Season’s Screenings — A Tour of Classic Christmas Movies

enDecember 18, 2023

The Art of Manliness

Podcast Summary

Christmas movies surged in production during the 1940s due to World War II: World War II led to an increase in Christmas movie production during the 1940s, resulting in many beloved classics and a rich holiday cinema history.
The holiday season is deeply intertwined with cinema history, with the first known Christmas movie dating back to 1898. Christmas themes have been a part of films for over a century, but a significant number of beloved Christmas classics were produced during the 1940s. This surge in Christmas movies can be attributed to the defining event of that decade: World War II. While there were Christmas films before the 1940s, their numbers were limited. Jeremy Arnold, a film historian and author, shares his insights on this topic in his new book "Christmas in the Movies: 35 Classics to Celebrate the Season." From timeless adaptations of "A Christmas Carol" to unexpected entries like "Die Hard," Arnold explores the enduring appeal of these films and offers suggestions for lesser-known holiday movie gems. So whether you're looking to revisit old favorites or discover new treasures, the world of Christmas cinema has much to offer.
The Significance of Christmas in Movies in the 1940s: Christmas became a popular narrative device in movies during the 1940s due to societal focus on family during and after WWII. It added tension and anticipation to storylines and highlighted family issues.
The 1940s saw a significant increase in the representation of Christmas in movies due to the societal focus on family during and after World War II. Christmas became a powerful narrative device as it was a relatable and recognizable experience for audiences, and it added tension and anticipation to storylines. Many films used Christmas as a way to highlight family issues, whether it was families breaking apart or longing to be reunited. The consistent presence of Christmas movies throughout the year during the late 1940s speaks to the unconscious influence of the war's end and the desire to tell stories about family and the holiday season. Overall, Christmas provided a built-in audience recognition and understanding, making it a meaningful and effective storytelling device.
Exploring the evolution of Christmas movies: Christmas movies have evolved to reflect societal contexts, from wartime longing for family to post-war nostalgia and diverse storytelling.
The evolution of Christmas movies reflects the changing societal context and cultural shifts over the decades. During the World War II era, Christmas movies embodied a deep longing for family and togetherness, leading to classics like It's a Wonderful Life. Post-war, there was a shift towards nostalgia and using Christmas as a backdrop for various genres, from the nostalgic White Christmas to darker adaptations like the 1951 A Christmas Carol. The term "Christmas movie" didn't exist until later, and its definition remains subjective, encompassing a wide range of films that explore the complexities and nuances of the holiday season. From joy and family to loneliness and despair, Christmas movies offer a rich and diverse spectrum of storytelling. With numerous adaptations of classics like A Christmas Carol, the enduring appeal of these stories continues to captivate audiences year after year.
Unconventional casting and horror element in 1951's A Christmas Carol: The 1951 version of A Christmas Carol, featuring Alistair Sim, stands out due to its dark and unconventional take on the classic holiday tale, resonating with audiences through television broadcasts.
The 1951 British version of "A Christmas Carol," starring Alistair Sim, stands out due to its unconventional casting and the horror element that captures the full spectrum of the Christmas season. Sim's controversial selection as Scrooge sparked controversy before the film's release, but his versatile acting skills proved critics wrong. The film's dark and bleak portrayal of the season, inspired by John Leach's illustrations in the original Dickens novel, resonated with audiences when it was rediscovered on television in the 1970s and 80s. Television played a significant role in the success of Christmas films, as they didn't typically perform well at the box office but became cultural staples once broadcast on TV. The 1951 "A Christmas Carol" is a testament to the power of unconventional choices and the enduring influence of television on the Christmas movie genre.
Muppets' Christmas Carol and It's a Wonderful Life: Two Classic Holiday Tales: These films showcase the magic of the holiday season through unique blends of tragedy, warmth, and comedy, with Michael Caine's serious Scrooge in Muppets' Christmas Carol and Jimmy Stewart's emotional performance in It's a Wonderful Life.
The Muppets' Christmas Carol and It's a Wonderful Life are beloved holiday classics that offer unique interpretations of the Christmas spirit. The Muppets' Christmas Carol, with Michael Caine's serious portrayal of Scrooge amidst the Muppets' irreverence, is a faithful adaptation of the Dickens tale with a Muppets twist. It's a Wonderful Life, initially not intended as a Christmas movie, came together due to Frank Capra's post-war experiences and the challenging mix of tones in the source material. Jimmy Stewart's emotional performance in the film, influenced by his wartime experiences, adds to the powerful impact of the story. Both films showcase the magic of the holiday season through their unique blends of tragedy, warmth, and comedy.
Discovering Love Beyond First Impressions: The Shop Around the Corner is a romantic comedy that highlights the importance of looking beyond initial dislikes and misunderstandings to find love and personal growth. The film's timeless themes and iconic holiday songs continue to resonate with audiences.
The movie "The Shop Around the Corner," starring Jimmy Stewart and Margaret Sullivan, is a romantic comedy that showcases the power of seeing beyond surface-level appearances and the transformative effect of vulnerability and self-discovery. Set against the backdrop of the Christmas season, the film explores themes of love, misunderstandings, and personal growth. The Christmas spirit serves as a subtle yet significant force that brings the two main characters together, despite their initial dislike for each other. The movie's ability to balance light and dark tones, along with its classic romantic plot and iconic holiday songs like "White Christmas," make it a timeless and cherished Christmas classic. The film is a remake of the 1940 German movie "Eine Nacht in Venedig" and shares similarities with the Tom Hanks film "You've Got Mail." The song "White Christmas" was first introduced to the world in the 1942 movie "Holiday Inn," and it has since become one of the most popular and enduring holiday songs of all time. The movie and the song share a deep connection, as the movie played a significant role in popularizing the song during the World War II era.
The evolution of 'White Christmas' in film: From a romantic ballad in 'Holiday Inn' to a nostalgic longing in 'White Christmas', the meaning of 'White Christmas' has changed, reflecting the different film settings and performances.
The classic Christmas song "White Christmas" has evolved in meaning and context between its first appearance in the 1942 film "Holiday Inn" and its presentation in the 1954 film "White Christmas." In "Holiday Inn," the song is used romantically between Bing Crosby and Marjorie Reynolds, while in "White Christmas," it's presented as a nostalgic longing for home and family. The shift in meaning is reflected in the different film settings and the way the song is performed. Additionally, the films "Holiday Inn" and "White Christmas" can be seen as reboots of each other, with some similarities and differences in terms of story, chemistry between the actors, and musical numbers. The speaker prefers "Holiday Inn" due to its stronger plot and faster pace, but acknowledges the nostalgic appeal of "White Christmas." Another Christmas song worth mentioning is "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" from the movie "Meet Me in St. Louis," where the original version had darker lyrics that were later changed to be more upbeat and festive.
The making of 'Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas' in 'Meet Me in St. Louis' was a collaborative process: Tom Drake's intervention led to the creation of a more emotionally resonant version of 'Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas' in 'Meet Me in St. Louis', while 'Home Alone' became the highest-grossing live-action comedy in the US despite not being primarily set during Christmas.
The making of the iconic song "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" from the movie "Meet Me in St. Louis" was a collaborative and challenging process. Initially, the melody was considered too sad for Judy Garland to sing to a distraught Margaret O'Brien. However, after weeks of debate, Tom Drake intervened, urging Ralph Blaine to change the lyrics. The resulting version, while still melancholic, was deemed perfect for conveying the full spectrum of emotions associated with the holiday season. Additionally, "Meet Me in St. Louis" is unique among Christmas movies as it's not primarily set during the holiday season but culminates on Christmas Eve, making it the ultimate family day that brings the family together. Another standout Christmas movie that defies the typical box office trend is "Home Alone." Released in late November 1990, it became the highest-grossing live-action comedy in the United States when adjusted for inflation, playing into the summer of 1991. Its enduring popularity lies in its ability to appeal to audiences of all ages, just like the classic movies of the 1940s.
The unpredictable nature of movie production: Despite initial budget issues and doubts, 'Home Alone' and 'Elf' became holiday classics, proving the importance of taking chances in the movie industry.
The movie industry is full of unexpected twists and turns, as evidenced by the nearly abandoned production of the holiday classic "Home Alone." Despite initial budget issues and doubts about its potential success, Fox stepped in and released the film, which went on to become a massive financial success. Another interesting observation is the unexpected connection between "Home Alone" and "Die Hard," both of which use the holiday season as a backdrop for their stories, even if they don't rely on it as a central theme. In the case of "Elf," the movie's production history is also noteworthy, with the script taking years to develop before finally being turned into the beloved holiday comedy that it is today. Overall, these stories illustrate the unpredictable nature of the movie business and the importance of taking chances on projects that may not seem like surefire hits at first.
A classic Christmas movie made with traditional techniques: Elf's charm and enduring appeal come from its traditional filmmaking and beloved characters like Buddy the Elf and Jovie.
"Elf" is a timeless Christmas movie that was deliberately made with traditional, practical filmmaking techniques to create a charming and enduring appeal. The film's transformation of characters like Buddy the Elf and James Caan's Scrooge-like character, Jovie's initial dislike of Christmas, and its influence from classic Christmas specials of the 60s are reasons for its lasting popularity. Despite the rise of streaming and segmented viewing habits, there's still a place for theatrical Christmas movies, as proven by recent successes like "Barbie" and "Oppenheimer." For those looking for alternative Christmas movies, "Holiday" and a few others mentioned are worth checking out.
Exploring the Impact of Christmas on Movie Stories and Characters: Christmas movies often use the holiday season to shape stories and define characters, leading to unique narratives and deeper explorations of human experiences.
The holiday season plays a significant role in shaping the stories and characters in Christmas movies. For instance, "Remember the Night" (1940) is a romantic comedy drama where the protagonists spend Christmas together, leading them to fall in love and discover the joy of a positive family Christmas. Similarly, in "The Man Who Came to Dinner" (1942), a literary critic's unwelcome stay during the holiday season results in a farcical and witty exploration of the idea of overstaying guests. Another less-known gem is "We're No Angels" (1955), a black comedy about three escapees who transform after witnessing a family's struggles during the season. These movies demonstrate how the holiday season can be used to define characters, create unique stories, and add depth to the narrative. To learn more about these and other Christmas movies, check out Jeremy Arnold's book "Christmas in the Movies," available on Amazon and the Hashette Book Group website.
Engage with the Show for Growth and Community: Leave a review, share with others, visit website for resources, and apply insights to daily life for personal growth and community contribution.
Brett McKay encourages listeners to engage with the show by leaving a review on podcast platforms, sharing it with others, and visiting the website at artofmanlies.com for additional resources. By doing so, we not only help the podcast grow but also contribute to the wider community of learners and thinkers. Additionally, Brett emphasizes the importance of applying the insights gained from the podcast to our daily lives. As always, thank you for tuning in, and we look forward to continuing to provide valuable content for you. Remember, the real value comes from putting what you've learned into action.

Recent Episodes from The Art of Manliness

The Fascinating Differences Between Male and Female Friendships

Friendships are a central part of the lives of both men and women. But from personal observation, you've probably noticed that the dynamics of male and female friendships aren't always the same. You may not, however, have been able to articulate what those differences are or have known what's behind them.

While there's still a lot of facets of friendship that haven't yet been researched, Dr. Jaimie Krems, who runs UCLA's Social Minds Lab, has a lot of interesting insights about what we do know about how and why men and women approach friendship differently. Today on the show, she explains why men and women form friendships and the differences in the size and nature of their social circles, how long their friendships last, and what they look for in friends. We also discuss why men have a greater tolerance for their friends' flaws than women do, why men and women would want to be friends with each other, and how each sex experiences friendship jealousy.

Resources Related to the Podcast

Connect With Jaimie Krems

The Art of Manliness

enJune 26, 2024

Systems and Tools for Stealing Back Hours of Productivity

Businesses and individuals often feel overwhelmed and stretched — that they can't get done all the work they need to. The solution they frequently turn to is finding a new app to use or hiring more employees to spread the load.

But my guest would say that you can steal back hours of productive time simply by using the tools and teams you have now, if you learn to use them in a more efficient way.

Nick Sonnenberg is the founder and CEO of Leverage, an efficiency consulting business and the author of Come Up for Air: How Teams Can Leverage Systems and Tools to Stop Drowning in Work. Today on the show, Nick explains how people spend almost 60% of their time doing work about work, and why hiring more people can actually make the problem worse rather than better. He then shares his "CPR Business Efficiency Framework," and how making changes in how you communicate, plan, and manage resources can open up hours of time. We talk about how to organize your communication channels so your work day isn't taken up by what Nick calls "The Scavenger Hunt," one of the most underutilized tools for taming your inbox, how to stop wasting time on meetings, and tiny changes that will add up to many hours saved each year. Along the way, we talk about how some of these tactics can save you time in your personal life as well.

Resources Related to the Podcast

Connect With Nick Sonnenberg

The Art of Manliness

enJune 24, 2024

EPISODE #1,000! Rules for the Modern Man

Fifteen years and more than 200 million downloads later, this episode marks the 1,000th installment of the Art of Manliness podcast! It begins with a bit of a retrospective on the podcast and then segues into an interview with one of the show's earliest guests: Walker Lamond, author of Rules for My Unborn Son. Walker and I revisit the origins of the book and the early days of the internet and have a fun discussion of which of his rules have become obsolete and which remain evergreen. Tune in and enjoy!

A big thanks to our listeners for helping us reach this cool milestone. The support is deeply appreciated!

Resources Related to the Podcast

The Art of Manliness

enJune 19, 2024

The Epic Adventures of America’s Forgotten Mountain Man

Plenty of famous explorers and frontiersmen emerged from America's periods of expansion and exploration, and today the likes of Daniel Boone, Kit Carson, and Davy Crockett remain household names.

You're probably not familiar, but should be, with the name of another prominent pioneer: Jedediah Smith. Smith was a hunter, trapper, writer, cartographer, mountain man, and explorer who notched a lot of firsts: He was the first to lead a documented exploration from the Salt Lake frontier to the Colorado River and was part of the first parties of U.S. citizens to cross the Mojave Desert, the Sierra Nevada, and the Great Basin Desert. Having survived three attacks by Native Americans and one mauling by a grizzly bear, Smith's explorations became resources for those who followed after and led to the use of the South Pass as the dominant route across the Continental Divide for pioneers on the Oregon Trail.

In the new book he co-authored, Throne of Grace: A Mountain Man, an Epic Adventure, and the Bloody Conquest of the American West, my guest, Bob Drury, uses the oft-forgotten Smith as a guide to an oft-forgotten period in American history. Today on the show, Bob paints a picture of a volatile American landscape in which trappers and Native Americans collided and clashed in the early decades of the 19th century. We discuss how the Lewis and Clark expedition created a lust for adventure among young men, how the humble beaver played an outsized role in settling the Western frontier, and how warfare changed amongst Native American tribes with the introduction of the horse. Along the way, Bob shows us how the life of Jed Smith intersected with all these historic trends and shares the epic exploits that he and other mountain men took part in while exploring and mapping the American West.

Resources Related to the Podcast

The Art of Manliness

enJune 17, 2024

Dad's Essential Role in Making Kids Awesome

As compared to mothers, fathers are sometimes thought of as a secondary, almost superfluous, parent.

But my guest says that fathers actually saved the human race, and continue to do so today.

Anna Machin is an evolutionary anthropologist, a pioneer of fatherhood science, and the author of Life Of Dad. Today on the show, we talk about the role of fathers in human history and how their main role continues to be teaching kids the skills they need to take risks, become independent, and navigate the world beyond their family. We also talk about the physiological changes that happen when a man becomes a father and how dads are just as biologically primed as mothers to parent. In the second half of our conversation, we talk about the experience of being a dad. Anna shares how long it typically takes a man to bond with a baby and transition into the role of fatherhood, how roughhousing is key in building that bond as well as developing your child's resilience, and how your personality and background will affect your parenting. We end our conversation with the difference in how the relationship between Mom and Dad affects how they parent, and the implications of that for building a strong family.

Resources Related to the Podcast

Connect With Anna Machin

The Art of Manliness

enJune 12, 2024

The Laws of Connection — The Scientific Secrets of Building Stronger Relationships

Everyone has heard about the incredible benefits that come to mind, body, and spirit from having strong relationships. The quality of our social ties has a huge impact on our physical and mental health and our overall feeling of flourishing.

Yet many people still struggle to create these strong relationships in their lives, and often figure that things like weakening communities and digital technology are to blame.

But my guest says that the barriers to establishing bonds with others may actually be more psychological than physical, and he shares research-backed tips for breaking through them in his new book, The Laws of Connection: The Scientific Secrets of Building a Strong Social Network. Today on the show, David discusses how we can feel lonely even when we're surrounded by people if we don't have what he calls a "shared reality." We then discuss ways to build that shared reality with others. We talk about why frenemies are so bad for you, how to overcome the "liking gap," why you might want to interrupt someone to connect with them, the need to be aware of the novelty penalty in conversations, why you should stop telling white lies, and much more.

Resources Related to the Podcast

Connect With David Robson

The Art of Manliness

enJune 10, 2024

Remembering D-Day 80 Years Later

On D-Day, June 6, 1944, 160,000 troops participated in the invasion of Normandy. Today just a few thousand of these veterans are still alive, with the youngest in their late nineties. As their voices, and those of the million combatants and leaders who swept into motion across Europe 80 years ago, fall silent and pass from living history, Garrett Graff has captured and compiled them in a new book: When the Sea Came Alive: An Oral History of D-Day.

Drawing on his project of sifting through and synthesizing 5,000 oral histories, today Garrett takes us back to what was arguably the most consequential day in modern history and helps unpack the truly epic sweep of the operation, which was hard to fathom even then, and has become even more difficult to grasp with the passage of time. We talk about how unbelievably involved the planning process for D-Day was, stories you may never have heard before, a couple of the myths around D-Day, and the sacrificial heroism born of this event that continues to live on.

Resources Related to the Podcast

Connect With Garrett Graff

Garrett's website

Black and white image of soldiers during D-Day with the title

The Art of Manliness

enJune 05, 2024

Why You're So Bad at Giving and Receiving Compliments (And How to Fix That)

Over a decade ago, I remember reading a story that stuck with me. I think it was connected to the famous Harvard Study on Adult Development that studied a group of men across their lifetimes, but I can no longer find the reference. A much-beloved doctor, upon his retirement, was given a notebook filled with letters of praise and appreciation from his patients. After he received it, he put it up in his attic, and never opened it or read the letters.

I've often thought of this story since I first heard it, wondering about what motivated the doctor's behavior, and the larger question of why praise is typically welcomed and makes us feel good, but can also make people feel uncomfortable or embarrassed.

In today's episode, I take a stab at answering this question with Christopher Littlefield, a speaker and consultant who specializes in employee appreciation. But first, we talk about the power of recognition, why we can be so stingy in giving compliments, how compliments can go wrong, and how we can offer them more effectively. We then turn to why getting compliments can make you cringe, how people deflect them and how this deflection affects relationships, and how to get better at receiving compliments graciously.

Resources Related to the Podcast

Connect With Christopher Littlefield

The Art of Manliness

enJune 03, 2024

A Guide to Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the publication of the book Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert Pirsig. It's a peculiar book, especially for a bestseller. Not a lot of it is actually about zen or motorcycle maintenance, it combines a travelogue, a father/son story, and philosophical musings, and the structure of its narration makes it hard to follow. Thus, it's the kind of book people often buy, start, and then put down without finishing.

That's initially what happened to Mark Richardson, an author and automotive journalist who was born in the UK but has lived most of his life in Canada. But when the book finally clicked for Mark, he was so inspired by it that he actually undertook Pirsig's motorcycle pilgrimage himself. Mark shares that story in Zen and Now, which intersperses stories from his own road trip with an exploration of Pirsig's life and famous book.

If you've wanted to read Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, but haven't been able to get into it, today Mark will offer an introduction to what it's all about. We discuss Pirsig's ideas on the metaphysics of quality and our relationship to technology, and how he tried to combine the ethos of Eastern and Western thought into a unified philosophy of living. We also get into why Mark wanted to recreate Pirsig's road trip, the joys of traveling by motorcycle, and what Mark learned along the way.

Resources Related to the Podcast

Connect With Mark Richardson

Mark's website

The Art of Manliness

enMay 29, 2024

Tactics and Mindset Shifts for Making the Most of Life

Note: This is a rebroadcast

Matthew Dicks wears a lot of hats. Among other things, he’s a storyteller, communications consultant, writer, and schoolteacher. In order to excel in his professional life, as well as do what he loves in his personal life, he’s developed a set of strategies that help him be more creative and productive, and can be used by anyone who wants to start making the most of life.

Matt writes about these tactics and mindset shifts in his latest book Someday Is Today: 22 Simple, Actionable Ways to Propel Your Creative Life, and he shares some of them with us today on the show, including why you need to think in minutes, be an eagle rather than a mouse, practice deliberate incuriosity, and always do your best to act like a decent human being. Along the way, Matt and I talk about why you should floss in the shower and how restaurants that make guacamole at your table are a great example of the folly of making a thing, a thing.

Resources Related to the Podcast

Connect With Matthew Dicks

Matthew’s Website

The Art of Manliness

enMay 27, 2024

Related Episodes

Tule Lake Segregation Center

Welcome to Season 2, Episode 8! February 19, 2022 marked 80 years since the signing of Executive Order 9066 that wrongly imprisoned over 120,000 Japanese Americans during WWII. Of the ten concentration camps that the U.S. government created (and referred to as relocation centers), Tule Lake was the most brutal. For our main segment, we talk about the history of the Tule Lake Segregation Center. We also take time to remember Christina Yuna Lee, another Asian American woman who was murdered in New York. We close out the episode with a segment of What Are You Reading? We talk about Journey of Heroes by Stacey Hayashi and illustrated by Damon Wong as well as They Called Us Enemy written by George Takei, Justin Eisinger, and Steven Scott and illustrated by Harmony Becker. Both are comic books that we highly recommend. For previous episodes and information, please visit our site at https://asianamericanhistory101.libsyn.com or https://linktr.ee/AAHistory101 for social media. If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, email us at info@1882media.com.

Segments

00:25 Christina Yuna Lee
02:58 Tule Lake Concentration Camp
20:01 What Are We Reading? Journey of Heroes and They Called Us Enemy

Asian American History 101

enFebruary 21, 2022

Ep. 46 - WWII Vet's Dog Tag Found in Wales... To Be Returned to Daughter. Amazing Sites: FamilyTreeDNA.com and FultonHistory.com

Fisher talks to a Michigan woman about the discovery in Wales of something that once belonged to her late father who served in World War II and the invasion of Normandy.

DNA is the big thing these days in identifying long deceased ancestors as well as unknown living relatives. Fisher talks with guest Bennett Greenspan, President of FamilyTreeDNA.com, about how it all came about.

The other great family history tool of the 20^th century is digitized newspapers. Fisher visits with Tom Trynisky, a New York man who has devoted years of his life to providing us access to over 27 million digitized newspaper pages, most dealing with New York City and State… all on his dime and time. If you’ve had ancestors that came out of New York, you’ll want to visit Trynisky’s site… FultonHistory.com. It’ll cost you nothing!

Preservation Authority Tom Perry, from TMCPlace.com, is back to talk about staying legal in your family reunion plans. Got a question for Tom? Email him here, at AskTom@tmcplace.com.

Extreme Genes - America's Family History and Genealogy Radio Show & Podcast

enJune 16, 2014

Ep. 100 - One Marriage, Nine Kids, Eight Fathers!

It's one of the most remarkable family history stories we've ever had on the show! Hear what one man's family had to face after an accident, family interviews, the removal of hair from a corpse at a funeral home, and DNA tests!

Fisher opens the show with David Allen Lambert with news about a reunion of a daughter and mother, separated by the Nazis in World War II. They'll have the details. Then David talks about a new discovery that may shed light on the fate of the settlers at Roanoke, Virginia in the 16th century. Also, might President Warren Harding have had a "love child?" DNA has solved that long time mystery. Hear the results. Plus, David's Tech Tip of the Week, and your free NEHGS database!

Then Steve Anderson, a Minnesota native, shares his incredible story of discovery concerning himself and his eight siblings. No one could have imagined what he and a brother learned... information that has rocked his family. And it's not over yet!

Fisher then shares an encore interview from his first 100 shows. This one is with Alice Keesey Mecoy, a descendant of the man many believe started the Civil War, abolitionist John Brown! Learn how he affects her life to this day.

Tom Perry from TMCPlace.com wraps up the show with another great preservation tip. If you have questions for Tom, email "AskTom@TMCPlace.com."

That's all this week on the 100th episode of Extreme Genes, America's Family History Show!

Extreme Genes - America's Family History and Genealogy Radio Show & Podcast

enAugust 17, 2015

Ep. 38 - In Search of Dad's Missing War Stories and Genealogical Cruises

Fisher has some incredible stories in this episode. Imagine a stranger knocking at your door to tell you the grandfather who died before you were born had left a message… 101 years ago! It happened in Germany. Fisher shares the amazing details. Plus, a Red Cross worker sketched soldiers in Holland in 1945. Photos of roughly 100 of those sketches were recently found by family, and an effort is now on to locate descendants of these World War II heroes. We’ll tell you where to find out more. Could one be of your ancestor? The Vatican Library has begun digitizing. What’s in the collection that you could soon be viewing on line? We’ll fill you in. And free Civil War records are available on line through the end of April 2014. Who? Where? Remain calm! It’s right in the podcast.

Guest John Mitzel from New Hampshire joins the show and explains how he never was able to get his late father to adequately share his stories from World War II. Hear how John would not be defeated, and went about making friends with his dad’s old friends, and hear some of the stories they told about the 781^st Tank Battalion!

Then, Chicago’s Thomas MacEntee introduces us to genealogical cruises. There are such things! What do you do on one? Where do you go? Who does them? Find out as Fisher visits with Thomas.

And lastly, Tom Perry, the Preservation Authority from TMCPlace.com returns to tell you about why you want to use external hard drives to store your most important data, and how to take care of them.

Extreme Genes - America's Family History and Genealogy Radio Show & Podcast

enApril 21, 2014

Dad to Dad 125 - New York Times Best Selling Author Bill Danko Lost His Father & Brother, Tony, to Multiple Sclerosis

Our guest on this Special Fathers Network Dad to Dad Podcast is New York Times best selling author, Bill Danko. Sadly, Bill's dad, Milton, a WWII veteran, died at 38 from MS and his older brother, Tony, was also diagnosed at 21 with MS and died in 2015 at age 68. Through faith, with gratuity, and an incredibly upbeat attitude, Bill keeps keeping on. Bill also discusses his bestselling book The Millionaire Next Door as well as his most recent book Richer Than A Millionaire: A Pathway To True Prosperity. Of interest to any parent and just one very small take-away is the concept of Economic Outpatient Care (EOC), which is how to help your child become facially independent. And weâll hear his story and so much more on this Special Fathers Network Dad to Dad Podcast.

If youâd like to contact Bill his email is wdd9125@gmail.com.

To find out about his best selling book visit
https://richerthanamillionaire.com

The Milton & Mary M. Danko Golden Rule Awards - https://www.albany.edu/~danko/golden/

And to find out more about the Special Fathers Network go to https://21stcenturydads.org/about-the-special-fathers-network/

enNovember 20, 2020