Pee Wee's Christmas Special with Charo, Grace Jones, and More! 12 days of Christmas Classics on Xanaland

Pee Wee was a lucky bastard that year. Getting to hang out with Grace Jones, Charo, The Del Rubio Triplets, AND Magic Johnson?! 

Such a fun and well-produced show. Charo singing "I ' Vant" to wish you a Merry Christmas, forget about it! KD Lang was adorable, and there are many other guest star surprises!

I don't think I'd ever be the same if I got to spend the day with Grace Jones. Priceless TV moments here, people! 

Enjoy! 

Miracle on 34th Street * 12 Days of Christmas Cinema on Xanaland *

 There are subtle and shocking reminders in this classic Christmas movie that the basic instincts and tendencies that people felt in the "old days" are the same basic principals and morals many Americans strive for and struggle with today. I won't waste any more of your time -- this is a must-see for the Christmas season! 

Enjoy! 

The Great Rupert: A Christmas Wish * 12 Day's of Christmas on Xanaland *

What could be more endearing than a squirrel who saves Christmas?! 

Beavis & Butthead Do Christmas on 12 Days of Christmas Movies on Xanaland

Enjoy this classic holiday episode!  

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12 Days of Christmas Movies on Xanaland: Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer

How could this not be included in our archive of holiday classics? If you haven't seen it, something's wrong with you or your parents were fools or in prison! If you haven't seen it for a while because you were in prison, today's your lucky day! There are incidentally many life lessons in there that just may keep you and your family out of the joint. Watch this. Learn something, people!  

Johnny Cash Christmas Special 1978

A wonderful time in music history and television. There was no internet and no choices of thousands of things to watch. Just one TV, and one Man in Black. There are several years of this special --this one's my favorite with Steve Martin and Kris Kristofferson. 

Enjoy! 

Date With The Angels: Santa's Helper with Betty White

Eventually replaced by The Betty White Show, this '50s series was written originally to be half in a fantasy sequence. Somehow, the sponsor had that part eliminated -- sad, and goes to show you the power of money. Betty White has said that after that, her heart was just not in it -- it became too much like an ordinary sitcom and could never compete with The Lucy Show. I really like this holiday episode, though, and I'm glad it's available to share... enjoy!

Charles Dickens Christmas Carol Narrated by Vincent Price

Christmas would not be the same without a classic narrated by Vincent Price! Take the story to heart -- there's a great life lesson in this -- enjoy! 

Lost Forgotten Classics on Xanaland: The Man With The Golden Arm

I could not have reviewed this film any better if I tried. Please read the following link....

http://trackofthecat.blogspot.com/2012/10/tuesdays-forgotten-or-overlooked-film.html

and via WiKi!  

The Man with the Golden Arm is a 1955 American drama film, based on the novel of the same name by Nelson Algren, which tells the story of aheroin addict who gets clean while in prison, but struggles to stay that way in the outside world. It stars Frank Sinatra, Eleanor Parker, Kim Novak,Arnold Stang and Darren McGavin. It was adapted for the screen by Walter Newman, Lewis Meltzer and Ben Hecht (uncredited), and directed byOtto Preminger.^[3]

It was nominated for three Academy Awards: Sinatra for Best Actor in a Leading Role, Joseph C. Wright and Darrell Silvera for Best Art Direction-Set Decoration, Black-and-White and Elmer Bernstein for Best Music, Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture. Sinatra was also nominated for best actor awards by the BAFTAs and The New York Film Critics.^[4]

The film was controversial for its time; the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) refused to certify the film^[5] because it showed drug addiction. The black-and-white film uniquely portrayed heroin as a serious literary topic as it rejected the standard "dope fiend" approach of the time. It was the first of its kind to tackle the marginalized issue of illicit drug use.^[6] Because it dealt with the taboo subject of "narcotics," Hollywood's Production Code refused to grant a seal of approval for the film, and it was released without the MPAA's seal of approval. This sparked a change in production codes, allowing movies more freedom to more deeply explore hitherto taboo subjects such as drug abuse, kidnapping, abortion andprostitution. In the end, the film received the code number 17011.

Director Otto Preminger had previously released a film lacking the Production Code with The Moon is Blue (1953). He told Peter Bogdanovich why he was attracted to Algren's novel: "I think there's a great tragedy in any human being who gets hooked on something, whether it's heroin or love or a woman or whatever."^[7]

Frank Sinatra — who jumped at a chance to star in the film before reading the entire script — spent time at drug rehabilitation clinics observing addicts going cold turkey.^[8] The script was given to Marlon Brando around the same time as Sinatra, who still harboured some anger at Brando, since the latter had beaten out Sinatra for the lead role in On the Waterfront.

Here is the full movie, indeed a lost classic!