Episode 28

How to Make a Hollywood Christmas Movie

From Home Alone to Love Actually, Hollywood Christmas movies are as much a part of the festivities as Santa Claus and Christmas trees. There’s nothing quite like watching your favourite seasonal film to get you in the spirit. But what makes them so watchable? In this episode, we unpick some of our favourite festive treats as we find out… how to make a Hollywood Christmas movie.

Guests on this episode:

  • Thomas Ruys Smith, a Professor of American Literature and Culture and Deputy Director of Area Studies at the University of East Anglia.
  • Jon Mitchell, an Associate Professor of American Studies at the University of East Anglia. He is interested in late 20th Century US culture, with a particular interest in the representation of gender and sexuality.

Additional resources:

BOOK: The Last Gift: The Christmas Stories of Mary E. Wilkins Freeman by Thomas Ruys Smith

BOOK: Christmas Past: An Anthology of Seasonal Stories from Nineteenth-Century America by Thomas Ruys Smith

If you love this episode, you might also like:

What is the War on Christmas?

How to Make a Hollywood Christmas Movie

What's the History of Christmas in America?

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This episode is sponsored by What's Your Map

What's Your Map is the British Podcast Award-winning show from map expert Professor Jerry Brotton. In each episode, he invites a special guest to share a map that means something to them. It's a fascinating show, and you can listen to the new season right now: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/whats-your-map/id1766500219

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America: The Story of the USA
The United States Past, Present, and Future

About your host

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Liam Heffernan

Liam's fascination with America grows year on year. Having graduated with a Masters in American Studies with Film, he loves pop culture and has been to Vegas four times which, in his opinion, is not enough.

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