Today: "The Christmas Story"

(Colour)

Starring Edward G. Robinson
with Constance Cummings, Harry H. Corbett, Paul Stassino, Fergus McClelland as Sammy

The story of the 4,500-mile trek by a 10-year-old boy across Africa in an effort to reach his only remaining relatives.

(Holiday Films: pages 13 and 15)
(Colour)

Starring Antoinette Sibley, Anthony Dowell, Frederick Ashton, Robert Helpmann
From the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden
Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, leader Charles Taylor, conducted by John Lanchbery

Act 1: A room in the house of Cinderella's father
Act 2: A ball at the palace
Act 3: After the ball
Scene 1: A room in the house of Cinderella's father.
Scene 2: An enchanted garden
(Colour)

A biography of Charles Dickens based on scenes from his novels by Caryl Brahms and Ned Sherrin
[With] Anthony Hopkins as Charles Dickens, Gordon Jackson as the Narrator
Starring Arthur Lowe as John Dickens, Vivian Pickles as Mrs Dickens, Sybil Thorndike as Elizabeth Ball Dickens, Nora Nicholson as Rose Emma Drummond, Stanley Holloway as Mr Vuffin, Mona Washbourne as Mrs Jarley, Dandy Nichols as Mrs Gamp, Freddie Jones as William Shaw, Patrick Cargill as Macready, Joan Greenwood as Maria Beadnell, Gladys Cooper as Mrs Ternan, Michael Wilding as Dolby
[with] Jenny Agutter, Dorothy Reynolds, Ken Wynne, Gordon Rollings, Jeffrey Wickham, Jocelyn Birdsall, Rhoda Lewis, Gregory Phillips and Roland Pickering
(Dickens Country: page 9)

[Repeat]
(Colour)

Written by Richard Wade
An Edwardian After-Dinner Christmas Entertainment
Starring Dudley Foster as Humphrey Hastings who with his children and relations each try their hand at experiments with candles, baking powder, vinegar, ice, boiled eggs, needles and decanters.
(Colour)

Britain's most prominent concert guitarist plays Bach, Diabelli and Villa-Lobos in this evening's programme
(Colour)

speaks to the Commonwealth and introduces a special Christmas Day film.

(Colour)

(Colour)

by Arnold Bennett
Dramatised by Gerald Savory
With Suzanne Neve as Phyllis Ridware, Brian Blessed as Mark Ridware, John Breslin as Lawrence Ridware, Gwen Cherrell as Alma Fearns, Patrick Holt as Charles Fearns:

Mrs Ridware has been unfaithful to Mr Ridware. Mr Fearns has been unfaithful to Mrs Fearns. Both parties contemplate divorce.

(Colour)

by Arden Winch
with Clive Swift as Inspector Waugh
(Jane Wenham is a National Theatre player)
(Colour)

and Weather
(Colour)

Songs from a country church

(Colour)

Starring Kathryn Grayson, Howard Keel
with Ann Miller

The leading singer in Cole Porter's musical, Kiss Me Kate, wants both his ex-wife and his current girl-friend to play leading roles in the production. All is well until they discover that it is an updated version of The Taming of the Shrew and their suitability for the roles of Katherine and Bianca are all too obvious.
(Holiday Films: pages 13 and 15)
(How they made Kiss Me Kate: Wednesday 23 December, Radio 4 at 9.35 am)
(Colour)