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Archive for the ‘Christmas’ Category

“What you gonna do when you get out of jail?…” part 269

Friday, December 25th, 2020

Merry Christmas!

I always apologize when the videos I post run long, but today’s videos may require a particular apology.

Or they may not: these are really more something you can put on in the background and stream while the family is gathered for Christmas. Or while you sit alone pining for the fjords today. Either way. (That’s also why I am posting them early.)

“The World War II News and Old Time Radio Channel” has posted a series of videos, each about 12 hours long, containing vintage Christmas radio programs from various years, in chronological order.

“Part 1 – 1930 – 1942”.

If you go to the ‘Tube directly, the descriptions contain links to the start of individual programs. So, for example, you can jump to December of 1941 and listen to Jack Benny promote bonds.

“Part 2 – 1942 – 1946”.

“Part 3 – 1947 – 1950”.

This starts off with the Lux Radio Theater adaptation of “It’s a Wonderful Life”, so you might want to skip ahead to the one hour mark.

“Part 4 – 1950 – 1959”.

Posted in Christmas, Radio | Comments Closed

Merry Christmas, everybody!

Friday, December 25th, 2020

It isn’t “I Saw Three Ships”, but I stumbled across this on the ‘Tube and knew I had to use it.

Werner Klemperer and John Banner sing. Plus Robert Clary.

Yes, you read that right. Colonel Klink and Sargent Schultz sing “Silent Night”. In German. And then Corporal LeBeau sings, too.

I would make fun of this, but I think all three of them are actually pretty good.

(I don’t think that part about the organ is true.)

Because it is a tradition, and because I really like this:

I like this, too:

This isn’t “I Saw Three Ships”, either, but it is a Christmas song that I like (and haven’t used before) from a totally unexpected source: Annie Lennox sings “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen”.

Merry Christmas, one and all!

Posted in Christmas, Music, TV | Comments Closed

“What you gonna do when you get out of jail?…” part 268

Thursday, December 24th, 2020

Travel Thursday!

How about a Christmas walk around London?

Bonus #1: “When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life.” But okay, then. “Christmas In Florence, Italy”. Complete with chocolate truffles and “gluten free, sugar free, dairy free chocolate balls”.

Bonus #2: “This is Christmas in Tokyo Japan” from the “I Will Always Travel For Food” channel.

Posted in Christmas, Food, History, Travel | Comments Closed

“What you gonna do when you get out of jail?…” part 267

Wednesday, December 23rd, 2020

I’m going to ride this Christmas donkey until it drops.

(No, that’s just a Rifftrax promo clip, that’s not the full movie. Though I believe you can find the full movie on YouTube.)

And now for something completely different: “Never Mind The Baubles – Christmas ’77 with The Sex Pistols”.

Johnny Rotten handed out badges, posters and other Sex Pistols-branded goodies. Teens and young children hit the dancefloor with Sid Vicious to boogie to pop hits such as Baccara’s Yes Sir, I Can Boogie and (yes, really) Daddy Cool by Boney M. Then Rotten leapt into a giant Christmas cake and the band and audience smeared each other with food.

Bonus: I’m kind of marginal about “Retail Archaeology”, but “A Very Dead Mall Christmas” provided me with about 15 minutes worth of amusement.

Bonus #2: “Cooking for the Queen At Christmas”.

Posted in Christmas, Food, History, Music, TV | Comments Closed

“What you gonna do when you get out of jail?…” part 266

Tuesday, December 22nd, 2020

I’m hoping I won’t be doing this next Christmas. I’m hoping that we will be back to “normal” (whatever the new “normal” is) and that we won’t be scrounging for paper goods or wearing masks everywhere and that I’ll even be able to get a full glass of beer at a cocktail lounge.

But in the meantime, I intend to have some fun with the Christmas theme.

“Rankin/Bass CBS Christmas Special W/Vintage Commercials”. Four hours of Christmas specials.

The main features of this simulated CBS Rankin Bass Christmas special include Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, The Little Drummer Boy, Santa Clause is Coming to Town and Frosty the Snowman. A few bonus classic Christmas cartoons are also included near the end, And all commercial breaks are packed full of nostalgic Christmas commercials from mostly the 70’s and 80’s.

Bonus video: I had a video I was thinking about putting here, but she turned out to be dull. (And she had good material to work with, too.) So today’s bonus video is really a question for the huddled, wretched masses yearning to breathe free:

Is it just me, or does Alton Brown:

kind of look scarily like Walter White these days?

(I picked a season 2 clip because Lawrence and I have only gotten through season 2. The resemblance may be more pronounced in later seasons, but since we haven’t watched those…)

Posted in 1970s, Christmas, Food, History, TV | 1 Comment »

“What you gonna do when you get out of jail?…” part 265

Monday, December 21st, 2020

Today’s video is a Christmas present for Lawrence, so I’m bending the rules a bit and embedding a work of fiction.

“The Tanks Are Coming”, a 1951 film:

During the second-half of 1944, various Allied units stationed in Belgium attempt to smash their way through the tough German defenses at the Siegfried Line. If successful, the way to Germany is wide-open. One of these units is the American 3rd Armored Division. The film’s story concerns a particular five-tank platoon, commanded by Lt. Rawson, the best platoon in Captain Bob Horner’s Company C. During an ambush, the lead tank, California Jane, commanded by Master Sgt. Joe Davis, is seriously damaged by a German Panther tank. Davis is severely wounded and his driver is killed.

One IMDB reviewer describes the story as pedestrian, but praises the integration of actual combat footage. I post, you decide. (Noted: Samuel Fuller wrote the story, though the actual screenplay was credited to Robert Hardy Andrews.)

Bonus: From 1950, “They Were Not Divided”.

Two Welshguard armoured officers blitz through Europe.
This movie shows real footage of tank operations in the ETO after D-Day and the live action is true to the tactics used. And we see why the Sherman was nicknamed by the British as “The Ronson”.
WWII British Tank Regiments Advance From France into Germany. This movie begins in a World War II training depot of a Welshguards armored regiment where recruits from many walks of life learn to survive the strict discipline and training together before going into battle in tanks.