santa Claus. He proves to be popular with the children visiting the store when he's hired full-time, but after a run-in with the store's psychologist, Kris finds himself at Bellevue. Doris' friend/neighbor, Fred Gaily, agrees to represent Kris and to try to prove in court that Kris is the real Santa Claus.


don't miss: whether Santa Claus sleeps with his whiskers outside or in the covers.


count: the mailbags carried into the courtroom at the end of Kris's hearing.


listen for: "But you go ahead Henry, you do it your way. You go on back in there and tell them that you rule there is no Santy Claus. Go on. But if you do, remember this: you can count on getting just two votes, your own and that district attorney's out there." "The District Attorney's a Republican."


did you know: this was Thelma Ritter's film debut.


extra bonus points: if you know what the little girl says in Dutch to Kris when he asks her what she wants for Christmas.

cash mccall

the year: 1960

the genre: drama


the cast: Natalie Wood (Lory Austen); James Garner (Cash McCall); Dean Jagger (Grant Austen); Edward Platt (Harrison Glenn);


the plot: Cash McCall is a young business man who buys failing businesses and resells them. Grant Austen's Plastics is even more of a prize to Cash, as Cash is also making a bid for Austen's beautiful daughter, Lory. It could turn out to be Cash's toughest deal ever.


extra bonus points: if you know the part Dean Jagger plays in White Christmas.


don't miss: wheels within wheels.


count: the profit Cash makes on the purchase of Austen Plastics.


you can watch the trailer here.

the great race

the year: 1965

the genre: comedy

the cast: Tony Curtis (The Great Leslie); Jack Lemmon (Professor Fate); Natalie Wood (Maggie Dubois); Peter Falk (Max); Keenan Wynn (Hezekiah)




the plot: In 1908 in New York City, the villainous Professor Fate challenges The Great Leslie to a New York-to-Paris automobile race. Fate and his assistant Max enter their black Hannibal 8 against the white Leslie Special.


count: the number of times Professor Fate says, "Push the button, Max!"

don't miss: the best pie fight EVER.



check out: Maggie's fabulous hats

listen for: “Oh, of course I'll keep it to myself. Until the water reaches my lower lip, and then I'm going to mention it to *somebody*!”