A String of Blue Beads

Louis Jourdan plays Peter, a man who owns a little shop and is desperately in love. In his shop he has a string of blue beads and instead of trying to sell them, he tells his customers a very high price. Why? Because she loves them and if he cannot sell them, she'll get them...and he'd rather do that. But into this seemingly sweet life comes tragedy when the lady is killed in a fire! Years pass and Peter is morose and miserable...and he still is holding on to that sting of blue beads. By the end, he's finally gotten rid of them...but how? And, to who did he sell these highly sentimental beads?

This is the first in a proposed anthology series that was never made. The show was made in color...rather unusual for its time. How good the series might have been...who's to know. I liked this show though it's a bit old fashioned and schmaltzy...so it's definitely not for everyone.

The older you are the more you will enjoy this. I think older people will like this because you know how much you miss people that have passed on. Even though sometimes it is difficult to look past the loss.

To say too much is a crime. If never see this then that's criminal!

As a Jewish man I find it impossible to escape from all the Christmas movies. I am glad I can't because some of these films are very good. I like the films that are about having "Faith" and "Bringing Family Together".

This film is an old television show that my Grandson put on for us to watch. He loves the "Wizard Of Oz" and this special had that old witch herself Margaret Hamilton.

This very simple movie is how a string of blue beads change the lives of people that want them or possesses them.

Trust me it is very good!

In A STRING OF BLUE BEADS, Louis Jourdan plays a young antique dealer who throughout the piece, places an exorbitant price on a necklace, first because he wants to give it to his fiancée, then after her tragic death on Christmas, continues to do so to keep them as a treasured memento of her.

Three years later he ends up tracking down a little girl who wanted the beads as a present for her sister.

This is a well made program. It is heartfelt and makes you grateful for everything you have.

The Witch from the "Wizard of Oz" (Margaret Hamilton) is in this. This is the first time I have seen Margaret Hamilton outside of "The Wizard of Oz"

A STRING OF BLUE BEADS is a slight little Christmas tale that was a pilot for an anthology series of short stories that never came to be. What makes this little film fascinating is it was one of the earliest color broadcasts on television and happily is one of the few early color productions for TV that can be seen in color now. Early color television productions seem to have had a limited color capability much like the early 1930's attempts at Technicolor. This actually adds to the charm of this little Christmas story giving in an "old time" feel.

Louis Jourdan stars as an antique shop owner who grieves for years over his fiancée. The "blue beads" in the title are a string of old beads he had priced high because he didn't want to sell them, wanting to give them to his girl as a gift. Beloved character actress Margaret Hamilton (The Wizard of Oz) has a very large role in this production as the compassionate shop cleaner who urges him to give life another chance.

This little 27 minute drama can be found on a number of low-cost DVD Christmas sets, the one I have Christmas CLASSICS VOL. 1 which pictures Betty White on the cover (the 90-minute disc has three 1950's half hour shows including a Christmas episode of White's sitcom A DATE WITH THE ANGELS, and a CROSSROADS episode "Our First Christmas Tree" starring Don Taylor.)