{"product_id":"tcm-greatest-classic-films-collection-holiday-christmas-in-connecticut-a-christmas-carol-1938","title":"TCM Greatest Classic Films Collection: Holiday (Christmas in Connecticut \/ A Christmas Carol 1938","description":"\u003cp\u003eTCM Greatest Classic Films Collection: Holiday (Christmas in Connecticut \/ A Christmas Carol 1938 \/ The Shop Around the Corner \/ It Happened on 5th Avenue)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e*New\/Sealed*\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eChristmas in Connecticut is a perennial holiday movie starring Barbara Stanwyck in a brilliant and sarcastic performance as Elizabeth Lane. She portrays a columnist for Smart Housekeeping magazine, where she writes captivating descriptions of the meals she supposedly prepares on her idyllic Connecticut farm for her husband and baby. However, the truth is that she is a writer, not a cook, and her apartment overlooks a clothesline, not a crackling fireplace. Supporting characters, including her editor, an unpleasant architect suitor, and the eccentric Hungarian chef \"Uncle\" Felix, help to maintain her façade. The story takes a turn when Jefferson Jones, a sailor who has been stranded at sea after his destroyer is torpedoed, recalls the delicious dishes written about in Lane's columns, which keep him going during his ordeal. After his rescue, a nurse who wants to marry him believes that experiencing a real Christmas in a domestic setting will push him towards marriage. Conveniently, she was once the nurse for Alexander Yardley's grandchild, the wealthy publisher of Smart Housekeeping magazine. She then writes a letter to Yardley, suggesting that Jones be invited to the Lane family farm in Connecticut for Christmas. Yardley, who is portrayed by Sidney Greenstreet, falls for Lane's fabricated story and sees it as an opportunity to boost his magazine's circulation. Feeling lonely during the holiday season, he decides to join the Lanes for Christmas on the farm. Now, Lane has to come up with a farm, a husband, and a baby to uphold her deception. Christmas in Connecticut is a timeless screwball comedy that skillfully satirizes social norms and creates a palpable sense of suspense as the house of cards that is Lane's life threatens to collapse. As described by Susan Benson, it provides a perfect farcical portrayal of the frenzy and chaos that can occur in a domestic setting during the Christmas season. A Christmas Carol from 1938 has become the definitive adaptation of the classic story. Alastair Sim delivers a commanding performance as Ebenezer Scrooge, overshadowing all other portrayals. The film, directed by Brian Desmond Hurst, takes a lean and direct approach, focusing on Scrooge's life story rather than trying to impress viewers with extravagant spectacles showcasing the appearances of the spirits. Hurst skillfully simplifies the narrative and emphasizes the theme of lost women through a haunting musical refrain from the folk song \"Barbara Allen.\" Sim's commitment to the role is astonishing at times, particularly in his portrayal of Scrooge's euphoria on Christmas morning. Of note, Patrick Macnee, known for his role as Steed in The Avengers, made his screen debut in this 1951 production, playing the young Jacob Marley. The Shop Around the Corner is a delightful romantic comedy from 1940. James Stewart stars as a young man working in a small Budapest shop who yearns for love. Margaret Sullavan, his co-worker, shares the same longing and they begin writing to and falling in love with their respective pen pals. Unbeknownst to them, they are actually writing to each other but cannot stand each other in person. The film expertly executes the mistaken identity plot, which has been emulated in numerous other films. The sharp and delightful banter between the two leads adds to the film's charm. In It Happened on 5th Avenue, a homeless philosopher decides to take up residence in an uninhabited mansion owned by the absent Michael O'Connor, an industrialist. O'Connor's unhappy daughter, Trudy, returns home from finishing school and does not reveal her true identity when her father, disguised as a butler, comes looking for her. Meanwhile, O'Connor inadvertently competes with a former G.I. in a land deal. The film, nominated for Best Original Story, contains a worthwhile message about self-worth. The TCM Greatest Classic Films: Holiday collection includes A Christmas Carol from 1938, where Reginald Owen portrays Ebenezer Scrooge; Christmas in Connecticut from 1945, featuring a magazine columnist who must learn to cook; The Shop Around the Corner from 1940, a charming romantic comedy starring James Stewart and Margaret Sullavan; and It Happened on 5th Avenue, a heartwarming film about a homeless man living in a vacant mansion.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"replacement-content\"\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"replacement-content\"\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\u003ch3\u003eFEATURES\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"replacement-content\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg src=\"blob:https:\/\/app.sellerchamp.com\/a4025fa4-8b42-4413-98f5-b1d534f8eb39\" style=\"width: 300px;\" class=\"fr-fic fr-dib\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Warner Home Video","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49826470691106,"sku":"S50821176","price":33.9,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0723\/8831\/3378\/files\/open-uri20250409-3523711-1kunf0q.jpg?v=1762732763","url":"https:\/\/anthembooks.com\/products\/tcm-greatest-classic-films-collection-holiday-christmas-in-connecticut-a-christmas-carol-1938","provider":"Anthem Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}