Movies about the holiday season have been produced since the Silent Era, beginning with a brief pre-20th-century charmer from England called Santa Claus. They have been a part of the Hollywood product since the birth of the studio system and, more often than not, have become box office hits, particularly during December. Yet no one has previously argued that they constitute a genre unto themselves, with rules of their own and continuing themes even as is the case with the Western, the Musical, and the Film Noir. This volume attempts to make a case for the existence of an ongoing body of work called the Mistletoe Movies. By analyzing more than 100 examples, author Douglas Brode delineates the basic rules of the game for this unique form, relating each movie in terms of the precise moment in time when it was produced and released, as well as the reasons for its continuing popularity with audiences of today.

by Douglas Brode
Page Count: 348
Trim Size: 6 x 9
Publish Date: November 10, 2026
Imprint: Sunbury Press
Genre: Film History

PERFORMING ARTS / Film / History & Criticism
PERFORMING ARTS / Film / Genres / General
SOCIAL SCIENCE / Popular Culture