A CHRISTMAS WITHOUT SNOW

US, 1980, 95 minutes, Colour.
Michael Learned, John Houseman, Ramon Bieri, James Cromwell, Valerie Curtin, Beah Richards, Ruth Nelson.
Directed by John Korty.

A Christmas Without Snow is a pleasing American telemovie, with sentiment but not sentimental. It focuses on Michael Learned as a divorced teacher coming to San Francisco, looking for work, joining a church choir. Her young son, meanwhile, is with her worrying mother back in Nebraska.

The film shows a gallery of characters played by such actors as Ramon Bieri, Valerie Curtin, Ruth Nelson. John Houseman is very strong as the choirmaster taking over the church choir and trying to train them to sing the 'Messiah'.

The film focuses on humanity, struggles and difficulties. It was written and directed by John Korty (River Run, Autobiography of Miss Jane Pitman).

1. A pleasing telemovie? For wide audiences? Christmas focus? The focus on human beings, contemporary problems? Music and choir?

2. San Francisco locations? The American city, church, apartments?

3. The importance of the music, the background score, the choir, the auditions, the practices? The excerpts from the 'Messiah' and their use throughout the film? The climax?

4. Zoe and her situation, the divorce, leaving her son back home, contact with her mother by phone, her mother's pushiness and her hanging up on her? The boy running away and joining her in San Francisco? Searching for jobs, secretarial work? Going to the choir and making friends? Henry and his attraction, going on the hike with him? The Thanksgiving dinner and all sharing? The apartment and Inez? The vandalising of the organ, working on the new organ? The delegation to Wendel to apologise? Her son arriving and sharing with him? The choirmaster and the stroke? The happy ending though inconclusive? Her future?

5. Efrem Adams and his severity, taskmaster, the auditions, the clash with Mrs Burns and his attack on her ego, his saluting of the amateurs (in the true sense of the word), the discussion with Inea and her moving out of the choir, allowing her to work? His disdain of the electronic organ? The organ fixed? The gifts? The singing? His stroke, people's concern, his presence at the performance?

6. Inez, the apartments, her support of Zoe, her friend? The discussion with Efrem about staying in the choir?

7. Muriel as the frustrated spinster, forcing Zoe into the night out and enjoying it, telling the police about Wendel, her shoplifting and stealing? Her frustration?

8. Matthew and his work as clergyman, his secretary, the woman in the hospital and her frustration at her husband's death and his inability to say anything, his strictness with Terry, the boy vandalising the organ? The rebuilding of
the organ? His going to Wendel to apologise? The reconciliation with Terry?

9. Wendel, the black man in the choir, his voice, his relationship with his and her coming to sing, the Thanksgiving dinner? The accusation about the organ? His not being angry? The confrontation with Muriel and explaining his anger?

10. Henry and his Danish background, attraction towards Zoe, the hike?

11. Seth and his Jewish background, organist, knowing Efrem, the practices, rebuilding the organ? Directing the choir?

12. The gallery of characters, the woman whose husband died, Terry's mother? Their place in the choir? Mrs Kim and the attack by Mrs Burns?

13. A sense of achievement in the singing of the 'Messiah'? A positive fable for Christmas time?