As the campus quiets down with students departing for the holiday break, our staff is readying the stacks for the season. As this archivist goes about his work, his mind wanders off to all the holiday traditions that he will soon partake in: the food, the decorations, the gift exchanges, the religious services, and more! And, of course, the Christmas movies!

We all have our favorites, from decades-old classics to recent holiday rom-coms, but we can all agree that there are those movies that spark the holiday spirit. Among our staff favorites are Meet Me in St. Louis (1944), Die Hard (1988), and How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (1966)

But what if you are not sure which movies to watch this season? How can you be sure that they are proper for your family? How can you be sure that they have cinematic value? Well, never fear! Let us dive into the archives of the Office of Film and Broadcasting (OFB) to address your concerns.

A branch office of the National Catholic Welfare Conference (today’s United States Conference of Catholic Bishops), the OFB existed from the 1930s until 2012. (Up until 1966, it was known as the Legion of Decency.) In earlier posts, we detailed how the OFB records contain correspondence between the organization and studios, directors, and Church hierarchy. We also discussed its interactions with the horror genre. So let us know turn to some sample Christmas movies to set the atmosphere for the season.

Let’s dive right in to some of our archival picks for the season:

The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992) is a retelling of Charles Dickens’ classic, A Christmas Carol…but with the loveable Muppets! The film was generally well-liked by the OFB reviewers, with them recommending it for all audiences. That said, one reviewer did lament that Miss Piggy lacks her usually “feisty comebacks”.

Love Actually (2003) is a recent classic that helped center the holiday rom-com as a seasonal favorite for audiences. OFB reviewers found the film suitable only for adults.

The Santa Clause (1994) is a beloved Disney film, with recent generations raised on its legalistic premise. The OFB considers it suitable for adults and adolescents, although one reviewer raised concerns about how the movie’s “elves [are] led by a wisecracker”.

Santa Claus Conquers the Martians (1964) is a sci-fi comedy film and perennial cult classic. The OFB file for it contains but one item, and you can see it in the image above.

Scrooged (1988) is a 80s reimaging of A Christmas Carol, with Bill Murray playing a miserly television executive visited by three Christmas spirits. The OFB suggests it only for adults with reservations. However, despite these reservations, one reviewer stated that while it “can be scary at parts…anyone who has heard the story by Dickens should enjoy the similarities and seasonal message it sends out.”.

Scrooge (1970) is a lavish musical adaptation of A Christmas Carol, in the vein of 1968’s musical Oliver! It received four Academy Award nominations. OFB critics unanimously praised it as worthy for all audiences. However, they did raise concerns about several of its infamous scenes involving the underworld and a song around Scrooge’s funeral. (We won’t spoil the plot!) That said, OFB reviewers were somewhat split with one writing, “This film does not try to ‘capture’ the Christmas spirit; it lets it parade through the streets.” While another reviewer bluntly stated, “Good for first-graders”.

The files for the first Home Alone (1990) contain little commentary, beyond notes that are acceptable for adults and adolescents. Clearly, the breakout success of the first film stirred on my attention for its 1992 sequel, Home Alone 2: Lost in York. (The sequel was also described as acceptable for adults and adolescents.) That file contains much more promotional material and reviewer feedback!

Any other films you may wish to see OFB reviews for? Check out the finding aid to the collection here: USCCB OFB Records