Summary
- Classic black-and-white Christmas movies capture the holiday spirit that resonates with audiences, regardless of their age.
- These films feature legendary stars like Bing Crosby and Jimmy Stewart, taking audiences on grand stories within a festive holiday setting.
- While these movies may not solely focus on Christmas, they still offer a charming and nostalgic experience that is perfect for the holiday season.
While there are a lot of modern holiday classics like Elf, The Grinch, and Love Actually that movie lovers enjoy this time of the year, the best black and white Christmas movies can take audiences back to the older days of Hollywood and some of the best festive stories. Modern audiences can be intimidated by black-and-white movies, feeling like it is a signal of a movie being too old and outdated to be enjoyed today. However, these older classics have a Christmas spirit that will resonate no matter how many decades old they are.
These iconic Christmas movies represent different eras in Hollywood and the kind of legendary stars who used to command the screen, like Jimmy Stewart, Bob Hope, and Bing Crosby. They take the audience on grand stories within a holiday setting, sometimes with Christmas simply serving as a background feature and other times being an integral part of the plot. For those looking to add some older gems to their Christmas watchlist, these black-and-white holiday movies are classics for a reason.
25 Best Christmas Movies Of The 2000s
New Christmas movies come out every year, but some of the holiday films from the 2000s are often considered Christmas classics.
12 The Apartment (1960)
Billy Wilder's Christmastime Romantic Comedy
While this romantic comedy from director Billy Wilder might not be a Christmas movie in the literal sense, it does go on a lot of binge lists. When a businessman has to lend his bosses use of his swanky apartment for their various love affairs, it's only a matter of time before things start to go south.
A comedy about extramarital flings might not seem like festive material, but it does feature outstanding performances from the likes of Jack Lemon, Fred MacMurray, and Shirley MacLaine. The sharp writing of Wilder is also an element that has allowed it to become considered one of the best rom-coms of all time. There's an office Christmas party and plenty of seasonal moments, too.
Rent The Apartment on Apple TV.
11 The Thin Man (1934)
A Detective Investigates A Holiday Murder
Murder is another subject that audiences likely aren't expecting to crop up in too many classic Christmas movies. In the case of The Thin Man, happy holidays and murder mysteries go hand in hand. William Powell plays Nick Charles, a retired detective who is suddenly called back into the line of duty when a young woman's father mysteriously disappears. The interesting combination of murder mystery and Christmas movies will definitely get a few viewers' attention, and keep them invested until the reveal. As a bonus, the sequel After the Thin Man is regarded by some as one of the best detective movies of all time.
Rent The Thin Man on Apple TV
10 The Bells Of St. Mary’s (1945)
Bing Crosby, The Christmas King
Like The Apartment, The Bells of St. Mary's might not focus on Christmas, but the season does play a part in the film's mood and setting. When a parish school is on the verge of being condemned, the pious and faithful Sister Mary Benedict must lock horns with the eccentric Father O'Malley in order to win the favor of a local businessman and save the school. Bing Crosby is no stranger to Christmas movies, and he makes for a charming lead in this drama while being ed by fellow screen legend Ingrid Bergman. This story of faith, hope, and charity is a lovely movie for the season.
Where To Watch The Bells Of St. Mary's
9 The Lemon Drop Kid (1951)
Bob Hope Must Pay Back A Mobster By Christmas
Not many modern audiences might be familiar with The Lemon Drop Kid, but they are most definitely familiar with the song "Silver Bells," which originated in the film. In this Bob-Hope-led comedy, a slick conman makes the mistake of cheating a notorious mob boss and is forced to come up with $10,000 by Christmas or else he "won't make it to New Year's." It is great to see the kind of screwball comedy from the old Hollywood days with a legend like Bob Hope bringing the holiday hijinks. It is an exciting adventure with a festive twist that packs some solid laughs in its winning story.
Buy The Lemon Drop Kid On Amazon
8 The Shop Around The Corner (1940)
A Christmas Enemies-Turned-Lovers Romance
Though James Stewart has another black-and-white Christmas movie he is better known for, The Shop Around the Corner deserves some airtime this holiday season as well. The movie follows two employees at a gift shop who can't stand each other but are unaware the anonymous pen pals they are falling in love with are each other. Fans might recognize the story by its remake You've Got Mail and there are plenty of modern Christmas romantic comedies that are more popular. But The Shop Around the Corner is a charming little love story that might surprise a lot of fans.
Where To Watch The Shop Around The Corner
7 Holiday Inn (1942)
Bing Crosby Opens A Holiday Retreat
Nearly a full decade before White Christmas premiered, it was Holiday Inn where Irving Berlin's iconic Christmas tune premiered. Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire play a song-and-dance duo who turn an old retreat into an entertainment venue open primarily during the holidays. Easily a yuletide classic among film buffs, casual viewers will at least want to stay for the music alone.
It captures that old feeling of the musical era of Hollywood that has since vanished. Fans will be enchanted by the music and comedy. While the captivating and musical White Christmas is arguably the more popular of the two Berlin films, there's no reason not to include this toe-tapping entry to the Christmas binge list.
6 Christmas In Connecticut (1945)
A Columnist And A War Hero Fall In Love At Christmas
A common theme present in many Christmas movies seems to involve secret identities being revealed, and Christmas In Connecticut is no exception. When a columnist masquerading as a housewife on a Connecticut farm must suddenly throw together a charade when she's asked to entertain a returning war hero. As with many of these '40s rom-coms, romance and situational humor are soon to follow.
There is an easy charm to the movie as it tells its funny and intriguing story with a nice holiday flavor. It is the kind of cozy old Christmas movie that is perfect to enjoy this time of year even if its endearing spirit is perfect year-round.
Where To Watch Christmas In Connecticut
5 The Bishop's Wife (1947)
An Angel Helps Out A Bishop During The Holidays
A rare Christmas fantasy movie without Santa involved, The Bishop's Wife stars Cay Grant as a debonair angel who comes to Earth to help a bishop who is caught up in the building of a new cathedral. As Christmas approaches, the bishop begins to grow jealous of the angel's charms being used on his wife. The movie is a light and endearing comedy with a great cast of old Hollywood talent. It is always fun to look back on these older comedies and find that they still have lots of heart and laughs after all these years.
Where To Watch The Bishop's Wife
4 A Christmas Carol (1938)
The First Feature Length Adaptation Of Charles Dickens' Story
It doesn't get more classic than A Christmas Caroladaptations of the Dickens classic, viewers can't go wrong in including it in their Holiday lineup. Owen gives a solid performance as Scrooge, though he does give himself over to the holiday spirit a touch easier than other incarnations. But his redemption and mirth are nothing if not infectious, reminding fans why this story is such a mainstay of the season.
Where To Watch A Christmas Carol
3 Scrooge (1951)
Alastair Sim Creates The Definitive Ebeneezer Scrooge
Before the introduction of George C. Scott or Sir Patrick Stewart to the list of great Scrooge performances, the gold standard was Alastair Sim in the 1951 adaptation. Following the same formula as most versions of the Christmas Carol mythos, nothing in the script really changes except for Scrooge himself, but that's a good thing.
Sim is absolutely wicked in this role, and his version of Scrooge is possibly one of the most villainous portrayals of the character. That being said, it makes it all the more worth it to see the old miser redeemed at the end. Though there is plenty of competition, Sim's performance alone makes this one of the best adaptations of A Christmas Carol.
