Classic Holiday DVD Collection Volume 2 – DVD Review

Film, Reviews

Holiday films have always warmed the hearts of people all around the world, whether it sees a man who wishes he had never been born, a young boy left home all by himself, or a mean old miser who doesn’t believe in Christmas. It takes all kinds of films to make people truly get in the mood for the winter holidays and sometimes those you wouldn’t expect to see, end up fitting the bell more then others. This collection puts together four classic films that don’t necessarily have the Christmas spirit in mind, but they do bring about ideas of togetherness and family. And that’s really what the holidays should be all about.

All Mine To Give

Robert and Mamie came to America as Scottish immigrants with nothing but the clothes on their backs. They have made their way to Wisconsin to find out Mamie’s uncle has passed away in a fire and now they know no-one in this new country. But with just a little faith and hard work from all their neighbors, they have rebuilt her uncle’s cabin and now have a life to start in the new world. Robert goes to work as a logger and Mamie stays home to take care of the six children she would eventually have. The three boys and three girls would soon have to learn how to take care of themselves after their parents passed away while they were very young. It is up to young Robbie to take care of his siblings and find homes for each of them just like he promised to his dying mother.

Blossoms In The Dust

Edna Khaly was at one time obsessed with all the superficial things in life including money, outfits, and parties. One day, though, she meets the man of her dreams named Sam Gladney and soon they marry. Edna could not be happier with her life a soon after that she gives birth to a son that she absolutely adores. Life just couldn’t be better for Edna until tragedy begins to strike her down one at a time. Her adopted sister Charlotte had too many troubles and ended up taking her own life. At the young age of five, Edna and Sam lost their little boy taking away one of the most precious things in her life. It isn’t too long then that she loses her husband Sam and all seems lost for her. But Edna Khaly Gladney was a strong woman and instead of focusing her mind on being down and depressed, she turned it toward helping others and became one of the leaders in the world in helping orphaned children.

Holiday Affair

Connie Ennis is doing alright after losing her husband and becoming the widowed mother of an eight year old boy. Carl Davis is a successful attorney that has been dating Connie and as time gets closer to Christmas; his wealth will surely come in handy for all the toys her little boy wants. One day Connie runs into a war veteran named Steve Mason who works in a department store and helps her out of a jam. His act of kindness ends up costing him his job, but that doesn’t sour him on Connie or her little boy. Soon they form a relationship that gets Connie into even more of a bind then she was in that day in the department store. She must now choose whether the loner and fun guy without a job is best for her and her son, or will it be the successful lawyer who is as dull as watching paint dry.

It Happened On 5th Avenue

World War II is now over and many are finding it hard to make ends meet in America or even get by living at all. A ritzy mansion on Manhattan’s Fifth Avenue appears abandoned but it is really inhabited by a brilliant homeless man and some army families that have been left without. The mansion’s owner, Michael J. O’Connor, is one of the wealthiest men in the world and spending the winter months in Virginia so he has no idea that someone is “taking care” of his place. Aloysius T. McKeever is the homeless man who has taken so-called ownership of the mansion during the winter season and allows those that need to help to rest comfortably inside. Little does he know that he has a guest this winter that is not who he appears to be.

The films are shown in Full Screen (Blossoms In The Dust, Holiday Affair, It Happened On 5th Avenue) and Widescreen (All Mine To Give) formats. Holiday Affair is the only film shown in black and white while the others are in color. Actually, it looks the best out of all four films although there are no real problems in any of them. A few cigarette burns and grain is visible as they show their age, but they’re still alright.

The films are heard in Dolby Digital Mono sound and it also works for all four films. They are all dialogue driven and every now and then you’ll hear a small crack or hiss, but nothing to be upset about.

None


For some reason I find it really hard to see any of these films as being anything I’d want to watch during the Christmas holidays. Yes there are good messages in all of them and enough happiness in the endings to sing “Santa Claus Is Coming To Town,” but there’s also plenty of the flip side present. There is a lot of sorrow and downright sad things that happen in these films. We’ve got death, homeless people, children dying, children losing their parents, men losing their jobs at Christmas, and just a whole other slew of awful situations that can happen to people. It just brings your mood down tremendously to see all this crap happening to people even though all ends up howdy doody by film’s end. Anyway, there is not a single special feature to be found but I didn’t really expect any with the age of the flicks. My favorite by far would have to be All Mine To Give as it just has the brightest and most bouncy spirit when you are thinking of the holiday cheer that should be in people come this time of year. The rest of the films in this set are decent, but nothing to really write home about.

This holiday collection would be most appreciated by an older crowd, but can be enjoyed by everyone if they just sit down and give it a chance. Expect your eyes to possibly well up a little bit and your mind to wonder what these films have to do with the holiday spirit, but rest assured that they eventually give out some of the true meanings of the season.

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Warner Home Video presents Classic Holiday DVD Collection Volume 2. Directed by: Allen Reisner (All Mine To Give); Mervyn LeRoy (Blossoms In The Dust); Don Hartman (Holiday Affair); Roy Del Ruth (It Happened On 5th Avenue).

Starring: Glynis Johns, Cameron Mitchell, Rex Thompson, Patty McCormack, and more (All Mine To Give); Greer Carson, Walter Pidgeon, Felix Bressart, Marsha Hunt, and more (Blossoms In The Dust); Robert Mitchum, Janet Leigh, Wendell Corey (Holiday Affair); Don DeFore, Charlie Ruggles, Victor Moore, Gale Storm, Grant Mitchell, and more (It Happened On 5th Avenue).

Written by: Dale & Katherine Eunson (All Mine To Give); Anita Loos & Ralph Wheelwright (Blossoms In The Dust); Isobel Lennart (Holiday Affair); Everett Freeman (It Happened On 5th Avenue).

Running time: 404 minutes on 4 discs. Rating: . Released on DVD: November 11, 2008. Available at Amazon