12 Days: Brandon Routh in The 9 Lives of Christmas

I know, I know, I said I wasn't going to do any 12 Days this year, but given I already broke that with my Christmas Day posting featuring Jimmy Stewart, What's one more. I was away off and on over Christmas, but when I got back after New Year's, decided it was time to clean off my DVR. I just finished I movie I actually DVR'd last Christmas, but never got around to watching, The 9 Lives of Christmas, featuring the ultra adorable and talented actor Brandon Routh.

I have been a fan of Routh's since his turn as Superman and am glad to see him back on television in a new series in January. Routh to me was the best post Reeve Superman, embodying many of the qualities Christopher Reeve brought to the role. I think the director and script had more to do with poor reception to Superman Returns than Routh who was forced to wear the film's failure, something he certainly did not deserve to wear on his broad beautiful shoulders.

9 Lives of Christmas

Routh didn't work much the year after the 2006 film, but in the last couple of years he has been busy with television guest spots and films, many of which wisely get a shirtless scene or two. I was really starting to enjoy Partners before the network prematurely pulled the plug. Brandon's next role in is Greg Berlanti's action series Legends of Tomorrow. The series, which also stars Victor Garber, Dominic Purcell and Wentworth Miller premieres early next year.

Arrow

Love this promo pic with Michael Urie from Partners

12 Days: Frédéric Brossier in A Keller Christmas Vacation

'Three reluctant adult siblings join their parents on a Christmas river cruise through Europe, each dealing with personal issues, only to find unexpected joy, romance, and family bonds along the journey.'

I haven't watched many Hallmark holiday films this season.  Some years, the channels and movies are always on in the back ground, other years, not so much.  I've caught bits and pieces of some, but the one film I actually watched start to finish was A Keller Christmas Vacation.

I thought the story was good, and the cast worked really well together.  I enjoy Jonathan Bennett and Brandon Routh, and have loved Eden Sher since her time playing Sue Heck on The Middle.  I've featured both Bennett, (HERE:) and Routh, (HERE:) in 12 Days posts before.  There was someone else in the cast however, who certainly caught my eye.

Although 12 Days was originally started to strip the clothes off those Hallmark Hunks, it wasn't just the heroes and leads.  Not just the Scrooge acting CEO's, small town doctors and lonely widowers.  It was also to bare the supporting cast, those friendly neighbours, the shop owners and one gay character sometimes included in the cast.

In A Keller Christmas Vacation, one of the supporting characters, was Noah, the cruise ship's cruise director, or maybe Noah was the purser....  Anyhoo, Noah was played by the enchanting  Frédéric Brossier, a German actor I'd not seen before.  This wasn't the German actor's first Hallmark film however, he'd previous played the lead in the 2023 holiday flick A Heidelberg Holiday.

Brossier grew up in  Rüsselsheim, a German city where he gained his first experience acting during his time in school as part of the 'Young Ensemble; of the Rüsselsheim Theatre.  Brossier later studied acting a the Hanover University of Music, Drama and Media.  Roles in theatre productions quickly followed, then roles in both television and film.

A Keller Christmas Vacation was filmed in Europe, with scenes set in various cities in Austria and Bulgaria.  This meant Brossier didn't have to make the trek to the United States, or Canada, where Hallmark films are usually filmed.  I really found Bulgaria incredibly engaging, (and hot) and will keep my eye out for future roles!

All You Need

In 2021 and 2022, Brossier starred in the German comedy series Fernsehserie, (All You Need) In the series, Brossier played Robbie, one of four gay men exploring the challenges of life and love while living in Berlin.  Thanks to Xander7 for the caps!

Frédéric Brossier on Instagram

12 Days: Gregory Harrison in The Nine Kittens of Christmas

'Zachary and Marilee are thrown back together at Christmas when they're tasked with finding homes for a litter of adorable kittens.'

I didn't DVR Hallmark's The Nine Kittens of Christmas because of actor Gregory Harrison, I didn't really even know he was in it.  I recorded the holiday flick because of two things, Brandon Routh, and kittens.  Turns out, as hot as Routh and those kittens were, the 71 year old Harrison still has it what it takes to grab my attention.

I'm a little young to remember Harrison from his hay day as one the eighties hottest television hunks.  I think I first actually first remember seeing him on television in the early 90's when he appeared on Falcon Crest.  I do however, remember seeing that handsome face and hot chest in movie and television magazines.  Since then, I've gone back to watch many of his early appearances on Youtube. 

It was on Youtube that saw Harrison as a stripper in 1981's For Ladies Only.  It was where I saw many of his speedo wearing appearances on Battle of the Network Stars.  I later found a copy of the actors first film, and only full nude scene, in 1973's The Harrad Experiment. You can check out all of pieces on the 80's icon HERE:

I've kept an eye out of the hot and talented actor since and enjoyed his appearances in several films and television shows.  Harrison however, has a very frustrating nudity record.  It's the actor himself, but because two of his most famous scenes of skin have not really been properly memorialized. 

Harrison had a quick full frontal nude scene in The Harrad Experiment, plus a longer nude scene along with Don Johnson and others during an outside nude yoga class.  Unfortunately, there does not seem to be a decent copy of the film available.  I've downloaded a few versions, and even ordered one on Amazon, but they all seem to be the same.  There has obviously been some work to improve the film's quality, but it appears it was done for a television version. 

 All of the scene appear fairly clear and cleaned up, all however, except the nude scenes.  You get a clear version of Don Johnson going into the shower, but a blurry version of his frontal coming out.  You get a clear version of the group in the pool, then it turns blurry just as Harrison's frontal occurs.  They're in the film, but they looked like they were edited after and never cleaned up like the rest of the film.  I hope some day this is rectified. 

The Harrad Experiment (1973)

The clearest view of Harrison's frontal comes from what appears to be a promotional image that looks like it appeared first on the old Campfire Site.  I've seen some caps from Dewey that look clearer than the other versions.  I'm guessing maybe they came form an early VHS copy of the film.

For Ladies Only (1981)

1981's For Ladies Only also never had a decent release.  The only copies I could find are on E-Bay and Youtube, and both have poor quality.  Even more frustrating, is that the film had a European version (below) in which Harrison ditched the speedo he wore in the US version (above) for a G-string in the strip scenes.  I've look, but have not seen this version anywhere to be seen.

Body Chemistry II: The Voice of a Stranger (1991)

Sooo.. that led me to find a copy of Harrison's only other on-screen nudity, his butt scene in the 1991 softcore flick Body Chemistry II: The Voice of a Stranger.  Again, not great quality, but because it's more recent, at least it's not blurry.  Hopefully decent copies of the other flicks, especially The Harrad Experiment, will one day be available.