5

Meg Ryan

When Harry Met Sally. 1989.  Yeah, I can hear you hurling obscenities at me right now.  Meg Ryan could have made this list for Sleepless in Seattle as well.  Nora Ephron tends to add the Holidays in her movies.  I chose Meg’s performance in “Harry met Sally” because the movie frequents the Holiday.  Harry, played by Billy Crystal (of Jewish persuasion) is always helping Meg Ryan with her Christmas tree in the snow.  They have an annual New Year’s party they both go to during the movie and the movie ends with Sally dragging her own Christmas tree by herself and pretending to be happy at the New Year’s party with some doctor.  And since we’re taking static segments of time, we will consider how Meg Ryan looked in 1989 versus what she has done to herself recently with awful, let me repeat awful plastic surgery.

4

Kristin Holby

Trading Places 1983. This was a hard decision. (Excuse the pun) Kristin Holby plays Penelope Witherspoon.  The fiancé of Louis Winthorpe III (played by Dan Akroyd).  Kristin has that all American girl beauty but another background actress comes very close to capturing the #4 position.  The deciding factor was her lack of lines.

Lucianne Buchanan

She plays the trophy girlfriend of one of the top investors on Wall street. Her character was named “President’s Mistress”. Her real name is Lucianne Buchanan.

3

Maureen O’Hara

Miracle on 34^th street gets the nod at the #3 position.  She had one advantage over the true beauty from this Christmas classic and that would be her age.  Maureen O’Hara, who co-starred with John Payne, was 15 years older than the future wife of Robert Wagner, The beautiful Natalie Wood.  Wood played the young girl who wanted to believe in Santa Clause.  O’Hara played the single mother in charge of Marketing at Macy’s.

2

Nicolette Scorsese

Christmas Vacation 1989. Ms. Scorsese plays the lingerie girl “Mary” at the department store in Chicago.  She also has a semi-topless scene in Clark Griswold’s dream scene towards the end of the movie. Nobody else in this Christmas Classic comes close to the main casting asset of Ms. Scorsese.

1

 Marjorie Reynolds

Holiday Inn. 1942. (Born Marjorie Moore)This woman was beautiful.  If I could go back in time and meet a woman to fall in love with; It would be Marjorie Reynolds any time of the year.  All I can say is just watch the 1942 classic and you’ll understand how her talent is only, but barely, surpassed by her beauty.  In the long run, be glad that we have Holiday Inn to remember Ms. Reynolds for.  Life was not kind the goddess of the silver screen. Her amazing dancing and singing as well as acting in Holiday Inn did not launch her into the spotlight with Rita Hayworth or Betty Grable.  She continued to be a B actress until she retired.

A quote from Ms. Reynolds

It doesn’t overly concern me if I don’t become a superstar.  There are more important things for a successful, happy life and career, such as being pleasant, amiable and a decent human being. ~ Marjorie Reynolds