Happy Holidays: The Best of the Andy Williams Christmas Specials

BEWARE OF BOGUS REVIEWS & REVIEWERS. SOME REVIEWERS HAVE ONLY ONE REVIEW. WHEN ITS A POSITIVE REVIEW THAT TELLS ME THEY WERE INVOLVED WITH THE PRODUCTION & THAT IS WHAT IS GOING ON HERE FOR THIS FILM! NOW I HAVE REVIEWED OVER 300 Christmas MOVIES. I HAVE NO AGENDA. I AM FARE.

Listen variety shows on television were very popular. What sank them was "Saturday Night Live". Now for years A LIST superstars of the day would do a "Christmas Specials". Now they host "Saturday Night Live".

Andy Williams was one person who was always someone you could count on to deliver a great special. This special I am reviewing is a "Best Of" which is comprised of several of his specials.

Now variety shows like this are very dated. The jokes are not much better than the cornfield jokes that were a regular segment on "Hee Haw" however this is a Christmas Special and the humor is not suppose to be edgy. This is like watching a concert and enjoying the a nice cold Winters Evening!

These Christmas specials were very popular in their day, but for my money, they weren't the best that Christmas had to offer. Both Andy Williams specials and Bing Crosby specials were regular Christmas offerings. Andy was a good enough crooner, but he wasn't Bing and I do feel he should have refrained from singing "White Christmas" because his rendition didn't hold a candle to "Der Bingle's". He didn't have quite the guest stars except for the one appearance by Bob Hope. Also, the songs were not as well placed with sacred songs popping up in the midst of popular secular renditions. Also, there just wasn't the number of familiar songs that one expects in a TV Christmas variety show. However, it is good to see the kind of absolutely pure and respectful Christmas show which Andy put on.

If you don't like Andy Williams, you won't like this video, or my rating ... but if you're a fan like I've been my entire life, you'll treasure it.

There are some great segments with Andy and his three brothers. The four started out as a group in their early days. When his three older brothers left the music business for other careers, Andy stuck it out and found success. You'll be surprised how much he and his brother Don favor each other.

One of those segments, where the brothers strike hanging chimes during their song, becomes a slapstick treasure as the chimes start swinging towards the singers and they have to duck and dodge them. :-)

Also included are segments from the Osmund Brothers' appearances in Andy Williams Christmas Specials. They'll remind you of why they were once so popular, and there are a couple of humorous moments with them, too.

You also get some touching moments with Andy and his family, which might leave you a bit sad knowing about his subsequent breakup with Claudine Longet.

But the focus, of course, is Andy's performances of favorite Christmas classics, including his trademark "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year". Sit back and enjoy the hour. :-)