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Holiday movie events jam local theater schedules

<h3 class="briefHead">Tivoli holiday film fest</h3>

Classic Cinemas' Tivoli Theatre presents its holiday film festival from Saturday, Dec. 10, through Wednesday, Dec. 14, at 5021 Highland Ave., Downers Grove. The roster includes the Christian-themed fantasy "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe," "Christmas in Connecticut," "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation" (the funniest of the Lampoon movies) and "White Christmas." Go to classiccinemas.com for showtimes and tickets.

<h3 class="briefHead">Christmas karaoke?</h3>

Thirty-three years ago, Chicago's Music Box Theatre came up with a simple holiday programming idea: Show a couple of old movies and throw in some live Christmas carols for everyone to sing.

That tradition continues Saturday, Dec. 10, through Saturday, Dec. 24, at the Music Box, 3733 N. Southport Ave., Chicago, when it offers an Irving Berlin "White Christmas" singalong (with lyrics on-screen) and Frank Capra's "It's a Wonderful Life" (not a musical, so no lyrics).

Advance tickets cost $13 (one movie), $20 (double bill), $10 (kids single), $15 (kids double bill). Day-of show tickets for adults cost $2 more per movie.

<h3 class="briefHead">An 'Eternity' of drama </h3>

It may not exactly be a holiday movie classic, but 1953's war drama "From Here to Eternity" won eight Oscars (among them best picture, supporting actor for Frank Sinatra and supporting actress for Donna Reed). The drama will be shown at 2 and 7 p.m. on both Sunday, Dec. 11, and Wednesday, Dec. 14, at select theaters. Go to fathomevents.com for a list.

Note: This movie is based on the National Book Award-winning novel by James Jones, who lived several years in downstate Marshall where he was part of a utopian artists community experiment called the Handy Writers Colony.

Also, actor George Reeves, who once lived in Galesburg, Illinois, played Sergeant Maylon Stark, a role that had to be drastically trimmed because of his fame as TV's "Superman," an association that audiences of the time couldn't overcome.

<h3 class="briefHead">Happy holiday films!</h3>

Join me and Buffalo Grove film historian/novelist Raymond Benson when Dann & Raymond's Movie Club presents "The Great Holiday Films" at 6:30 p.m., Wednesday, Dec. 14, at the Palatine Public Library, 700 N. North Court, Palatine. Clips from such yuletide classics as "Holiday Inn," "It's a Wonderful Life," "White Christmas," "A Christmas Carol" and 11 more. Free admission. Go to palatinelibrary.org.

• Daily Herald film critic Dann Gire's column runs Friday in Time out!

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