MovieChat Forums > The House Without a Christmas Tree (1972) Discussion > I remember this well

I remember this well

posted 19 years ago by ekentb
14 replies | jump to latest

I can remember this and also the follow up movie that was on the next year. I haven't seen this in AGES! I was reminded of it when it was parodied (somewhat) on Saturday Night Live awhile back. Mary Catherine Gallagher was in a Christmas Pageant (with Whitney Houston, and with Rosie Odonnell and Penny Marshall as nuns) and towards the end, she quotes from this. I wonder how many people actually got this joke when they showed this on SNL. She even looks kinda like the girl in the movie. And she says "daddy, I want a big, beautiful Juniper".

I would love to see this at Christmas this year.

No, no..."cruelty." I always think that has a nobler ring to it.

[–] jg67 18 years ago

ROFLMAO I was just watching the SNL skit you mentioned and it made come look up the show because I remember watching it as a kid. I hadn't thought about it years. I would love to own it on dvd.

It's a dirty job,but I pay clean money for it.

[–] DavidInIndy 15 years ago

I realize these posts are a few years old, but I bought the DVD last year at Wal-Mart. I think I paid about $10.00 for it. You might check there this holiday season. The Wal-Mart I shop at had a few shelves devoted to Christmas DVDs and I found it sitting there. They had four or five copies of the movie.

Formerly Known As David-Indiana On IMDb

[–] filmprincess 15 years ago

I realize these posts are a few years old, but I bought the DVD last year at Wal-Mart. I think I paid about $10.00 for it. You might check there this holiday season. The Wal-Mart I shop at had a few shelves devoted to Christmas DVDs and I found it sitting there. They had four or five copies of the movie.

Thanks because I would love to own this on DVD. What made me think of it was when I was posting on the Christmas Vacation board and there was a thread asking you to name your top five all-time favorite Christmas movies. This one immediately came to mind and so I looked it up. I'm actually quite surprised there are not more posts on this board as I remember this movie being quite exceptional. I was quite young when I saw it, but still remember it with great fondness. Anyway, I put it on my top five favorite Christmas films. Hope I can find a copy this Christmas! Thanks again! ................fp :)

"You nonconformists are all alike."

[–] DavidInIndy 15 years ago

You're welcome!

Hopefully Wal-Mart will stock it again this year. Another place you could try is Barnes & Noble if you have one close to you. I have found many difficult to find movies there. I bought the Grey Gardens DVD there and B&N is the only place I've ever seen that movie for sale. B&N has a huge selection of movies.

I'll keep my fingers crossed for you.

Formerly Known As David-Indiana On IMDb

[–] filmprincess 15 years ago

I do have a Barnes & Noble here. That's a great suggestion. I go there often to buy books, and although I've never really purchased a DVD there, now I am remembering that they have some rather obscure titles, etc. Maybe I'll check Amazon as well. Oh, and if I can get to Wal-Mart before the day after Thanksgiving (lol) I'll check for it there too. (You know Black Friday at Wal-Mart is a place you'd kind of like to avoid; although, it would probably be much cheaper there!) Lol! :)

By the way, do you remember the other film that was made with the same actors? It was called The Thanksgiving Treasure. It also had Jason Robards and Lisa Lucas in it. Anyway... I always greatly admired him as an actor, and again, even though I was quite young when those were released, I remember thinking how talented he was. And, I really liked the young girl (I guess Lisa Lucus) who played his daughter. Really, both of those films are just rare gems, imo. In any event...I think it has like a rating of 8 or something. Here's the link if you're interested: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0228392/ It was made in 1973, one year after The House Without a Christmas Tree.

Anyway, thanks again for your help and Happy Holidays to ya! ..............fp :)

"You nonconformists are all alike."

[–] SweaterCannons 15 years ago

Amazon has it, new for about $8, used for around $7; there are also copies, some VHS, on ebay.

I haven't seen this since it first aired in 1972, but I remember really liking it. I don't remember a whole lot about it; what I do remember is that, to a kid, it didn't look like other TV shows. I might be wrong about this, but I think maybe it was videotaped, like daytime soaps. That's how it seems in my memory, anyway.

[–] just1Hitch 15 years ago

Yes, it was videotaped (except for a few outdoor scenes). It gives it more of a realistic live play effect.

I don't think I want to go to the pictures. Oh?Why not? I've seen everything worth seeing.

[–] direwolfca-1 18 years ago

Didn't Mary Katherine preface the line with her famous "I think my feelings would be best expressed in a monologue from the made-for-TV movie 'The House...' starring the incomparable Jason Robards (or something to that effect)"? Hilarious.

One thing that really stands out in my memory about this film was fade-in/out shots bridging the commercial breaks. The live scene immediately prior to the break would slowly fade out to a cut-and-paste construction paper representation as a still, then reversing the effect on the way back in. It's been a good 25 years at least since I've seen this, but I still find that element remarkable.

[–] ekentb 18 years ago

Thank you for reminding me of the fade outs - the way you described it put a vivid picture of that in my head, and I DO remember it now. Thank you!

No, no..."cruelty." I always think that has a nobler ring to it.

[–] 18 years ago

[deleted]

[–] cheerforRMatFT 13 years ago

Watching holiday events like this back in my day made tears come to my eyes eventually & @ X-mas time i did not want to cry i wanted to be HAPPY!!!!

but i watched this a few X's i guess im a glutton for punishment... LOL!!!

and i remember the 2nd movie but not as well as theTREE 1 the 3rd movie i can't recall probably because i was in my peer pressure teens by then & did not catch it when it was on & @ that stage in my life the last thing i wanted to watch on TV was something that would cause mememe to cry BUCKETS OF TEARS!!

I read somewhere on the internet that it was highly possible that it was taped(so that's why they had that visual look to them)in CALGARY

Also, found info on the artist that created the collages for the movies. They were done by a contempory artist named Norman Sunshine( he won an emmy award for his.... gosh wonder where he studied to aquire those skills to create them at that level of expertise?)

One Last Smoke
1980 Acrylic on canvas

_______________

Sunshine(1973-movie) & Sunshine(1974-tvseries)

Sunshine on my shoulders makes mememe happy?.....

Yep! stuff like this also made(me)the little black girl CRYYYYYYYYY!!!!!

_______________

Oh....& don't forget that other great tear jerker!!!!

A Girl Named Sooner(1975tv)--peer pressure made her STONE THE BIRD--so sad!!

[–] cada123 12 years ago

I remember this with great fondness

[–] dick-409-354965 11 years ago

I saw this when it originally aired in 1972 -- I was 11 years old. It is such a great Christmas show that has stuck in my mind for years. I have purchased the DVD when it came out and I watch it every Christmas. A well acted story with believable children and well respected actors .. Robards and Natwick. At the time when I first saw it, I found Addie to be quite spunky and very cute!

[–] cmbrower 8 years ago

OMG! I'm so glad we can "talk" and remember parts of our childhood on IDBM! I only saw this movie one time and that was 1972 when it first aired. I was 8 years old and cannot figure out why it has been stuck in my memory for soooo long!? I remember the main actors' faces like it was yesterday. What I do know has kept my memory alive is my memory of Jason Robards. In every single movie I see him in since this one....I instantly fear him and have ill feelings about him because of this movie! That's what made me look it up today....watching a totally unrelated movie which Mr. Robards is starring in! I need to watch this movie again to figure out why I still dislike him! LOL. Probably because he was stern about the Christmas tree and then to my horror......he made me CRY because he turned so good!!! Probably embarrassed me! Thanks for all your posts out there.