Dan Cirucci

Sunday, December 3, 2023

Well Sadly, When You Think About It . . .

These Christmas Classic Gems Can't Be Topped!

At Christmas, seek out the perennial faves!

Christmas movies, music, plays -- all have a special allure.

And many of them are perennials. They return again and again. They're become classics -- and with good reason. They simply have a timeless quality that makes us look forward to them year after year.

Here are some of our favorite Christmas classics:

1) Have A Holly Jolly Christmas - The original version of this tune by Burl Ives is still the best!

2) I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus - The Jimmy Boyd original is tops! It reached number One on the Billboard charts in 1952, and on the Cash Box magazine chart at the beginning of the following year. The song was commissioned by Neiman Marcus to promote their Christmas card for the year, which featured an original sketch by artist Perry Barlow, who drew for the New Yorker magazine for many decades.

3) Christmas Time's A 'Comin (and I know I'm goin home) - Don't settle for anything less than the Bill Monroe bluegrass version. It will touch your heart.

4) It's A Wonderful Life - If you miss this classic Frank Capra Christmas movie, you've missed Christmas itself! In fact, many consider this to be the best Christmas movie ever made.

5) A Christmas Carol - Watch ONLY the black and white 1951 movie version (pictured above of this classic tale starring Alistair Sim. Sim really defined Scrooge for generations. No others can match this depiction.

6) The I Love Lucy Christmas shows. CBS sometimes still broadcasts these which feature five Santas on Christmas eve as well as an over-trimmed tree that rivals Charlie Brown's puny version.

7) White Christmas -- We're talking the Irving Berlin song here -- the original one by Bing Crosby. That remains the definitive version.

Christmas reached a sort of zenith in America in the 1950s. It was a glorious time for home, family and Christmas. Maybe it was the aftermath of the war and the prosperity that followed that made everything so Christmasy.

Or maybe it was just those crazy 50s novelty songs, all that sentimentality and brave new inventions like spray snow and angel hair that made the difference. Who knows?

But, wait -- we have to expand our list just a bit.

Here are a few more favorites:

1) Emmet Otter's Jugband Christmas - This Muppets Christmas TV event is a heart-tugger and remains true to the Christmas spirit -- a childhood favorite that carries on into adulthood.

2) A Charlie Brown Christmas - Surprisingly meaningful, if not downright religious. The music, the meaning, the simple, heartfelt animation and the distinct characters all make it super-special.

3) Home Alone - The first movie (not the sequel) is still the best. The whole story revolves around Christmas.

4) O. Henry's The Gift of the Magi. about a young couple who are short of money but desperately want to buy each other Christmas gifts. Unbeknownst to Jim, Della sells her most valuable possession, her beautiful hair, in order to buy a platinum fob chain for Jim's watch; while unbeknownst to Della, Jim sells his own most valuable possession, his watch, to buy jeweled combs for Della's hair. The essential premise of this story has been copied, re-worked, parodied, and otherwise re-told countless times in the century since it was written.

5) Christmas In Connecticut. Though it has been revived in an updated version with Dyan Cannon and yet again since then, the original film with Barbara Stanwyck and Sydney Greenstreet remains great fun.

6) A Christmas Story. Based on a tale by Gene Shepherd (who also narrates) this film has only grown finer with age! It so lovingly evokes a time and place and it does it with humor and an irresistible human touch.

7) Miracle on 34th Street - With a very young Natalie Wood, this is the one that put the macy's Thanksgiving Day parade on the map.

Other's that are not quite as well known include the films A Holiday Affair, The Bishop's Wife, Remember The Night, The Holly And The Ivy and It Happened On Fifth Avenue.

Saturday, December 2, 2023

Now, Here's A Great Idea For Christmas!

The 'Kingdom' Of New Jersey? Be Forewarned!

Republican State Sen. Michael Testa is wading into the Democratic U.S. Senate primary in New Jersey with a fairy tale video that spoofs First Lady Tammy Murphy. pic.twitter.com/MxtE2eDs7G
— David Wildstein (@wildstein) December 2, 2023

Friday, December 1, 2023

And Now, As Christmas Approaches . . .

A Pathological Liar? It Seems So . . .

BIDEN: "I taught at the University of Pennsylvania for four years"

(He was paid $1 million, but he never taught a single class) pic.twitter.com/zGrimlwb5g
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) December 2, 2023

A Deliciously Precipitous Downward Trend . . .

Someone should poll small biz owners on how they feel about @GovMurphy… https://t.co/TRwOZ4Hq53
— Mike Testa (@TestaForNJ) December 1, 2023

On The Make? Nah -- More Like On The TAKE!

About Dan Cirucci

He has been cited by Rush Limbaugh, quoted in the New York Times, featured at Real Clear Politics and Lucianne.com and interviewed on radio, TV and in social media.

He's Dan Cirucci, the founder and editor-in chief of the Dan Cirucci Blog, Matt Rooney's sidekick on Save Jersey's videocasts and one of the most widely honored public relations professionals in his field. He's also been a public relations consultant to numerous organizations and individuals and hosted The Advocates on RVN-TV.

Inducted into the Philadelphia Public Relations Hall of Fame, for many years he served as a Lecturer in Corporate Communication at Penn State University. A former President of the Philadelphia Public Relations Association (PPRA) he has lectured at Rowan University, Temple University, The College of New Jersey and Arcadia University. He has conducted workshops on public relations for thousands of participants throughout the nation and has taught countless others the art of public speaking. He has also advised numerous lawyers, judges, public officials and political candidates.

Cirucci is a prolific writer and his op-ed pieces have appeared in the Philadelphia Daily News, Philadelphia Inquirer, Courier-Post and other publications.

A native of Camden NJ, Cirucci is a former President of the Philadelphia chapter of the International Association of Business Communicators. Cirucci served as Associate Executive Director of the Philadelphia Bar Association for nearly 30 years. He served as Chair of Penn State University's Professional Advisory Board for the Corporate Communication major at Penn State Abington and on the Pennsylvania Bar Association's Judicial Selection Commission.

He received his MA degree from Rowan University and his BA from Villanova University. He has been named a Distinguished Alumnus of Rowan's public relations program and received the E. A. "Wally" Richter Leadership Award, the highest honor from the National Association of Bar Executives' Communications Section. He has also been honored by numerous other local, state and national groups.

In his hometown of Camden, Cirucci taught fifth grade at the Ulysses Wiggins Elementary School named for the founder of the Camden NAACP. There he was one of the first teachers in the country to teach African-American history to inner city students. He later served as editor of a local weekly newspaper, as Assistant to the Township Manager of Cherry Hill Township and as Associate Director of Communications at the New Jersey State Bar Association.

Cirucci's passions include politics, the popular culture, books and authors, art, communication, music, theatre, movies, dining and travel.

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Unless explicitly attributed to others, the opinions and views expressed on this blog are my own, and do not represent the views of any employer or other organization.

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