i miss frazier thomas...

(frazier thomas)


i was a latch-key kid as well as a child of the cable age of television. hence, "chicago's very own, wgn" was one of my best childhood friends... especially at Christmastime. i don't recall a single year growing up that i did not watch miracle on 34th street (natalie wood), heidi (shirley temple) and a Christmas carol (reginald owen) on wgn's "family classics", which was hosted by frazier thomas.

from the mid 70's until his untimely death in 1985, i enjoyed family-oriented films "fraz" handpicked to present to his audience... to me:) for a couple of hours most sunday afternoons, with thomas as my companion, we journeyed to the center of the earth, urged on alexander graham bell to win the heart of miss mabel hubbard, invent the telephone, and become a rich, successful business man, ventured with robinhood as he stole from the rich and gave to the poor...

as well, fraz was right there with me many a dreary, december afternoon cheering on the grandfather as he searched for his beloved heidi who'd been kidnapped by her wretched aunt, witnessing the new york court of law declare that macy's santa was the one and only, true santa, and watching a crotchety, stingy, cold old man transform into a caring, giving, loving uncle, friend, and employer after being visited by the ghosts of Christmas past, present, and future.

the latter... the holiday movies make me most nostalgic.

as i sit here missing the innocent days of my youth, i wonder... if frazier thomas were still alive today, would he still be showing the same movies he did year after year (which would be fine with me;)? or if, nearly 25 years later, would he have added others to his "family classics" list???

which Christmas movies would be on your classics list?

do you remember frazier thomas and the glory days of wgn?

love and God's blessings,
dani xx