Associate Editor’s Note:
When I was a girl growing up in the 1970s, our family enjoyed a buffet of made-for-TV and classic holiday films on television from Thanksgiving through the New Year. The TV menu ranged from the weird stop-motion creations including Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer to the animated Frosty the Snowman, A Charlie Brown Christmas and the original Grinch Who Stole Christmas. We also watched the annual Walton family film, The Homecoming: A Christmas Story, and yesteryear classics including A Christmas Carol, Miracle on 34th Street, Bing Crosby’s White Christmas and Holiday Inn, along with Jimmy Stewart’s iconic It’s a Wonderful Life, and Danny Kaye’s Hans Christian Andersen.
There was also a less-known made-for-TV Christmas special that came and went from the airwaves, but I have never been able to forget it. A sad but heartwarming Christmas movie was The House Without a Christmas Tree, which first aired on CBS in 1972, starring Jason Robards as the grumpy, grieving widower father and Lisa Lucas as his spirited daughter, Addie, who simply wanted a Christmas tree. I recall how she used math tricks her father had taught her to win the right to bring home the classroom Christmas tree… leading to a cinematic conflict-and-resolution story about family, loss and rediscovering holiday spirit.
I have always wanted to see that film again, especially through an adult’s lens, but I couldn’t find it anywhere. Until now, that is. Thanks to the AI-powered internet, I discovered that I can view this ‘lost’ movie on YouTube’s Christmas Channel. I have it queued up and ready to roll.
Happy Holidays!
~Estelle
What classic Christmas films do you like to watch?* Here is a listing of classic holiday films from 1940 to 1995 that remain widely accessible now through various streaming platforms, digital rentals and free-with-ads services. Cozy up and take a snow-globe tour back in time…
1940s: The Golden Era
- Remember the Night (1940): Often found on TCM (Turner Classic Movies) or available for rent on Amazon Prime Video
- Holiday Inn (1942): Available to stream on Amazon Prime Video
- Meet Me in St. Louis (1944): Streaming on Max
- Christmas in Connecticut (1945): Streaming on Max
- It’s a Wonderful Life (1946): Available to stream for free on Plex, Xumo Play, and with a subscription on Amazon Prime Video
- Miracle on 34th Street (1947): Available on Disney+, Hulu and Peacock
- The Bishop’s Wife (1947): Streaming on Amazon Prime Video, Peacock and YouTube
1950s – 1970s: Musicals & Animation
- A Christmas Carol (1951): The Alastair Sim version is available on Amazon Prime Video
- White Christmas (1954): Streaming on Amazon Prime Video and Netflix
- Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1964): Available on Apple TV+ and often airs on CBS during the season
- A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965): Exclusively on Apple TV+
1980s – 1995: Modern Classics
- A Christmas Story (1983): Streaming on Max and Hulu
- Scrooged (1988): Streaming on Paramount+, Amazon Prime Video, and Pluto TV
- National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (1989): Streaming on Max and Hulu
- Home Alone (1990): Available on Disney+
- The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992): Available on Disney+
- The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993): Streaming on Disney+
- The Santa Clause (1994): Available on Disney+
- While You Were Sleeping (1995): Streaming on Disney+
How to Watch in 2025
- Subscription Streaming: Major platforms like Disney+, Max, Hulu, and Amazon Prime Video house the bulk of these titles.
- Free with Ads: Services such as Plex, Pluto TV, and Xumo Play often offer “It’s a Wonderful Life” and various 1940s classics for free.
- Digital Rental/Purchase: Nearly all these films are available for a small fee ($2.99–$3.99) on Apple TV, Google Play Movies, and Fandango at Home.
- Specialty Apps: The Christmas Play app (available on Roku and Firestick) offers a wide catalog of free holiday films including Rudolph and Miracle on 34th Street.
*Additioinal holiday film suggestions from a reader: Mrs. Claus, Mr. St. Nick, Christmas with the Kranks and Polar Express.
