What would the holidays be without Charlie Brown, George Bailey and the Haynes Sisters? Demand for “A Charlie Brown Christmas,” “It’s a Wonderful Life,” “White Christmas” and other seasonal staples snowballs this time of year, leaving those who don’t get to the video store in time out in the cold.
But there are lesser known holiday films that can help to make the season bright. A flop in theaters, “A Christmas Story,” has since become a video perennial, but “Prancer” remains a buried treasure. A fetching Rebecca Harrell stars as a young girl who nurses a wounded reindeer she believes to be Santa’s own.
James Stewart’s other Christmas movie is Ernst Lubtisch’s “A Shop Around the Corner,” a charming romantic comedy about two store clerks who quarrel on the job, not realizing they are romantic pen pals.
Off the beaten track, “Toy Trains and Christmas 2” is a nostalgic reverie for those dreaming of a Lionel Christmas just like the ones they used to know. It is available from TM Books and Video (800-892-2822) and retails for $19.95.
In 1947, “Miracle on 34th Street,” now available in a new-to-video 50th anniversary edition, was released to theaters in June. This just goes to show that these movies are for all seasons.