Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town

Premiered December 14, 1970.

Kris KringleYou better watch out. Better not cry.  Better not pout.
Kids:Why?
Kris Kringle:I'm telling you why!
KidsYeah?
Kris Kringle:'Cause I came to town, and look what I brought.
Kids:Toys!

At the North Pole, a postman named Special Delivery "S.D." Kluger (Fred Astaire) receives lots of letters from children who want to more about Santa Claus.  

They ask why he wears a red suit, why he enters homes through chimneys, how his reindeer can fly, etc.  Kluger answers their queries telling Santa's origin story.

It begins in Sombertown, a grey, bleak, depressing town located in "one of the northern countries."

The town is overseen by a dictatorial mayor known as the Burgermeister Meisterburger (Paul Frees).  

One day, a baby named "Claus" is left on the Burgermeister's doorstep, with a note requesting he raise the baby.  However, the Burgermeister isn't interested and orders his chief enforcer Grimsley (Frees) to take Claus to the orphanage.  Grimsley encounters an intense snowstorm, which spirits baby Claus away into the woods.  

The baby is rescued by forest animals and taken to the Kringles, a family of toymaking elves.  They're led by their matriarch Tanta Kringle (Joan Gardner).  The Kringles decide to adopt the baby and they name him Kris Kringle (Mickey Rooney).  

The Kringles were once prominent toymakers in the region and used to bring toys to children in Sombertown.  Unfortunately, the Winter Warlock (Keenan Wynn) eventually arrived and prevented them from taking their toys into town.  This means they still make toys, but they just pile up, so they have a backlog of toys that can't be delivered.

When he's grown to adulthood, Kris decides to bring the Kringles' toys to the children of Sombertown.  On the way, he meets a lost penguin who needs help.  Kris names him Topper and says he will take care of the penguin.

At the same time, Burgermeister steps on a toy and breaks his funny bone.  This prompts him to declare all toys illegal and orders Grimsley to enforce his decree.  

When Kris gets to town, he gives toys to kids as planned, until he's confronted by Sombertown's schoolteacher Jessica (Robie Lester).  He gives Jessica a doll as a peace offering and she is won over to Kris' cause.  The Burgermeister isn't so sympathetic and demands Kris' immediate arrest.

Kris flees town, but on the way home, he encounters more danger in the form of the Winter Warlock!  Fortunately, Kris thinks fast and gives the warlock a toy train. 

This warms Winter Warlock's heart and Kris shows him he can change his ways and be a good person.  Kris is so persuasive that the warlock, moves in with the Kringles, changes his name to "Winter," and pledges to use his magic to help Kris deliver toys to children.    

Kris continues to visit Sombertown and give toys to kids.  The Burgermeister responds to the Kringles' charity with increased brutality.  Toys are gathered up and burned in public and the Kringles' home and workshop are destroyed. 

In the midst of all this action, Jessica and Kris fall in love and are married under the first Christmas tree.  Burgermeister's hostilities eventually send Kris, Jessica, Winter, Topper and the Kringles on the run and they settle in the North Pole, where Kris continues to make toys eventually becomes known as Santa Claus.  

J.A. Morris says:

Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town was often shown on network television when I was a kid and was part of my annual holiday viewing.  It's a special I've always enjoyed and I appreciate it more today as an adult because I have a much better understanding of its message.

To put it in context, Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town was produced during a time of worldwide upheaval.  The Vietnam War was an ongoing conflict.  Student-led protests were occurring all over the United States.  The Kris Kringle depicted in this special has a lot in common with protest organizers and countercultural rebels of the late-60s and early-70s.  When Jessica lets down her hair, she resembles "flower children" of the era. 

Burgermeister Meisterburger serves as a stand-in for "the establishment" that overreacted to the youth of the times.  The Burgermeister even bears a resemblance to Pres. Richard Nixon, who became the personification of everything the protest movements decried.  I don't think that's an accident or a coincidence.  

However, you don't need a degree in history or political science to enjoy this special.  This tale of how Santa came to be is charming and Kris and the other protagonists are all very likeable and sympathetic.  Burgermeister and Grimsley are truly bad people.  It's worth noting that this, to my recollection, is one of the few Christmas specials where the primary villain doesn't "reform."  The narrator says that Burgermeisters "kind of died off and fell out of power."  Kris does get the Winter Warlock to change his ways, so maybe the creative team figured one bad guy turning good was good enough.  The Kringles love for Kris is palpable, Topper is adorable and Jessica and Kris' love for each other feels genuine and earned.  

This special also features a strong cast of voice actors.  Mickey Rooney provides a great voice for Kris Kringle and a good "old man" voice for Santa near the end.  Joan Gardner and Robie Lester have great singing voices. Voice acting legend Paul Frees is excellent playing both the Burgermeister and his chief henchman Grimsley.  Fred Astaire's presence as narrator adds a lot of gravitas to the story and he also performs a nice version of the title song.  I should note that Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town was my childhood introduction to Astaire.

Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town also features some of the best songs in Rankin-Bass' oeuvre, they're composed by Bass and Maury Laws.  "The First Toymakers To The King" shows how much the Kringles enjoy making toys that bring joy to children.  "One Foot In Front Of The Other" shows Winter Warlock that it's not hard to change your wicked ways once you've taken that first step.  I've thought of this song many times in my life when I'm depressed or discouraged and it's helped me focus on taking the first step towards solving a problem.

Kris shows Winter how to "put one foot in front of the other!"

"My World is Beginning Today" shows us the moment where Jessica realizes that both her love for Kris and her decision to become an activist (for lack of a better word) in the struggle against oppression have made here a different person and changed the trajectory of her life.  Jessica's performance of  "My World" is accompanied by amazing psychedelic imagery, which provides another connection to the counterculture rebellion of the 1960s.  

Speaking of songs, one song in this special hasn't aged well.  "Prepare To Pay" accompanies a scene where children sit on Kris' lap and tell him the toys they want.  It includes these lyrics:

If you sit on my lap today

A kiss a toy is the price you'll pay

When you tell what you wish for --

In a whisper

Be prepared to pay.

The underlying message of the song is be nice to others, spread love, and make the world a better place.  Out of context, however the "kiss a toy" lyric sounds like the language of one who preys on children.  For that reason, this song is sometimes edited out of broadcasts of Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town.  Having said that, I imagine most children who watch the unedited version will just see a scene of kids expressing their Christmas wishes to Santa.

Rankin-Bass specials always gave us cute animals and Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town is no exception to that rule.

If there's anything wrong with this special, it's at the very end.  Narrator S.D. Kluger tells of people who still don't approve of Santa and we're shown a frazzled, stressed-out retail clerk who says Christmas should be outlawed.

I've worked in retail (Toys R Us, to be exact) during the Christmas rush and I can sympathize with that clerk.  I'll just say please remember to always be friendly and patient when shopping during the holiday season and don't take out your frustrations on the store employees. 

I love Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town and I think it's just as good today as it was when it premiered five decades ago.  This special remains relevant, since children will always have questions about Santa's beginnings and because people who act like the Burgermeister are (unfortunately) still around in today's world.  Thankfully, they're are also lots of people who are opposed to the Burgermeisters of 2020 and I believe Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town can still serve as an inspiration to freedom fighters (and those who just love Santa Claus) everywhere.

J.A. Morris' rating:

4 candy canes!

RigbyMel says:

I do not recall seeing Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town on TV when I was younger -- so I guess I am a little bit late to the party with this stop-motion "Animagic" Rankin Bass special.  Since I first saw it as an adult, I don't bring the nostalgia to it that someone who watched it every year might.  That being said, this special is quite charming.

I quite enjoyed the framing device of S.D. Kluger telling the story to answer kids' questions about Santa and appreciate the way that all the pieces of the story fit together.  The way lyrics from the titular song get shoehorned in the script as dialogue is goofily charming (and also a bit of a Rankin Bass holiday special trope). 

Topper and Kris on the run from the law!

As J.A. Morris mentions above, this special most definitely feels like it is hearkening to the time it was produced, but tales of fighting injustice are also universal so it works on that level as well.  

The voice casting is fantastic and the songs are top-notch overall.  "One Foot In Front Of the Other" is a standout track and I really like Fred Astaire's rendition of the title song.  

My only real criticisms are the inadvertent and unfortunate creepiness the "Prepare To Pay" song to contemporary ears. Also, although I enjoy the trippiness of Jessica's psychedelic interlude, it feels like it brings the proceedings to a bit of a halt.

I have always enjoyed the Rankin Bass stop motion animated specials.  There's something about the texture and depth of the animation as well as the cute character designs that's delightful to watch.

Criticisms aside, it's easy to see why Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town remains popular even after 50 years. 

RigbyMel's rating

.5

3 1/2 candy canes.

Holiday Inn

Premiered August 4, 1942.
(Note:This film was released 75 years ago today - 8/4/17)

Jim Hardy (Bing Crosby), Ted Hanover (Fred Astaire) and Lila Dixon (Virginia Dale) are a popular song-and-dance trio.  Jim decides he wants to quit the act, marry Lila and retire to a farmhouse in Connecticut.

Lila has other ideas and informs Jim that not only is she not ready to quit show business, but she has fallen for Ted! So Jim moves to his farm alone, but discovers that life as a farmer isn't all he thought it would be.

The following year at Christmas time,  Jim decides to convert the farm into Holiday Inn, a hotel with dinner and floor show that's only open during holidays.  He makes a trip to New York to tell Ted & Lila of his decision and try to maybe recruit them to participate, they're not convinced.

Meanwhile, Ted's agent Danny (Walter Abel) runs into a flower shop sales clerk named Linda Mason (Marjorie Reynolds).  She recognizes Danny and seizes the opportunity to ask him if he can help her break into showbiz.  

He recommends her to Jim, who hires her and she arrives at Holiday Inn on Christmas Day.   Jim realizes he rather likes Linda and would like to see more of her -- maybe their partnership at the Inn will lead to romance?

Ted and Lila's business and romantic partnership comes to an abrupt end when Lila dumps him on New Year's Eve.  Having no place better to be, a drunken Ted shows up at the Holiday Inn's New Year's Eve party.  He dances with Linda and they put on quite a show for the New Year's Eve crowd. 

Ted is smitten with his new dance partner but the next morning, he can't remember what she looks like since he was drunk.  Jim, fearing he will lose another romantic and performing partner to Ted, does what he can to obfuscate Ted's search for her -- up to and including inviting his old flame Lila to come perform at the inn as a distraction!

But Ted is determined to learn the dancer's identity and decides to stick around Holiday Inn each holiday until he can figure it out.

Can Jim keep Linda's identity secret from Ted?  Will Ted steal another partner from Jim?  Will the Holiday Inn be a success?

RigbyMel says:

This is a special holiday film for a number of reasons, the great song and dance performances by the cast and the wonderful Irving Berlin music being the most notable.   It's really not about the romance plot so much as it is about the various holidays portrayed and the musical numbers.

Holiday Inn is the film that introduced Bing Crosby's signature number "White Christmas" to a worldwide audience.  The song went on to win an Academy Award for Best Original Song and the single has sold hundreds of millions of copies making "White Christmas" one of the best selling songs of all time.   One imagines that the mix of nostalgia and melancholy inherent in the song really resonated with WWII audiences and contributes to its enduring popularity.

The film also focuses not just on Christmas and New Years, but on other holidays throughout the rest of the year as well.  

There's an interesting comedic minuet/jitterbug number for George Washington's birthday.  The switch in styles is one of Jim's ploys to sabotage Ted's dance partnership with Linda.

The Valentine's Day number "Be Careful It's My Heart" was, I suspect, intended to be the "breakout hit" from the movie and it's nice, but doesn't quite hold a candle to "White Christmas."

"Easter Parade" also makes an appearance to good effect.

There's a standout Fourth of July dance number in which Fred Astaire sets off firecrackers onstage while he's dancing which really adds flash and bang (literally AND figuratively!!) to the proceedings.

A couple of other fun facts:

*  According to multiple sources,  Fred Astaire took two shots of bourbon before the first take of the "drunk" dance for the New Year's Eve sequence and the same after each successive take.  The seventh (!) take was the one that was used in the film, so Astaire's performance was really a couple of sheets to the wind.

* There's an animated sequence for Thanksgiving featuring a confused turkey running back and forth between dates on the calendar which was a topical (at the time) reference to the "Franksgiving" controversy of 1939/40.   

President Franklin D. Roosevelt attempted to change Thanksgiving from the 3rd Thursday in November from the 4th Thursday in order to extend the holiday shopping season and bolster the retail economy.  Eventually, an Roosevelt signed a 1941 act of Congress designating the 4th Thursday of November as the official day.  No wonder the 1942 animated turkey was confused!

* The movie also lends its name to the Holiday Inn motel chain, which first opened its doors in the 1950s.

The one thing that keeps me from unreservedly naming Holiday Inn an absolute must watch classic is some unfortunate racial humor that while common at the time is decidedly not respectful to people of color.  There's is a blackface number for Lincoln's birthday which is just straight up unpleasant to watch.   It's of it's time, but that doesn't make the stereotyping okay.

That being said,  Holiday Inn is fun to watch -  my advice is to just skip the Lincoln's birthday sequence and enjoy the rest.

RigbyMel's rating:

3 candy canes.

J.A. Morris says:

I’ll echo what my co-blogger said about the blackface scene.  It’s ugly and was wrong then and now. That scene may be why Holiday Inn is often overshadowed by its cinematic "descendant" White Christmas.  It's mainly remembered today for introducing the most popular Christmas song of all time.  

Holiday Inn is entertaining and has some great song and dance numbers and Bing Crosby has great onscreen chemistry with Fred Astaire.  Their co-stars Marjorie Reynolds and Virginia Dale aren’t well remembered today, but they hold their own with Astaire and Crosby.  

The cast includes Louise Beavers, who plays Jim’s maid Mamie.  

Beavers acted in dozens of films in a career spanned from 1927 to 1960, usually playing maids or slaves.  She made TV history when she played the title role in the series Beaulah, the first TV sitcom to feature an African American lead.

It's worth noting that this film was released during the first year of the United States' entry into WWII. During Jim's 4th of July performance, a very patriotic film (some would characterize it as propaganda) is projected on the stage.

It features footage of soldiers and pilots preparing for war, war production in factories and it ends with an image of Pres. Franklin D. Roosevelt. If you're fascinated with history (like I am), you'll appreciate this scene.

As RigbyMel said, here isn't much of a plot here, just great singing and dancing by two of the biggest stars of Hollywood's Golden Age, with songs written by the legendary Irving Berlin.  Since this blog covers programming related to every holiday, Holiday Inn is tailor-made for us.  

This film is available on DVD and also streams on Amazon and iTunes.

Holiday Inn is generally good in spite of its threadbare plot.  However, it has a few too many songs for my taste (I’m not a big fan of musicals).  That, combined with the blackface scene keep me from giving it a higher rating.  

J.A. Morris' rating:

2 and a half candy canes.