Fan Favorites (1947) - November 29

This month, we're debuting a new segment the Saturday after Thanksgiving, one that's long overdue. In "Fan Favorites," I'll be video chatting with four dedicated TCM viewers--all serious movie lovers, each of them selecting a "holiday" movie on our schedule.

Whitsett, North Carolina's Joel Williams picked Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969), which, sure, at first glance, wouldn't pop up on many holiday movie lists, but Joel's reasoning will warm your heart. It was the first movie Joel watched with his dad, and there's no better time than during the holidays to honor that relationship.

Joel has some thoughtful opinions about Butch and Sundance. They're not opinions I share, but they're thoughtful. Our little argument about Robert Redford and Paul Newman will perhaps mirror the fights you'll be having with your family over the weekend.

Aurora Bugallo of Fairview, New Jersey chose more traditional holiday fare--Vincente Minelli's Meet Me in St. Louis (1944), which also happens to be her favorite movie. Like all four of the fans, Aurora has been to the TCM Film Festival, where she actually got to meet Margaret O'Brien. So selecting Meet Me in St. Louis was a bit of a no-brainer.

Miguel Rodriguez runs a small film festival in his hometown, San Diego. His festival runs the gamut--as long as it's macabre. His ideal plan for the Saturday after Thanksgiving is to gather his family around the television and watch James Arness try to drain the blood from Kenneth Tobey and his crew in The Thing From Another World (1951).

I can't disagree with Miguel--there's no wrong time to watch perhaps the best Sci-Fi movie of the 1950s, especially one produced by Howard Hawks, whose fingerprints are all over the film.

Detroit's Paula Guthat is more than merely a TCM fan. She's also a co-founder of the Twitter hasthtag, #TCMParty. Every night, movie lovers watch our films and discuss them, using Twitter to bring the community together. The #TCMParty is an organic revelation: a place entirely conceived and run by classic movie fans-- for classic movie fans.

Paula picked Bob Hope's The Lemon Drop Kid (1951). Short of a road picture with Bing Crosby, The Lemon Drop Kid, about a small time hustler trying to make a buck over the holidays, is a great introduction to the infectious charm of Bob Hope. Even if he's delivering a hokey line, it is literally impossible--yes, literally--not to fall under Hope's spell.

Like so many of you, Joel, Aurora, Miguel and Paula are great TCM fans-- knowledgeable, spirited and loyal. We're lucky to have them kick off "Fan Favorites."

by Ben Mankiewicz