Holiday Story Traditions

by Paula Gail Benson

Stories have always been part of the holiday season. Whether from reality, like the newspaper response to Virginia O’Hanlon’s letter from the editor of New York Sun (often called “Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus”); or Clement Clarke Moore’s “A Visit from Saint Nicholas,” also known by its first line “T’was the Night Before Christmas;” or Charles Dickens’ frequently presented in different contexts A Christmas Carol; or movies like It’s a Wonderful Life, White Christmas, Christmas Vacation, and Elf. They have all found their way into our hearts so that we long to rehear them or rewatch them during this time of the year.

1947 Version

One of my favorite stories is Miracle on 34^th Street. When I first saw the 1947 version with Maureen O’Hara, Edmund Gwenn, and Natalie Wood, I felt it encapsulated all the elements that had become important in my life. The location: New York City, where I loved to travel to see Broadway shows. The idea: a child suspicious of Santa, particularly in stores (personally, I always preferred believing in the unseen Santa). The courtroom: since law became my profession, it only seemed right that it should be the forum for determining the “true” Santa. The Post Office: I come from a family of postal workers. It seemed perfectly normal to me that the Post Office should save the day.

I also enjoyed the 1974 televised version with Jane Alexander, Sebastian Cabot, David Hartman, and Suzanne Davidson, and the 1994 movie with Elizabeth Perkins, Richard Attenborough, and Mara Wilson, even though it moved the story from New York to Chicago and deleted the Post Office.

This year, through Amazon Prime, I located a television adaption from 1955, which was presented for The 20^th Century Fox Hour, and featured Teresa Wright, Thomas Mitchell, and MacDonald Carey. The shortest of all the versions I’ve seen, this one is very close to 1947 film, containing much of the same dialogue and situations. Thomas Mitchell speaks very quickly. I wondered if that was to help fit everything into the program timeframe.

1955 version

If you are looking for more recent stories to add to your holiday reading list, please let me recommend two online sources. Since Thanksgiving, the authors at Writers Who Kill have presented short stories for their readers. They include offerings from the following writers beginning on the dates in parentheses: Annette Dashofy (11/28), E. B. Davis (12/3), KM Rockwood (12/8), Korina Moss (12/13), Tammy Euliano (12/18), Warren Bull (12/23), and myself (12/28). These tales have some familiar characters and some mysterious and paranormal elements. Please stop by and check them out.

On Saturday, December 18, 2021, Loren Eaton hosted his Advent Ghosts 2021, where he invited writers to contribute 100-word stories (drabble) that celebrated a scarier aspect of the holidays. He links followers to each author’s blog or presents the stories on his message. Authors from all over the world participate. Here’s the link to share the fun.

So, take a few moments away from the hustle-bustle, find a favorite holiday beverage to sip, and enjoy being transported fictionally into another place and time. Don’t forget to let the online authors know you’ve enjoyed their work.

Happy holidays, everyone!

1995 version

      

Writers' Lessons from Paranormal or Supernatural Holiday Stories

Frank Capra's It's a Wonderful Life

by Paula Gail Benson

I watched It’s a Wonderful Life when NBC broadcast it earlier this year. Letting myself get caught up in George Bailey’s story and Clarence Oddbody’s struggle to get his wings, I began to think about how some of our most memorable holiday stories involve a supernatural or paranormal element. Consider Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. Where would Scrooge have been without those ghosts? Even Miracle on 34^th Street showcases Santa’s, or Kris Kringle’s, magical capabilities.

What is it about Christmas that brings makes us ponder the world beyond that we do not know and only through religious texts, unique circumstances, and fiction catch a glimpse? Does this preoccupation stem from the fact that during this cold time of year, memories of the past draw close? Or, does the nativity story give us the courage to ponder how humans may connect with God, angels, and dearly departed who may be looking out for us?

A Christmas Carol (1938 film)

In all three of the Christmas stories I mentioned, the supernatural or paranormal creatures have the power to show humans what they may have been unable to see. For George, how the world might have been if he weren’t born. For Scrooge, how his actions had and could influence others. And, for Susie and her mother, how believing, even if you’re not certain, can help you lead a happier, more fulfilled life.

Often, when writers think about creating paranormal creatures, we consider allowing them to swoop in and rescue humans, like super heroes. But, in these Christmas stories, that doesn’t occur. A reader might wonder why Clarence doesn’t ask Gabriel if he can tell George that Mr. Potter has the missing money. In 1986, Saturday Night Live featured a sketch introduced by William Shatner, who said the lost ending for It’s a Wonderful Life had been discovered. Phil Hartman, playing Uncle Billy, remembers where he left the $8,000 and learns from Clarence at the bank that Potter made a deposit in that amount. George (Dana Carvey) and the crowd gathered at his house become an angry mob, hunting down Potter (Jon Lovitz) and beating him to a pulp. It’s just wasn’t the same as Clarence taking his lead from George’s suggestion and by example showing him no man who has friends can be a failure.

I decided to do some background research on the story, “The Greatest Gift” by Phillip Van Doren Stern, that became the basis for It’s a Wonderful Life. According to Wikipedia, Stern was an editor and author of books about the Civil War that have been described as authoritative and respected by scholars. In 1938, he woke from a dream that inspired his 4,000 word short story, which he completed in 1943. When he could not find a publisher, he sent it around in 200 Christmas cards. Eventually, it was published and came to the attention of RKO Pictures, which optioned it due to Cary Grant’s interest in playing George Bailey. Later, Frank Capra acquired the rights and the role went to James Stewart. I found a copy of “The Greatest Gift” available through Amazon. One of the reviewers pointed out that the names of the characters in that story weren’t the same as those “in the original” movie. I guess writers whose work has been adapted for the screen have been facing that criticism a long time.

Speaking of Cary Grant, he later played, not the struggling human, but the divine intervenor in The Bishop’s Wife (a role reprised by Denzel Washington in The Preacher’s Wife). In that story, Grant’s angel, named Dudley, created more havoc for the humans, but in the end, found he had to allow them to make their own decisions, even though he had fallen in love with Julia (Loretta Young), the Bishop’s (David Niven) wife.

So, in remembering these holiday stories with paranormal elements and considering how they were constructed and created, what have I learned as a writer? Here are my thoughts:

Miracle on 34th Street

(1) Successful movie adaptations often receive more credit than the original source.

(2) A ghost, an angel, or even Santa can never “fix’ a human’s problem, only help the human find his or her way.

(3) Even if a lesson is hard learned, humans are invariably better off by allowing some of the mystical qualities of the season to transform them.

Here’s wishing each of you a wonderful holiday and a new year of happy writing!