Christmas Specials and Cartoons

Christmas Seals were widely popular until the early 80s as a way to raise money for charity.  Specifically, for the American Lung Association.  Christmas Seal commercials and ads were commonplace in America until this time.

Here is a short featuring our boy, Bob Hope from 1944.

Country music legend Kitty Wells died peacefully at her home from complications of a stroke at the age of 92.

Ellen Muriel Deason (August 30, 1919 – July 16, 2012), known professionally as Kitty Wells, was an American country music singer. Her 1952 hit recording, "It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels", made her the first female country singer to top the U.S. country charts, and turned her into the first female country star. Her Top 10 hits continued until the mid-1960s, inspiring a long list of female country singers who came to prominence in the 1960s.
Wells ranks as the sixth most successful female vocalist in the history of Billboard's country charts, according to historian Joel Whitburn's book The Top 40 Country Hits, behind Dolly Parton, Loretta Lynn, Reba McEntire, Tammy Wynette, and Tanya Tucker. In 1976, she was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. In 1991, she became the third country music artist, after Roy Acuff and Hank Williams, and the eighth woman to receive the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. Wells' accomplishments earned her the nickname Queen of Country Music.

Andy Williams told the audience at his Moon River theater in Branson, MO on Saturday that he has Bladder cancer. Andy, who is 83, vowed to return next year to celebrate his 75th year in show business.

  "I do have cancer of the bladder," Williams said. "But that is no longer a death sentence. People with cancer are getting through this thing. They're kicking it, and they're winning more and more every year. And I'm going to be one of them." 

Offically, Christmas in July isn't until the 25th but I wanted to share this now.

Bing Crosby hosted many radio shows throughout the years and each one had a Christmas show.  Later, Bing would host a Christmas radio broadcast specifically and these are still broadcast every year on Sirius/XM radio during their annual airing of Bing Crosby Christmas Radio.

But, for this year's treat, here is the entire Bing Crosby Christmas show broadcast from 1942.

Here is a wonderful Christmas medley from The Ray Conniff Singers.

Hello friends,

Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and are looking forward to a great new year.  Hard to believe that the Christmas season is over (except for our Orthodox friends).  Wrapping things up for another year here on the old blog.  Hope you enjoyed some of the treasures I've found.

So, until next year.....Merry Christmas

I have a new poll for this year.

Do you prefer Traditional or Modern Christmas music?  Now, I suppose we should define that by traditional, I mean everything from the Mormon Tabernacle Choir to Bing Crosby.  And by modern, I mean everything from Mannheim Steamroller to Brittany Spears.

I almost bet I know what the answer is going to be, but we have many international visitors to this site and I am anxious to hear their thoughts as well.

So Vote!

Results to be posted on Dec. 16th.

Today is November 11th, the day we honor our Military Veterans.  So to honor them, here is a rendition of White Christmas sung on a front line in Europe during WWII......

Well, it's already November and the leaves are turning.  Soon, it'll be time for Turkey and the Macy's parade.

In honor of the upcoming holiday, here's a cartoon from MGM

This blog is mostly about the television/movie medium at Christmas time, but I wanted to share a few musical treasures that you should look into getting this year.

Thought I would share this with you.

I just wanted to encourage you to participate in Operation Christmas child this year. This is a great organization that ships Christmas gifts around the world to war torn countries.

Here is a brief video of the fun we had last year building these shoeboxes.