Zuzu's Petals [Holiday Film Classics at the Paramount]

White Christmas and It's a Wonderful Life have a trivial connection: the child actress who plays Zuzu (Karolyn Grimes) in It's a Wonderful Life appears as Bing Crosby's child in another Irving Berlin musical, Blue Skies. Otherwise, the main thing the films have in common is that they are both holiday favorites - and the Paramount is showing them this week. Only the Jimmy Stewart film will show tonight (at 7pm), but both films will be offered Friday night, starting at 7:30pm.

A flop in the theatres that became a hit through the development of television, It's a Wonderful Life has become a must-watch during the holiday season (if you miss it at the Paramount and don't own it on DVD, NBC will be showing it at 8pm this Saturday night). George Bailey's story is a morality tale of sorts that has also served as a pop-culture touchstone (it's been long-rumored that the characters on Sesame Street were named after Bert the Cop and Ernie the Cabdriver from the movie). We follow the highs and lows of Bailey's (played by Jimmy Stewart) life, and appreciate with him that "no man is a failure who has friends."

White Christmas is only slightly less prevalent on television, but is notable for showcasing one of the greatest hit songs ever. Rosemary Clooney (George's aunt) and Vera Ellen star as a sister act that meets up with the hitmaking team of Danny Kaye and Bing Crosby in Miami; both groups end up in the Vermont lodge of a former general suffering from self-doubt and some financial worries. The film is an enjoyable romp (albeit with a semi-trite romantic storyline) featuring great music, including the songs "Sisters", "Counting My Blessings", and of course, "White Christmas."