Big City, 1948



If you’ve seen (and liked) the 1987 film 3 Men and a Baby, which starred Tom Selleck, Steve Guttenberg, and Ted Danson, then you’ll like the 1948 version of men taking care of a helpless baby. Big City shows the men have a lot of heart and want what’s best for the little girl.

Two of the three stars in Big City were familiar to me right away. Danny Thomas was a big star before he had a daughter named Marlo Thomas, who starred in the TV series That Girl. Thomas, who played Cantor David Irwin Feldman in Big City, was a television and movie producer in the 1960s and 1970s. He also founded St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

The other star I recognized in Big City was Robert Preston, who played Rev. Philip Y. Andrews. I had already seen him in The Music Man, Mame, and Victor Victoria, all of which were memorable performances.

The little girl, Midge, grows up enough in Big City to be played by eleven-year-old Margaret O’Brien. She was already a veteran actress by then, having appeared in 16 films, including Meet Me in St. Louis.

The film is heartwarming and sweet. Just the kind of movie to watch at Christmastime.

How The West Was Won, 1962



Lilith Prescott and her family members journey to the West during the Civil War era, finding hardship, romance, and excitement.  

A big film with big stars and 12,000 extras, How The West Was Won shows off the talents of several Oscar-winning actors including James Stewart (1941), Karl Malden (1952), Gregory Peck (1963), John Wayne (1970), and Henry Fonda (1982). Also performing in this film were Robert Preston, Debbie Reynolds, George Peppard, Agnes Moorehead, and Thelma Ritter. Lee Van Cleef and Eli Wallach often played terrific bad guys and did a great job in this film. All four of the film’s Cinematographers were already Oscar winners before participating in this project.

Of the eight Oscar nominations for this film, only 3 won awards. This film’s Academy Awards went to Harold F. Kress for Best Film Editing and to Franklin Milton for Best Sound, as well as to James R. Webb for Best Writing, Story and screenplay – Written Directly for the Screen.

Of all the actors in this star-studded film, I love James Stewart the most. He never gives a bad performance. This is by no means his best work, but even in a smallish role, he’s captivating.

Keeping the Family Together



God loves to be a part of our daily lives, whether during the holidays or not. He’s the glue that keeps our family together. He’s the sugar that keeps us sweet. Today at Seek God With Me, I’m sharing about two families who escaped death because they believed the one God sent to them.

Have you seen big changes in your family because of something God said or because of someone he sent? Join me at Seek God With Me where I’m bringing out the old and the new.

December is for Families

I hope you enjoyed our Thanksgiving break as much as I did. My family was able to gather for a meal and game time. We all pitched in and helped prepare parts of the meal. We love being together as often as we can.

So for the month of December, I will be focusing on families and how God works through one member to affect others.

If you're like me, you'll enjoy the movies I'm reviewing this month. Families share good times and bad. Through it all, families try to stick together.

Come back tomorrow and check out my devotional. It shows a couple of ways how God keeps families together.