A Christmas Memory

How typical of our crass, brash world that this quiet, enchanting film is all but forgotten. The Christmas Memory referred to is Truman Capote's own backward glance at a depression-era Christmas in small-town America. Based on his short story of the same name, Capote's holiday memory has been filmed twice but for many of us, this 1966 version is the classic, indispensable telling of the tale. Sparely told-it runs under an hour--the effect is entirely un-Hollywood, instead it feels charmingly handmade, and homespun. Sadly, this version is all but forgotten except by the fervent few. Sadder still, it's impossible to even find a copy for purchase except for the poor black and white print roaming around the internet.

Still, when you've played through Alistair Sim's Christmas Carol, Jimmy Stewart's It's A Wonderful LIfe, and all the other holiday perennials and you long for something a little gentler, where the baking of fruit cakes and the choosing of a Christmas tree are not incidental but climactic events, this tender-hearted film is waiting for you. Exquisite performing led by the incomparable Geraldine Page, sensitive direction by Frank Perry, with a heart-tugging score by composer, Meyer Kupferman. Truly in this era when Capote has been rediscovered a resurrection of this little holiday confection would be most welcome. Help us out ABC if you're the entity to help! And what other ABC Stage 67 treasures may be mouldering away in some vault? Best wishes, Peter

As good as everyone says! Beautiful-poignant-a Gem. It is so true that this should be shown again and again during Holiday time--so that the general public can treasure it's beautiful, heartfelt simplicity--its charm, its delight at life. Frank and Eleanor Perry had directed some other gems right around this time--"David and Lisa" and "Last Summer" very different--but with a way at looking so very close to the characters, going to the very core of their beings--examining their hurts, their yearnings. The fragile/strong Sook and the fragile/strong childhood Capote are joined at the hip--they are portrayed with loving detail by the great Geraldine Page and a youngster named Donnie Melvin. This almost seems to anticipate "Harold and Maude" where there are equal amounts of knowing laughter, profound statements said off the cuff by Sook and Maude, which resonate so deeply, tenderness, and heartbreaking sadness as life and inevitability, the march of time and the inexorable presence of death announcing that "all good things must come to an end". But in dreams and memories, those good things live on--and this long-forgotten masterpiece deserves to be one of those. The music score is by Meyer Kupferman, who I actually had the great pleasure of knowing. He was a great bear of a man, a respected contemporary composer, clarinetist and teacher. I only found out that he wrote the beautiful, colorful film score while recently watching a DVD I purchased from Amazon. (Expensive--probably because it is so rare--but worth its weight in gold). Now I so wish I had known that he was the composer of this lovely, touching film score--I wish I could have talked to Mr. Kupferman about his experience writing this gorgeous score! But instead, like this fragile film of a brief, treasured Christmas Memory, it will remain an elusive dream. The people die, life moves on--but the art, the magic, the memory lives on.

Like many others I remember seeing this on television, and I've always remembered it because of Capote's narration and Geraldine Page's portrayal of Cousin Sook.

Recently I purchased a color version of the movie on DVD and watched it again for the first time in decades. It is as good as I remembered and very faithful to the original story, and also just like the story, it is short, less than an hour.

Some have posted that the color version is better, but it's the story and the acting that make this film special, not whether it is in b/w or color, so if you can't get it in color (which is difficult) get it in b/w and share this wonderful classic with those you love.

This short TV play, with the incredible Geraldine Page as Sook, the somewhat daffy and naive cousin of Buddy (Capote as a boy), and narrated by Capote himself (not in his sweet and obnoxious voice), used to appear on television every Christmas season. Alas, no longer. Have we outgrown innocence? It's the story of two delightful people living in a house with two stiff necked aunts who can't stand their play, dancing and general enjoyment of life.

Every year, Sook searches out pecans, fallen from local orchards, to make her fruitcakes which are the only gift she can afford to give for Christmas. And give she does, to everyone she knows, people she admires but doesn't know, including the President. She and Buddy must save their pennies all year to afford the flour and sugar, dried fruit and most importantly the rum for the cake.

I would go on, but it is best for you to discover this gem. Don't take the later version with Patty Duke to be superior or even the equal of this one. No one will ever be able to touch Page's performance; she owns "Sook" forever.

This treasure needs to be released on DVD, with other Capote plays that starred Page.

Vastly superior to the more recent version with Patty Duke, based on Truman Capote's autobiographical piece of the same title (originally published in conjunction with Breakfast at Tiffanys).

Geraldine Page is absolutely magnificent as Sook, the simple but loving companion of Buddy, Capote's young self, a lonely boy not yet corrupted by the realities of life. This moving story of their special relationship revolves around the annual event of baking large numbers fruit cakes to give as Christmas presents to everyone from friendly passing acquaintances to the president of the United States.

Living as they do in near poverty, dependent on the seemingly grudging support of uninterested (?) family members, they must scrounge and forage for the necessary ingredients to make the cakes. Particularly touching is their visit to the local bootlegger to purchase a bottle of whiskey. Frightened tho they are of approaching this intimidating character, they screw their courage to the sticking place to achieve their goal, with a surprising result.

As a young teen, I happened to read this story shortly before seeing the television presentation. It was a real emotional double whammy to experience the sensitive story of the love between these two 'outcasts', first on the page and then upon the TV screen. Surprisingly, I also got to see it on the movie screen several years later, 1972 or 1973, in a southern CA movie theater, where it was, if I recall correctly, shown before a screening of The Devils. Strange, very strange, double bill!

Page, of course, was brilliant in her portrayal of this 'cracked teacup', her ability to allow a character to be as vulnerable, yet strong in some surprising ways, has never in my opinion seen its equal in any actor. And the young actor, Donnie Melvin as Buddy, delivers a performance of heart aching innocence so fine that it cannot help but thaw the meanest Christmas Scrooge.