S1.E14

A Christmas Memory

Episode aired Dec 21, 1966
51m

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Donnie Melvin and Geraldine Page in A Christmas Memory (1966)

Its the last Christmas together in Depression era Alabama of a sensitive boy and his elderly cousin who was his closest friend. The two raise enough money to buy the ingredients for 30 fruit... Read allIts the last Christmas together in Depression era Alabama of a sensitive boy and his elderly cousin who was his closest friend. The two raise enough money to buy the ingredients for 30 fruit cakes, sent mostly to strangers like FDR. They spend Christmas day flying the kites the m... Read allIts the last Christmas together in Depression era Alabama of a sensitive boy and his elderly cousin who was his closest friend. The two raise enough money to buy the ingredients for 30 fruit cakes, sent mostly to strangers like FDR. They spend Christmas day flying the kites the made for each while Capote's voice over explains their separation, followed by their dog's ... Read all

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

8.8/10

276

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

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Trivia
By choice, Page wore no make-up on camera.

Quotes
Narrated by: To tell the truth, our only really profitable enterprise was the 'fun & freak museum' we conducted in the woodshed two summers ago. The 'fun' was a stereopticon with slide views of Washington and New York, lent us by a relative who had been to those places. The 'freak' was a three-legged biddy chicken hatched by one of our own hens. Everybody hereabouts wanted to see that biddy. We charged grown-ups a nickel - kids two cents - and took in a good twenty dollars before the museum shut down... due to the decease of the main attraction.

Connections
Edited into Trilogy (1969)

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Review

Featured review

10/10

I miss you "A Christmas Memory".

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.