TCM Schedule for Monday, December 24 -- TCM PRIME TIME FEATURE: BOB'S CHRISTMAS EVE PICKS

[Longhorn]

3:45am Hope and Glory (1987)
A young boy grows up in World War II London during the Blitz.
Cast: Sebastian Rice-Edwards, Sarah Miles, David Hayman. Dir: John Boorman. C-113 mins, TV-MA

6:00am Love Finds Andy Hardy (1938)
A small-town boy tries to juggle two girlfriends at once.
Cast: Mickey Rooney, Lewis Stone, Judy Garland. Dir: George B. Seitz. BW-91 mins, TV-G

7:33am Short Film: From The Vaults: Loews Christmas Greeting (Hardy Family) (1939)
BW-3 mins

7:45am 3 Godfathers (1948)
Three outlaws on the run risk their freedom and their lives to return a newborn to civilization.
Cast: John Wayne, Pedro Armendariz, Harry Carey, Jr. Dir: John Ford. C-106 mins, TV-G

9:45am In The Good Old Summertime (1949)
In this musical remake of The Shop Around the Corner, feuding co-workers in a small music shop do not realize they are secret romantic pen pals.
Cast: Judy Garland, Van Johnson, S.Z. "Cuddles" Sakall. Dir: Robert Z. Leonard. C-103 mins, TV-PG

11:30am Little Women (1949)
The four daughters of a New England family fight for happiness during and after the Civil War.
Cast: June Allyson, Elizabeth Taylor, Peter Lawford. Dir: Mervyn LeRoy. C-122 mins, TV-G

1:33pm Short Film: One Reel Wonders: Peace On Earth (1939)
C-9 mins

1:45pm Holiday Affair (1950)
A young widow is torn between a boring businessman and a romantic ne'er-do-well.
Cast: Robert Mitchum, Janet Leigh, Wendell Corey. Dir: Don Hartman. BW-87 mins, TV-G

3:15pm Tenth Avenue Angel (1948)
A child of the tenements helps an ex-con find a new life.
Cast: Margaret O'Brien, Angela Lansbury, George Murphy. Dir: Roy Rowland. BW-74 mins, TV-G

4:33pm Short Film: One Reel Wonders: Pup'S Christmas, The (1936)
C-8 mins

4:45pm Man Who Came To Dinner, The (1942)
An acerbic critic wreaks havoc when a hip injury forces him to move in with a midwestern family.
Cast: Bette Davis, Ann Sheridan, Monty Woolley. Dir: William Keighley. BW-113 mins, TV-G

6:45pm Christmas Carol, A (1938)
In this adaptation of Charles Dickens' classic tale, an elderly miser learns the error of his ways on Christmas Eve.
Cast: Reginald Owen, Gene Lockhart, Kathleen Lockhart. Dir: Edwin L. Marin. BW-69 mins, TV-G

What's On Tonight: TCM PRIME TIME FEATURE: BOB'S CHRISTMAS EVE PICKS

8:00pm Bishop's Wife, The (1947)
An angel helps set an ambitious bishop on the right track.
Cast: Cary Grant, Loretta Young, David Niven. Dir: Henry Koster. BW-109 mins, TV-G

10:00pm Cover Girl (1944)
A nightclub dancer makes it big in modeling, leaving her dancer boyfriend behind.
Cast: Gene Kelly, Rita Hayworth, Phil Silvers. Dir: Charles Vidor. C-107 mins, TV-G

12:00am Bells Of St. Mary's, The (1945)
A liberal priest tries to soften the strict nun running a boys' school.
Cast: Bing Crosby, Ingrid Bergman, Henry Travers. Dir: Leo McCarey. BW-126 mins, TV-G

2:12am Short Film: From The Vaults: Holiday Greetings 1941 - Lewis Stone (1941)
BW-2 mins

2:15am Meet Me In St. Louis (1944)
Young love and childish fears highlight a year in the life of a turn-of-the-century family.
Cast: Judy Garland, Margaret O'Brien, Mary Astor. Dir: Vincente Minnelli. C-113 mins, TV-G

4:15am Mating Season, The (1950)
A woman pretends to be a cleaning lady to get to know her son's high-society in-laws.
Cast: Gene Tierney, John Lund, Thelma Ritter. Dir: Mitchell Leisen. BW-101 mins, TV-G

[Longhorn]

1. Bells Of St. Mary's, The (1945)

It's rare when a sequel does as well, commercially or critically, as its predecessor. One of those rarities was the sequel to the phenomenally successful Going My Way (1944), The Bells of St. Mary's (1945). Going My Way won seven Academy Awards; The Bells of St. Mary's was nominated for eight, though it only won one, for Best Sound. However, it made more money than Going My Way, and was not only 1945's biggest-grossing film, but was third on the list of all-time moneymakers to date, behind Gone With the Wind (1939) and This Is the Army(1943).

The Bells of St. Mary's tells the further adventures of Father O'Malley (Bing Crosby) as he moves to a new parish, tangles with Sister Benedict (a beatific Ingrid Bergman) and ultimately forges a friendship with her. Along the way, songs are sung, heartstrings are tugged, Father O'Malley charms an old codger into giving the church money for a new school, and Sister Benedict teaches a boy how to box. It's sentimental hokum of the highest caliber, thanks to the performances of Crosby and Bergman, and the expert guidance of producer-director Leo McCarey.

After several serious dramatic performances, Bergman wanted to prove her versatility by playing a nun, and coaxed a reluctant David O. Selznick -- who had her under contract -- to loan her out. Bergman researched her role by visiting a convent and meeting Leo McCarey'ss aunt, the nun who was the inspiration for Sister Benedict.

The filming was pleasant and relaxed, and became even more so early in the production, when the Academy Awards for 1944 were handed out. Crosby and McCarey were both nominated for Going My Way, and Bergman was nominated for Best Actress for Gaslight. On Oscar Night, McCarey won; then Crosby won. Finally, Bergman won. Accepting the award, she said "I'm particularly glad to get it this time because tomorrow I go to work in a picture with Mr. Crosby and Mr. McCarey, and I'm afraid that if I went on the set without an award, neither of them would speak to me!"

Producer/Director: Leo McCarey
Screenplay: Dudley Nichols, Leo McCarey (story)
Cinematography: George Barnes
Costume Design: Edith Head
Film Editing: Harry Marker
Original Music: Johnny Burke, Jimmy Van Heusen, Robert Emmett Dolan
Principal Cast: Bing Crosby (Father Chuck), Ingrid Bergman (Sister Benedict), Henry Travers (Horace P. Bogardus), William Gargan (Patsy's father), Ruth Donnelly (Sister Michael), Una O'Connor (Mrs. Breen), Rhys Williams (Dr. McKay).
BW-127m Closed captioning.

by Margarita Landazuri