5 More Hidden Holiday Gems
Rudolph, The Grinch, and Frosty have dominated the holiday airwaves since time immemorial. I have made it a personal holiday tradition to root for the underdog. Tirelessly, I scour IMDB lists, estate sales, and burned-down Blockbuster Video stores for festive films that have been lost to the sands of time. Then I abandon this effort and just make things up.
- Christmas in Coal Country (1955)
Paid for and written by The West Virginia Coal Association, this educational film extolls the wonders of coal in a world dipping its feet into atomic energy.
On Christmas Day, little Timmy-Ray is disappointed to find a lump of coal under the tree. Wondering what he did wrong this year, he is surprised by the sudden arrival of Santa-Ray Claus. Santa-Ray explains that coal is actually a gift, and to Timmy’s delight, a flurry of fly ash begins to fall on the town. What follows is a magical tour of an active coal mine as Santa-Ray explains the impeccable safety standards of the 1950s coal industry, the Communist lie of black-lung, and the folly of nuclear energy.
Back at home, Momma-Ray invites Santa in for dinner and the family sits for a home-cooked holiday meal that is also made entirely of coal.
Trivia:
- Andy Griffith provides the voice of Clarence the Canary. His heartfelt depiction of…
