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New York for the Holidays

New York is one of the world's greatest cities.  Add to that the wonder of the holidays, and who would want to go?  Of course you can avoid the bustling crowds and gridlocked traffic by simply enjoying one of these movies set in New York.

Bachelor Mother (1939)-Ginger Rogers plays a department store sales clerk who learns that her job will be eliminated after the busy Christmas season.  She then finds a baby left on the doorstep of an orphanage.  When picking up the baby, she is mistaken for the mother.  The store owners son, believing the same thing offers to keep Rogers employed rather.  This, of course, leads to a series of funny misunderstandings.

Miracle on 34th Street (1947)-Everone knows this one.  Kris Kringle (Edmund Gwen) is hired as the Macy's Santa Claus.  He must then prove that he IS Santa Claus!  Maureen O'Hara, John Payne and Natalie Wood lend fine support to this legendary film.  Remade in 1994.
The Lemon Drop Kid (1951)-Bob Hope plays a conman who must pay a gangster $10,000 by Christmas Eve.  He then dons the disquise of a street-corner Santa to take "donations".  Fanously introduced the classic song, "Silver Bells".

Fitzwilly (1967)-Dick Van Dyke plays Fitzwilliam, the loyal butler to a wealthy old woman.  He hides the fact that she is actually broke.  Since she regularly donates parts of her "fortune" to charitable causes. Fitzwilly and the rest of the household staff stage a series of nighttime robberies to fund her philanthropies.  Like modern day Robin Hoods.  A raid on Gimbels Department Store is the climax of the film.

Scrooged (1988)-A Christmas Carol may be set in London, but this modern retelling is set in New York City.  Bill Murray plays a cold-hearted television executive.  As usual, he's met by a series of events that teach him the true meaning of Christmas.
Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992)-Kevin (Macauley Culkin) is seperated from his parents...again.  This time he takes the wrong plane to New York City.  He lives the good life at the Plaza Hotel while staying ahead of the villains from the first movie.
Serendipity (2001)-Sara (Kate Beckinsale) and Jonathan (John Cusack) meet by chance while Christmas shopping, and quickly fall for each other.  They both decide to leave it up to fate to see if they are meant to be together.  A series of near misses and misunderstandings hinder their quest for true love.
Elf (2003)-As a baby, Buddy (Will Ferrell) was accidentally taken to the North Pole.  Years later, an adult (but very child-like) Buddy comes to New York in search of his real parents. Meanwhile he gets a job as a department store elf (department stores are key for Christmas movies) and falls in love.

Do you have a favorite Christmas in New York movie?

 
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