Some of the usual holiday suspects — “It’s a Wonderful Life,” “Miracle on 34th Street” and “The Bishop’s Wife” — along with a few surprises are being shown on local theater screens during the Christmas season.
• “The Bishop’s Wife (1947, b/w). Cary Grant stars in this Christmas comedy classic as an angel sent to answer the prayers of a bishop (David Niven) who is having trouble getting his congregation on board to fund a new cathedral. But Grant is actually there to help him realize that he’s neglecting his wife (Loretta Young) and their young daughter. Then, unexpectedly, the angel develops feelings for the bishop’s wife. (Friday, Dec. 4, 7 p.m., free, Brigham Young University, Provo, lib.byu.edu/sites/artcomm/)
• “Cinderella” (1950). This is Disney’s classic animated adaptation of the beloved fairy tale about a stepdaughter treated like the hired help by her wicked stepmother and nasty stepsisters. Then she’s transformed into a princess by her fairy godmother so she can go to the royal ball. Delightful comic relief is provided by a variety of animals, chiefly two mice. (Saturday, Dec. 5, 11 a.m., free, Salt Lake Library, utahfilmcenter.org/event/cinderella)
• “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation” (1989, PG-13). Chevy Chase, Beverly D’Angelo and Randy Quaid regrouped for this third film in the “Vacation” franchise, this time spoofing such holiday traditions as getting a tree, decorating the house, fixing a turkey dinner, accidentally wrapping a cat as a gift, etc. Some funny episodes are mixed with gags that are surprisingly vulgar in this context. (Sunday, Dec. 6, 2 p.m., and Wednesday, Dec. 9, 2 and 7 p.m., Cinemark Theatres, cinemark.com/cinemark-classic-series)
• “The Third Man” (1949, b/w). This classic British film noir features Joseph Cotton as American novelist Holly Martins, who is in postwar Vienna to clear the name of his old friend Harry Lime (Orson Welles), an accused black marketer who supposedly died in an auto-pedestrian accident. But that’s just the beginning of this exceptional thriller, which boasts striking black-and-white cinematography, hallucinatory camera angles and a memorable zither score. (Monday, Dec. 7, 7 p.m., free, Tower Theater, saltlakefilmsociety.org)
• “An Affair to Remember” (1957). For “Sleepless in Seattle” fans, here’s the glossy star vehicle referenced throughout that film, with Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr at the peak of their box-office powers. The comic shipboard romance of the film’s first half eventually gives way to one of the best-remembered soap operas of all time, and the Oscar-nominated cinematography is still gorgeous to behold. (Tuesday, Dec. 8, 10 a.m., SCERA Center, Orem, scera.org/events/an-affair-to-remember-cinema-classics)
• “Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day” (2008, PG-13). This cute throwback door-slamming farce set in 1939 London is about a straight-laced governess (Frances McDormand) who is having trouble holding onto a job when she blusters her way into a social-secretary position for a flighty actress wannabe (Amy Adams). Not everything works, but it manages to glide on the charm of the two stars. (Wednesday, Dec. 9, 2 p.m., free, Salt Lake City Library, slcpl.lib.ut.us/events)
• “Scrooge” (1970, G). This musical film with Albert Finney is an amusing song-filled adaptation of Charles Dickens’ oft-filmed “A Christmas Carol,” with Alec Guinness as Marley’s ghost, Edith Evans as Christmas Past and Kenneth More as Christmas Future. The most familiar tune is “Thank You Very Much.” (Tuesday, Dec. 15, 10 a.m., SCERA Center, Orem, scera.org/events/scrooge-cinema-classics)
• “RiffTrax Presents: Santa and the Ice Cream Bunny” (1972). Santa Claus crashes his sleigh on a Florida beach and seeks help from children and a variety of animals in this horrid children's musical fantasy. The lunacy is pushed even further as it receives the Rifftrax treatment with “Mystery Science Theater 3000” veterans offering up snarky commentary. (Tuesday, Dec. 15, 7 p.m., Cinemark Theaters, fathomevents.com)
• “It’s a Wonderful Life”(1946, b/w). James Stewart stars in what Frank Capra called his favorite of his own films, which tells the story of a man who is contemplating suicide when he gets a chance to see what the world would have been like if he’d never been born. It's pretty much a perfect movie. (Sunday, Dec. 13, 2 p.m., Wednesday, Dec. 16, at 2 and 7 p.m.; and Thursday, Dec. 24, 2 and 7 p.m., Cinemark Theaters, cinemark.com/cinemark-classic-series).
• “Miracle on 34th Street” (1947, b/w). Edmund Gwenn is great (and won an Oscar) as Kris Kringle in this classic holiday story, urging young Natalie Wood to believe in Santa despite the misgivings of her cynical mother (Maureen O’Hara). This delightful comedy never makes a misstep and is introduced by Turner Classic Movies host Robert Osborne. (Sunday, Dec. 20, 2 and 7 p.m., and Wednesday, Dec. 23, 2 and 7 p.m., Cinemark Theaters, cinemark.com/cinemark-classic-series)
• “Christmas With the Kranks” (2004, PG). An empty-nester couple (Tim Allen, Jamie Lee Curtis) books a Caribbean cruise over Christmas, which upsets friends, co-workers and neighbors, who protest their decision for highly selfish reasons. It's a spoof of holiday consumerism (based on John Grisham’s novel “Skipping Christmas”) that unwisely goes for slapstick over satire and generally falls flat. Co-stars include Dan Aykroyd and Cheech Marin. (Wednesday, Dec. 23, 2 p.m., free, Salt Lake City Library, slcpl.lib.ut.us/events)
• “Going My Way” (1944, b/w). A cheerful priest (Bing Crosby) who lived a rich life before joining the Catholic clergy butts heads with an aging traditional cleric (Barry Fitzgerald) and wins over a gang of kids headed for trouble. Crosby and Fitzgerald are a winning combination, and both won Oscars for this sentimental classic. The film also won for best picture, best director and story (Leo McCary), along with awards for cinematography (black and white), editing, song (“Swinging On a Star”) and screenplay. (Tuesday, Dec. 29, 10 a.m., SCERA Center, Orem, scera.org/events/going-my-way-cinema-classics)
Chris Hicks is the author of "Has Hollywood Lost Its Mind? A Parent’s Guide to Movie Ratings." He also writes at www.hicksflicks.com and can be contacted at hicks@deseretnews.com.