Thanksgiving Short Subject Special - A Thanksgiving Tale

Showtime, 1983

Directed by James Field

Voices of Paul Fusco, Lisa Buckley, Richard Schellbach, and Lisa Fusco

Music and Lyrics by Richard Schellbach

In 1982 and 1983, Paul Fusco made four holiday puppet-based holiday specials for Showtime that showed off his puppeteering abilities. I covered the Easter special back in April. The Thanksgiving special debuted later in 1983 and would also turn up on Nickelodeon and elsewhere throughout the 80's. Like the rest of Fusco's early work, it vanished in the early 90's, only to reappear in the 2010's as streaming made early holiday programming more widely available. Is it as enjoyable as the Easter special? Let's begin in an alley in Newark, New Jersey with a group of very hungry cats and find out...

The Story: The cats live in a tool shed in the alley. They have a home, but have run out of food. The dogs who guard the restaurant next-door have cleared out all of the mice. They have plenty of food, thanks to their jobs, but live outside in the freezing cold. The cats think they have their Thanksgiving dinner all sewn up when Tom, a turkey with Broadway ambitions (Fusco), turns up on their doorstep. The dogs try to rescue him, which eventually results in a literal cat and dog fight. It's Queenie the female cat (Buckley) and Tom who finally realize that each group has what the other needs. Tom puts on a play that finally teaches both groups the importance of sharing what they have and working together.

The Song and Dance: For 30 years, I had vague memories of a Thanksgiving puppet special involving a group of cats and dogs who end up helping each other. I couldn't remember the title or any other details, until the Fusco shows started turning up on YouTube. I definitely enjoy this one more than the Easter special. The story is charming and unique, Fusco's Tom Turkey and his theatrical aspirations are hilarious (and he doesn't sound too much like his later creation ALF this time), and the cats and dogs all have well-delineated and very funny personalities. The puppets are slightly more interesting, too, with Tom being by far the most expressive.

The Numbers: The dogs get our first song, as they lament shivering outside and being homeless in "They Say It's a Dog's Life." The cats give their side of the story and why they think they own their turf in "We are the Cats." We finish after their Thanksgiving pageant with Tom and both groups realizing how important friendship and cooperation is in "Thanksgiving Magic." 

What I Don't Like: Though the story and puppets are a bit more interesting than the ones made for the Easter show, this is still pretty obviously a low-budget special made for cable in the early 80's. The sets are minimal, the characters can occasionally be grating, the score mainly consists of synthesizer music, and there's some mild Mexican stereotypes with the displaced chihuahua. 

The Big Finale: I'm glad to see that this mostly holds up pretty well. It remains a fun watch before Thanksgiving dinner for families with young kids or fans of ALF, the Muppets, or other similar kids' puppet shows.

Home Media: Streaming only, but it can be found for free with commercials pretty much anywhere, including Tubi and Amazon Prime.

Tubi

Amazon Prime

Happy Thanksgiving! - Alice's Restaurant

United Artists, 1969

Starring Arlo Guthrie, Pat Quinn, James Broderick, and Michael McClanathan

Directed by Arthur Penn

Music and Lyrics by various

Arlo Guthrie's epic folk song "Alice's Restaurant" debuted on his album of the same title in 1967 and was a hit, making it into the top 20 that year. It isn't Thanksgiving for many people without the twenty-minute folk song playing somewhere in the background before dinner. Penn knew the story more intimately than most, being a resident of Stockbridge, Massachusetts where the incidents occurred and having heard the full story from the real Ray Brock. How does the tale of how Arlo's attempt to help the owner of the title establishment on Thanksgiving turn into disaster look today? Let's begin at a college in Montana and find out...

The Story: Arlo went to college to avoid the draft, but his long hair and Bohemian lifestyle doesn't go over well in rural Montana. After run-ins with the local police and students who make fun of him for his looks, he finally hitchhikes to the East Coast. His first stop is New York, where he visits with his sick father Woody Guthrie (Joseph Boley) and performs in a few folk venues.

He finally heads north to Great Barrington, Massachusetts, where his friends Ray Brock (James Broderick) and Alice (Pat Quinn) live with assorted friends and hangers-on in an abandoned church. Alice has started a restaurant, which is popularized by a jingle Arlo writes for her. Alice is fed up with Ray's treatment of her and first has an affair with his friend Shelly (McClanathan), then follows Arlo and his friend Roger (Geoff Outlaw) to New York. Ray comes to bring her home, and she invites the guys along for Thanksgiving dinner.

The dinner itself goes just fine. Things go sideways when Alice asks Roger and Arlo to take garbage from the church to the town dump. The town dump is closed for Thanksgiving, so they drop it off on a cliff with other garbage. That gets them a visit from Officer Obie (the real officer, William Obanheim), who thinks they dumped a lot more than junk. Alice bails them out, and the blind judge (the real blind judge, James Hannon) can't see the evidence at their trial and gives the boys a fine and an order to find another place for the junk instead. 

Arlo does briefly end up drafted for Vietnam, but he doesn't make it due to the littering conviction. He's free to return to the church with his new girlfriend Mari-Chan (Tina Chen), where things are starting to go haywire. Shelly's high as a kite and has been keeping heroin in the church. Ray's furious and beats him, but he runs off and dies in a motorcycle accident. Woody passes on as well, leaving Arlo regretful that he didn't get to say good-bye. Even Alice and Ray's wedding is full of regrets, as Alice wonders what she's gotten herself into.

The Song and Dance: You can't get much more "you were there" than a story that more-or-less happened as it's shown onscreen. Broderick and Quinn are probably the best of the cast as the sometimes-dynamic, sometimes-violent owner of the church and his strong-willed wife. There's some gorgeous shots of New York, Montana, and the Berkshire Mountains in Western Massachusetts as they looked in the late 60's, too, including that lovely old church. Penn's straightforward approach works well with the wild, frequently meandering plot. 

The Numbers:  Our first numbers are instrumental classical piano pieces, performed by a class at the Montana college. Arlo's teacher is offended by him playing a folk number instead of what the rest of the students are doing. He's much happier playing a jam session on guitar and kazoo with Roger, until the landlady and police turn up to ask questions. He plays "Car-Car Song" and "Pastures of Plenty" with none other than folk legend Pete Seeger in his father's hospital bedroom. Ray really gets into the traditional folk song "Boiling Cabbage Down" with everyone at the church, and they sing "Amazing Grace" after Thanksgiving dinner. "Alice's Restaurant"turns up on the radio as a jingle. Tigger Outlaw sings the Joni Mitchell song "Songs to Aging Children" as the members of the church lay Shelly in the ground.

Trivia:  Though the film is based on a real incident, it plays very fast and loose with facts. The subplot with the Shelly/Ray/Alice triangle was fictional, as was Mari-Chan (Guthrie was actually dating an English girl at the time) and him being forced out of the Montana school (he was still attending it then). 

What I Don't Like: The movie is too meandering for its own good. It bounces from incident to incident with no real rhyme or reason. Quite frankly...the story behind the song isn't nearly as compelling as the song continues to be. Gurthrie's sweet-faced and endearing, but also not much of an actor (especially compared to the magnetic Broderick) and comes across as too goofy or annoying at times. The treatment of Guthrie because of his long hair and lifestyle and the discussions of the Vietnam War and the then-current generation have dated this movie very badly. The slightly bitter worldview doesn't help, either. 

The Big Finale: Recommended mainly if you're a huge fan of Guthrie or the original song, or are interested in movies from the late 60's and early 70's that go into some of the same themes. 

Home Media: Easily found on DVD and Blu-Ray

DVD

Blu-Ray

Thanksgiving Short Subject Special - The Berenstain Bears Meet Bigpaw

NBC, 1980

Voices of Ron McLarty, Pat Lysinger, Johnathan Lewis, and Gabriela Glatzer

Directed by Mordicai Gernstein and Al Kouzel

Music by Elliot Lawrence; Lyrics by Stan Berenstein 

This was the second holiday special featuring the Bears in the early 80's. The book series began in the early 60's with The Big Honey Hunt. By 1980, they were an institution, with Stan and Jan Berenstein churning out sometimes as many as five or six books a year. NBC took notice and commissioned these specials featuring bumbling Papa Bear, sensible Mama Bear, and their cubs Brother and Sister. How does the story of a scary Thanksgiving legend that isn't quite as frightening as it seems look today? Let's begin with Mama reading about the legend of Big Paw in the harvest honeycomb and find out...

The Story: The legend says, that if the bears are greedy, and not sufficiently kind to the needy and share what they have with those around them, Bigpaw will come down and devour Bear Country. Papa thinks it's silly, until a squirrel reports having seen an enormous, monstrous bear creature. He panics and has all of Bear Country up in arms, until Mama intervenes and reminds the citizens not to get carried away. A huge noise from Bigpaw's mountain and a massive shadow just sends Papa and the citizens off again. Brother and Sister know that Bigpaw isn't what he seems, and they're the only ones who can remind their father and the others that thanksgiving means being kind to all creatures, monsters included.

The Animation: On par with most Saturday morning cartoons of the time. It's not the fanciest, but it moves relatively well and closely resembles the books that were out then, which is really all this franchise needs anyway. 

The Song and Dance: Possibly the most action-packed of the 80's Berenstein Bears specials, with Papa and his mob trying to attack Bigpaw and Bigpaw almost attacking them. It also has a slightly darker and more sinister tone than the other specials, though it all ends happily. Bigpaw himself went over so well, he'd reappear in Berenstein Bears' Comic Valentine and the first TV show from 1985. Mama is the thing here; she gets two fun numbers and is even more important as the voice of reason than usual when she keeps the citizens of Bear Country from overreacting to the legend the first time.

Favorite Number: Mama performs "Thankfulness" with the Bear family's pet bird as she cleans the house for Thanksgiving and tells the bird what she's thankful for. She tries to explain that "A Stranger Is Just Somebody (You Don't Already Know)" to her husband and the citizens of Bear Country, but they're too terrified to really listen. Even the trees and the very ground around Brother and Sister tremble at the arrival of "Bigpaw" when they wander into Sinister Bog to get Papa's favorite mixed nuts for the Thanksgiving table.

What I Don't Like: This is slightly darker than the other Bears specials, what with Papa and the mob and Bigpaw almost trying to kill each other. It's telling that Papa's big comic routine in the opening with how much he likes holidays is spoken; this is the only special where he doesn't get a big goofy song that says how intelligent he thinks he is. Honestly, Papa's not the only one who thinks the legend sounds silly, too. I'm amazed the Bears panicked over it twice.

The Big Finale: Not my favorite of the Bears' holiday tales, but still worth checking out if you have fans of the books who want to see more or remember when this used to turn up a lot on cable for Thanksgiving in the early-mid 80's. 

Home Media: Currently the only Berenstein Bears holiday special not on DVD, due to a brief scene of the squirrel who tells the citizens about Bigpaw smoking a cigar to make it look scarier. It can be easily found on YouTube and other sharing sites. 

YouTube

Thanksgiving Double Feature - The Thanksgiving That Almost Wasn't & Thanksgiving In the Land of Oz

Let's give thanks for holiday specials with these two rarities. While there have been animated specials revolving around Thanksgiving since the 1960's, most of them aren't as well-remembered today as A Charlie Brown Christmas or Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. I vaguely remember seeing Oz on cable as a child in the 1980's, but definitely didn't recall it as an adult, and I never heard of Thanksgiving That Almost Wasn't until last week. How do they look now for a new generation of animation lovers? Let's start with Hanna-Barbara's entry as two modern families - human and squirrel - gather for dinner and find out...

The Thanksgiving That Almost Wasn't

Hanna-Barbara, 1972

Voices of Bobby Riha, Kevin Cooper, Hal Smith, and June Foray

Directed by Joseph Hanna and William Barbara

Music and Lyrics by various

The Story: Little Bear (Cooper), son of Chief Massasoit, and young pilgrim Johnny Cooke (Riha) get lost in the woods just before Thanksgiving dinner. They encounter many dangers, from rapids to wolves, in their attempt to find their way back to the pilgrim village in time for the big feast. A chatty squirrel (Smith) and his woodland friends lend them a paw in their quest.

The Animation: Pretty typical of what Hanna-Barbara did for Saturday morning at the time, with bright colors and limited movement. In fact, it looks a lot like a Scooby Doo cartoon with more realistic animal designs. Some of the music from Scooby Doo, Where Are You? even kicks in during a chase scene towards the end of the special.

The Song and Dance: Funny little special with a few good chase scenes, especially later on, and decent voice work from the two boys. It's actually interesting to see a special involving the Pilgrims that only mentions their difficult journey, and isn't focused on food, either. This one is all about the kids, Jeremy Squirrel, and their antics. I appreciate how Little Bear is portrayed. He's as curious and inventive - and hilarious - as his pilgrim friend. 

Favorite Number: The catchy opening number over the credits, "This Is Thanksgiving Day," is a real ear worm that'll keep you singing through your own dinner. The boys say "Let's Take the Shortest Road Home" as they strut through the woods with Jeremy leading the way. Jeremy Squirrel and the boys say "I'm Thankful" for food, turkey legs, and friends and family.

What I Don't Like: This is pretty goofy for a Thanksgiving special. There's plot holes galore, starting with the kids don't even question it when the squirrel starts talking to them. None of the other animals in the special talk, either, including the wolf. Some of the gags in the woods don't really have much function besides filler, too. 

The Big Finale: Funny piece of fluff is worth throwing on to amuse kids before or after the big meal.

Home Media: Currently on free streaming site Tubi with ads.

Tubi

Thanksgiving In the Land of Oz

CBS/Muller-Rosen Productions, 1980

Voices of Mischa Bond, Sid Caesar, Bob Ridgley, and Frank Nelson

Directed by Fred Wolf and Charles Swenson

Music by Stephen Lawrence; Lyrics by Romeo Muller

The Story: Dorothy's (Bond) upset because she and her Aunt Em and Uncle Henry will have to be separated the day after Thanksgiving. She chases a thief who stole her aunt's mince pie, only to discover it's the former Wizard (Caesar). His giant green turkey balloon ends up taking Dorothy and Toto back to Oz. They have to steal the Powder of Life back from Tyrone the Terrible Toy Tinker (Ridgley) before he can make a whole army of toys. Helping her along are Jack Pumpkinhead (Ridgely), Tik-Tok the Mechanical Man (Joan Garber) and the Hungry Tiger (Nelson), who would eat anything if his conscience would let him.

The Animation: Typical of the Murikami Swenson films, with its more subdued color and simple lines. The characters do move well enough, and there's even a a little bit of special effects with the Green Gobbler balloon coming to life. 

The Song and Dance: This has some things in common with the Disney film Return to Oz from five years later. Here too, no one believes Dorothy about Oz and its citizens, she goes up against a bearded villain who lives in a mountain, and meets Jack Pumpkinhead, Ozma, and Tik-Tok. The Oz pedigree makes the story a bit stronger than usual for holiday fare. Bond and Ridgely do the best as an unusually feisty Dorothy and bumpkin Jack. Caesar has fun as the Wizard and the multiple-accented mince pie UN Krust, too, and even gets the short's best song, "Beans In Your Button."

Favorite Number: Dorothy and Toto fly over the rainbow on the end of the Green Gobbler to the tune of the dreamy "Everything That Oz Can Be." "Beans In Your Button" is the catchy number for the Wizard as he explains how Dorothy and her crew compare to the settlers who came to Dorothy's native Kansas. Dorothy's slightly syrupy ballad "Christmas, Toys, and Oz" convinces Tyrone that his toys will be better off making children happy than frightening them.

Trivia: Most current copies remove the references to Thanksgiving, though not the ones to Christmas or being thankful for what we have and can do. 

What I Don't Like: I like the story so much, I wish it were longer. We barely see the much vaunted Green Gobbler. Tyrone doesn't get much to do until the end, either, and then he mostly just threatens Dorothy. They could have done so much more with this, including expanding Dorothy's journey to the Emerald City and her time with Tyrone. It all seems really rushed. And yeah, the connections to Thanksgiving are tenuous at best and kind of shoehorned in when they do appear. 

The Big Finale: Worth checking out during the holidays for Oz and fantasy fans or those who loved Romero's other fantasy specials from the 70's and 80's. 

Home Media: Currently on DVD packaged with the Swenson-Muller Easter special Peter and the Magic Egg.

Peter and the Magic Egg/Dorothy In the Land of Oz

Happy Thanksgiving! - Winnie the Pooh: Seasons of Giving

Disney, 1999

Voices of Jim Cummings, Paul Winchell, John Fielder, and Ken Sansom

Directed by Harry Arends, Jun Falkenstein, and Kari Geurs

Music and Lyrics by The Sherman Brothers and Michael and Patty Silversher

This is the first of three direct-to-video "movies" made up of episodes from The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, new material, and the Pooh holiday specials of the mid-90's. It's also one of the last projects the Sherman Brothers were involved in to date. How does Pooh's first holiday collection look nowadays? Let's start with Tigger as he's hoping for skiing weather and find out...

The Story: This is an anthology, so we have three stories.

Groundpiglet's Day: The pages of Rabbit's calendar have blown away, making Rabbit believe it's now Groundhog's Day. He and the others recruit Piglet to find out if they'll be having six more weeks of winter, or if spring is here. Piglet accidentally doesn't see his shadow, making the others believe spring is coming. Rabbit blows up at Piglet when he finds out otherwise, but eventually goes after him to make amends.

A Winnie the Pooh Thanksgiving: The citizens of the Hundred Acre Woods is ready to gather for their own Thanksgiving feast, with lots of honey and haycorns...until Rabbit butts in. No no, says the yellow bunny, that's not how a traditional Thanksgiving's done. With Piglet and Pooh recruited to catch the turkey and Eeyore and Tigger to find cranberries, this dinner's on a course for disaster, until Pooh remembers the real reason for the holiday.

Find Her, Keep Her: Rabbit explains how he rescued Kessie, a baby bird whom he found lost in a snowstorm, and raised her as his own child. It's hard for him to let go when she wants to fly south for the winter, but he comes to realize how important it is for her.

The Animation: Par for the course for the Pooh franchise and Disney TV and direct-to-home media animation of the 80's and 90's...and that's really how it should be. This is one franchise that doesn't really need fancy animation, just characters that look and move well enough and at least somewhat resemble the ones in the books. 

The Song and Dance: The last two segments alone make this worth seeing for Pooh fans. "Thanksgiving" is the third of four times in the Pooh franchise someone calls off a holiday to avoid hurting feelings or a lot of trouble...and cause even more problems anyway. Piglet and Pooh's attempt to find the turkey is funny and Tigger and Eeyore have a great number while looking for "cranberries," but I think Gopher's explosive attempt at pumpkin pie is by far the funniest bit in that short. 

"Find Her, Keep Her" is one of the best New Adventures episodes. It's hilarious and adorable to see how Rabbit goes from finding Kessie a nuisance to bringing her up as his own daughter...and utterly heartbreaking when he realizes that her learning to fly means she no longer needs his protection. It's so good, it almost makes up for the story having no real connection to the Christmas season. 

Favorite Number: The gentle Sherman Brothers title tune plays between shorts, connecting them with its sweet lyrics representing each season depicted in the segment. The remaining songs are all from the Thanksgiving special. Pooh announces "Hooray, Hooray" as he brings his honey pot to the big Thanksgiving feast and he sings of how happy he is for good friends and good food. Tigger says "Berrily We Roll Along" as he and Eeyore attempt to gather cranberries, only keep finding blueberries instead. The entire Hundred Acre Woods manage to get together for their own type of holiday meal in "Our Thanksgiving Day."

What I Don't Like: What the heck is "Groundspiglet's Day" doing here? First of all, other than a few good gags towards the end when Rabbit mistakes a pile of snow for Piglet, it's the least-interesting short in the batch. The jokey tone doesn't match the sentimental Thanksgiving special or the dramatic "Find Her" and doesn't work with the holiday theme, either. Not to mention, Rabbit comes off as even more of a jerk than in the other two segments, especially to Piglet. 

And yes, there's the fact that the holiday theme of this film is tenuous at best. It's also obvious that different actors were used for the new Christmas sequences bookending "Find Her" - most of them sound totally different than the original cast. 

The Big Finale: Charming Thanksgiving viewing for families with young kids or major Pooh fans who don't mind the twice-told origins and so-so opening short. 

Home Media:  Very out of print on DVD. Your best bet is streaming or looking for the DVD used.

DVD

Vudu

Happy Thanksgiving! - The Mouse on the Mayflower

Rankin-Bass, 1968 

Voices of Tennessee Ernie Ford, Eddie Albert, Joanie Summers, and John Gray

Directed by Arthur Rankin, Jr and Jules Bass

Music by Maury Laws; Lyrics by Jules Bass

This would be the first Rankin-Bass special that appeared under their new name, changing from Videocraft. It's also their first and only shot at a special revolving around Thanksgiving lore, complete with pilgrims, Native Americans, and their own version of American history. How does a mouse's retelling of the events leading to the first Thanksgiving feast look today? Let's begin in London, just as Willum Mouse (Ford) is joining a small band of settlers heading for the new world on the tiny ship Mayflower, and find out...

The Story: Willum just barely makes the trip. As things turn out, he almost wishes he hadn't. Conditions on board the Mayflower are cramped and dirty. Storms batter the ship, almost forcing them to turn back. Even when the settlers arrive in the New World, they're miles from Virginia, their original destination. Undaunted, they opt to remain at Plymouth and create their own colony. This proves to be more difficult than they hoped. Harsh blizzards, rampant illness, and their own inability to grow crops devastate the settlers. Thanks to Willum and his new native mouse buddy, the local Indians teach them how to grow crops. Thankful for a bountiful harvest, they invite them for a huge feast. Meanwhile, John Alden (Gray) is too shy to speak to pretty Priscilla Mullins (Sommers) for himself and keeps using orders from Captain Miles Standish (Albert) as an excuse to talk to her, and two nasty sailors want to steal the Pilgrims' gold for themselves. 

The Animation: This would be one of the first Rankin-Bass holiday specials done in a more traditional 2-D animation. It's an interesting mix of styles. The pilgrims and travelers on the Mayflower are drawn in a fairly realistic manner, while the Indians and animals, including the two mice, are done in a more cartoony and colorful style.

The Song and Dance: As the only Rankin-Bass special I know of to be based after real-life events, this is definitely one of their more unusual shows. Ford seems to enjoy himself well enough as the inquisitive mouse, and Albert has a fine time playing the blustery captain who has the nearly impossible task of turning the peaceful Puritans into soldiers. The sequences with the storm and the blizzard are especially well-done, with some decent animation and a lot of appropriate tension in both cases.

Favorite Number: The special opens and closes with the stirring "Mayflower" performed by Ford and the chorus, singing of how the Mayflower "became a part of history." The pilgrims and Ford sing about how they badly need "A Little Elbow Room" onboard the Mayflower. Priscilla wistfully wonders what John sees "When He Looks at Me" after his most recent stammering attempt to repeat Standish' orders. 

What I Don't Like: I suspect the reason this has yet to be released on DVD has to do with the rather ridiculous native stereotypes after they reach the New World. Those annoying sailors band together with an even more obnoxious Indian and his bear. Frankly, the sailors' attempts at stealing the gold don't really have much to do with the pilgrims and the New World or Willum and are likely filler at best. The romance between John and Priscilla is only slightly more interesting. They're both stiff as boards, and despite them playing up the triangle, Standish barely seems to notice her. 

The Big Finale: Enjoyable enough time-waster for after Thanksgiving dinner if you can find it. 

Home Media: As mentioned, it's not on DVD, but video copies are fairly easy to come by, and it can be found easily on YouTube. 

VHS

YouTube

Happy Thanksgiving! - Meet Me In St. Louis

MGM, 1944
Starring Judy Garland, Margaret O'Brian, Tom Drake, and Louise Bremer
Directed by Vincent Minnelli
Music and Lyrics by various

Yes, I know this one is set on every holiday but Thanksgiving...but it does discuss the importance of home, family, and being thankful for those around us and what we have. It was a huge hit during World War II, at a time when many Americans were fondly looking back at the simpler, gentler world of their youth. How does this nostalgic trip into the life of the Smith family in 1903 look now? Let's peek on the Smiths at their home in St. Louis, Missouri and find out...

The Story: As we join the Smiths, the biggest excitement in the family is oldest sister Rose's (Bremer) beau calling her long-distance from New York during a family dinner and the construction of the World's Fair that will debut in the spring. Second-oldest sister Esther (Garland) is more interested in drooling over John Truitt (Drake), the handsome boy next door. She tries to encourage him during a family party, but he's oblivious to her advances. She finally gets through to him on a trolley ride to the fair grounds under construction.

Little sisters Tootie (O'Brian) and Agnes (Joan Carroll) go out as "horrible ghosts" to join the kids for playing tricks on Halloween. When one of their pranks goes wrong, Tootie runs home crying, claiming John Truitt hurt her. Esther runs over to him and pounds on him before she learns that Tootie lied. He was actually trying to keep the girls from the police. Mr. Smith (Leon Ames) creates even more havoc when he comes home and reveals that he took a new job in New York and they'll be moving there after Christmas. Everyone is upset, until he reminds them that they're still together.

It comes to a head at the local Christmas ball and afterwards, where Esther realizes how much she loves John and how upset she is when he can't come. After he sees Tootie destroying her snowmen because she can't bring them along, Mr. Smith finally realizes how much his family loves their home and how important St. Louis is about to become.

The Song and Dance: Garland was trying to distance herself from the kiddie roles she'd mostly played until then and was wary of playing another moony teen, but she ended up putting in one of her best performances as love-struck Esther. I especially loved her laying into John Truitt - do not attack that girl's family or get her upset! In fact, the entire cast is a delight, including O'Brian as the rather macabre Tootie, Ames as the eternally exasperated patriarch of the family, Majorie Main as the down-home maid Katie, and Harry Davenport as sassy Grandpa.

The production is just lovely, especially for wartime. The Technicolor cinematography and the historically-accurate sets and costumes give us a wonderful feel for a changing St. Louis of the early 20th century, from girdles and pianos to the glowing gowns at the Christmas ball and those snowpeople poor Tootie destroys. The Halloween sequence is incredibly atmospheric and spooky, with some wonderful, shadowy work from Vincent Minnelli.

And..I just love how realistic all this is, even now. Having grown up in a family of mostly women, I remember what it was like to have your whole family hear you talk to boyfriends on the phone (even after cell phones came into regular usage), drool over a guy from afar, and get Dad back in the loop when he comes home from work.

Favorite Number: We open with the title song, which is ably passed from family member to family member as we're introduced to everyone. "Skip to My Lou" is a delightful chorus number for the younger family members and their friends, while Garland and O'Brian do an adorable cakewalk to a genuine 1903 hit, "Under the Bamboo Tree."

Garland gets to sing the film's three best numbers. She introduces the longing "The Boy Next Door" as she admires Truitt from afar in the opening number. "The Trolley Song" is another big chorus number, probably the film's most famous, as Esther excitedly sings about how she found love on the trolley, with some fairly spirited choreography. The standard here is the touching "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," which Esther sings to comfort Tootie Christmas Eve and assure her that everything will be fine, despite the move.

Trivia: "Merry Little Christmas" had even sadder lyrics when it was first written. Garland thought they were too depressing to sing to a little kid and requested that they be changed.

A TV version debuted in 1959, with Jane Powell as Esther and Patty Duke as Tootie. A 1966 pilot with Shelley Fabares and Celeste Holm wasn't picked up for a regular series. It debuted as a Broadway show in 1989, but it lasted less than a year.

Garland met and fell in love with Minnelli while working on this movie.

What I Don't Like: My sisters and I loved this movie. Dad, on the other hand, was baffled, and many men may be likewise. The Halloween sequence used to scare my brother silly when he was a kid, and it may be a little much for some other younger members of the audience as well.

The Big Finale: One of my favorite musicals, and one of Garland's best movies. Check this one out with your own family over Thanksgiving dinner.

Home Media: Easily found in all formats, including two 2-disc special editions.

DVD
Blu-Ray
Amazon Prime

Happy Thanksgiving! - By the Light of the Silvery Moon

Warner Bros, 1953
Starring Doris Day, Gordon MacRae, Billy Gray, and Leon Ames
Directed by David Butler
Music by various composes

On Moonlight Bay was a huge hit for Warners, enough to warrant one of the very rare musical sequels. The sequel features a sequence set at Thanksgiving, which, along with the same warm and fuzzy feeling it shares from the original film, is reason enough to review it on a holiday known for tradition and nostalgia. Does it deserve a place at your Thanksgiving table, or should it be sent out to be stuffed? Let's return to the Wakefield home, just in time for Armistice Day...

The Story: It's a few days before Thanksgiving, 1918. Bill Sherman (MacRae) is finally home from the war, to the delight of his mechanic girlfriend Marjorie (Day). Marjorie wants to get married right away, but Bill is determined to earn enough money to live before jumping into a wedding. They quarrel over the change, but after Bill gets a job at the bank, agree that it's the smart thing to do.

Meanwhile, Marjorie's little brother Westley (Gray) is having his own growing pains. First, he gets so attached to the Thanksgiving turkey, he steals one from another house rather than let the butcher kill his new favorite pet. Shortly after the turkey incident, he finds a note from his father to an actress and thinks he's having an affair with her. Marjorie is so upset, she won't marry Bill... and Bill thinks Marjorie is the one having an affair with her dull suitor Chester Finley (Russell Arms). Everything finally comes out during a skating party for Mr. and Mrs. Winfield's (Ames and Rosemary DeCamp) anniversary.

The Song and Dance: Westley's wild imagination and some cute numbers provide most of the fun in this one. As someone who is also a big fan of both mysteries and old-time pulp fiction, I got the biggest kick out of the scene where he imagines himself to be a detective who rounds up a whole nest of thieves. DeCamp, Ames, and Mary Wickes as the ever-sarcastic maid Stella have more to do this time around, especially when they all think Mr. Winfield is cheating on his wife in the second half. I also love the opening, with Stella breaking the fourth wall to provide her own commentary on each member of the family.

Favorite Number: Along with Westley's daydreams, my favorite part of this one is the adorable "Ain't We Got Fun" number, with Stella, Marjorie, Bill, and Mr. Winfield having a great time getting the food ready for Thanksgiving dinner. You have to agree with Mr. Winfield when he says that preparing the food is just as much fun as eating the meal! MacRae and Day also get to have fun with "Be My Little Baby Bumble Bee," which Chester starts in an attempt to woo Marjorie...only to have her end up with Bill when he gets in on the song.

What I Don't Like: Despite some twists in the plot, this is more-or-less a rehash of the first movie. Once again, we have Bill opposed to marrying Marjorie, either because of his own ambitions and opinions or a rumor Wesley (inadvertently) started about his father. We have an annoying suitor that Wesley helps get rid of, all leading up to a big party. I can understand Bill wanting to start a nest egg, but pretty much everything else that leads the two of them to their on-again, off-again nuptials is just ridiculous, and it gets annoying after a while. And though Doris Day throws her all into the "King Chanticleer" number in the local show, it's defeated by odd choreography and some really strange costumes. (Though, to be fair, it is supposed to be just a little number in a local show.)

The Big Finale: Same deal here. If you loved the first one, are a fan of Day or MacRae, or enjoy musical nostalgia or coming-of-age stories, this is one Thanksgiving table you'll want to join...whether the turkey is on it, or running around it.

Home Media: The sequel was almost as big of a hit as the original film, and is equally easy to find. Your best bet may be to buy the TCM two-pack that includes both movies.

DVD
DVD - TCM 2-Pack: On Moonlight Bay/By the Light of the Silvery Moon
Amazon Prime

And I hope all of my US readers had a wonderful Thanksgiving with their own families!