The House Without a Christmas Tree (on DVD)

The House Without a Christmas Tree

based on the book by Gail Rock [j DVD Rock]

This 1972 season holiday TV-movie, starring Jason Robards, Lisa Lucas and Mildred Natwick, was an annual viewing tradition for my family as I was growing up — it aired on CBS at the Christmas television season throughout the mid-to-late 1970s. Though originally created for the screen, it was subsequently adapated, by Nebraska author Gail Rock, into a best-selling 1974 novel. In fact, The House Without a Christmas Tree was the first of four TV-movies, and was followed by The Thanksgiving Treasure (1973), The Easter Promise (1975) and Addie and the King of Hearts (1976), all of which were novelized by Gail Rock.

However, it is this movie that is the most memorable. 10-year-old Addie Mills lives with her taciturn father James, and her Grandma Mills. James, is still in mourning over the loss of his wife years ago, and had forbidden the presence of a Christmas tree in “his” home. When Addie wins a tree, and all the trimmings, in a school contest, using techniques her father taught her, she’s proud to bring home the tree, only to have James insist it has to go. This leads to a family crisis, as James and his mother (Grandma) disagree over the tree. When Addie secrets slips out in the middle of the night to deliver her winning tree to another family, who are too poor to have a tree of their own — it leads to James realizing that he’s been treating his family badly for years, because of his bitterness over losing his wife.

The performances in this show are tremendous, especially in the relationship between Addie and her father. The story is set in the 1940s, in a fictional small Nebraska town, so there’s a definite local connection for this charming holiday classic, and I’m thrilled to see that The House Without a Christmas Tree is out again on DVD, after having disappeared from TV showings decades ago. If you, also, grew up with this special, it’s definitely worth revisiting. And if you’ve never seen it before, you’ve got a treat to look forward to!

[Also available in traditional print format.] [ Internet Movie Database entry for this film ] | [ official Addie Mills web site ]

Recommended by Scott C.
Bennett Martin Public Library

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