imballfan I saw this in England when it was new and have wanted so much to see it again but it was never available. I am so thrilled to report that I just received it on DVD in the North American format. I assume I cannot mention the vendor but I found it by searching the internet. Although it is somewhat dated it is nevertheless the only meaningful realistic Christmas movie I've ever seen. It depicts the sorrow that ensues when family members feel they cannot be honest with each other. And it also shows how easy it is to place a clergyman in an ivory tower where he neither wants nor deserves to be. The acting from a renown cast prevents it from sinking into maudlin sentimentality.

kidboots Wynyard Brown's thoughtful play was a West End success story of the 1949-50 season and writer producer Anatole de Grunwald took a straightforward approach in adapting it for the screen. The action takes place on Christmas Eve and the following day as enjoyed or suffered by the Reverend Martin Gregory (Ralph Richardson) and members of his family who gather at the country vicarage for the holiday.His enlisted son Mick (Denholm Elliott) is home on leave and at the last moment his youngest daughter, Margaret (Margaret Leighton), a London journalist appears. The older daughter, Jenny (Celia Johnson) has never left home, devotedly caring for her father, so much so that she cannot bring herself to marry her fiancée David (John Gregson) who is about to leave the country for five years for work. David is frustrated that Jenny is the only one willing to stay at home to look after her absent minded father and thinks Margaret should have her turn. The play revolves around Ralph Richardson's character of the lovable but eccentric parson who has always been kept "in the dark" about serious family matters by his children who feel that as a parson he cannot deal with life's realities. Everyone knows that Jenny desperately wants to marry and the real reason why Margaret is on her way to becoming an alcoholic and Martin proves that he can certainly cope with any skeletons dangling in the family closet.Christmas Day brings matters to a head - the night before Margaret and Mick head off for the cinema but go instead to the local pub - they both come home drunk. The next thing Martin upbraids Mick for getting Margaret drunk, things become heated and Mick angrily reveals Margaret's secret. She had met an American airman during the war and he had been killed, she had had a child, who, unfortunately, died the year before and she had started drinking to cope with her sorrow. There follows a moving scene between Martin and Margaret (beautifully played by the Richardson and Leighton) which brings them closer together and proves to Margaret that there is a place for her in the world. For Martin, an ironic piece of self discovery when he realises that he, a person whose job it is to help other people, never really knew his own family or how much they needed him. As good as the movie is, without the performances it would have been just another bland play about Christmas. Maureen Delany as the hatchet faced Aunt Bridgit and Margaret Halston as the dreamily sweet Aunt Lydia were retained from the original play. Celia Johnson, as Jenny, is as usual stoical yet ultimately poignant and Ralph Richardson's bewildered despair at realising his home failures, give him a heartfelt sympathy. Margaret Leighton is the real show stopper as Margaret, her initial hardened selfishness is quickly explained and the emotional showdown with her father allows her bitterness to crumble away.

bdwittkamp It's too bad that this film is unavailable in the United States. Many years ago it was given to me by a friend who taped it off some obscure broadcast station. I've shown it every year since and have never grown tired of it. There is much truth in this film, and all of its characters reveal something of themselves that we can all identify with. And what a cast-- Ralph Richardson, Celia Johnson, Margaret Leighton, Denholm Elliot, and Hugh Williams! Richardson's parson is one, regardless of one's faith, we would all love to know. And Johnson and Leighton display acting of the highest order. Elliot is superb as the restless son, and Williams as a world weary but understanding and compassionate friend of the family has never been better. This is a film that deserves wide attention and should be a Christmas staple. It is not only my favorite Christmas movie, but also one my ten favorite films of all time.

Rosalind Jane I think I have only seen this film about 3 times in my life. But the impact it had on me each time I saw it was great. A tremendous British cast, in a tremendous British film. It just simply is not shown often enough, and on top of all that it is not available on Video/DVD.A story of a family brought together for Christmas, and their lives during the war years clearly showing through.Please let us have a change from the usual Christmas line up. Either give us a treat and show it over the coming Christmas or release it on Video/DVD. After all, how many variations of a Christmas Carol can somebody take over the festive period year after year.