Simply Wonderful

No one is born to be a failure. No one is poor who has friends. Simple thoughts that were the inspiration for one of the richest, most uplifting, most beloved American films ever made. Frank Capra's classic tale of George Bailey and his Christmas Eve visit with a guardian angel was nominated for five Oscars including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Actor. After more than 60 years, it remains as powerful and moving as the day it was made.

Title: It’s a Wonderful Life
Release: December 20, 1946
Genre: Drama
MPAA Rating: G
Based On: The Greatest Gift by Philip Van Doren Stern
Writer: Frances Goodrich, Albert Hackett, Jo Swerling, & Frank Capra
Director: Frank Capra
Music By: Dimitri Tiomkin
Produced By: Frank Capra
Distributed By: RKO Radio Pictures
Run Time: 130 minutes

Dark and little bittersweet, Frank Capra’s It’s a Wonderful Life has become one of the most popular Christmas movies ever made- and yet it has very little to do with the holiday season at all. Nominated for five Academy Awards (including Best Picture), it was still originally considered a flop during its release and because of this it was allowed to pass into the public domain where a whole new generation discovered it.

There are so many Christmas movies that I enjoy but this one is my favorite and I try to watch it every year. Of course, it's a bit of a tearjerker but it’s also wonderfully heartwarming as well. The director and James Stewart have both claimed that this was their favorite pictures that they had made and you can tell that a lot of love went into the making of this gem.

James “Jimmy” Stewart has been one of my favorite black and white movie stars ever since I first watched him in this film as a little girl (I like Donna Reed too though). I thought it was interesting that he had served in the military during WWII as a general and that this was his first film after his service but he jumped right back into acting as though he had never left. He’s just so expressive and can convey so much in just one look. What I love about him most though is that he’s not exactly the typical movie star. As his obituary in the New York Times put it, he was "ungainly, self-effacing and somehow [still] debonair."

Over the last few years, It's a Wonderful Life has finally received the recognition it deserves making it on six of the AFI's 100 Years... lists and was deemed culturally significant by the National Film Preservation Board in 1990 too. The film has even been colorized in recent years but I like it a lot better in the old black and white.

Links: Wikipedia, Imdb.com, Filmsite.org
Interviews: Lux Radio Theater Reenactment

Trailer:


Complete Film:

Disney's Take on Dickens

In this heartwarming remake of Charles Dickens' "A Christmas
Carol", Disney's version of the timeless classic is told. Mickey plays
Bob Cratchit and Scrooge Mc Duck plays, of course, Scrooge who is visited by
three ghosts on Christmas Eve as they try to make him mend his ways.

Title: Mickey’s Christmas Carol
Release: December 16, 1983
Genre: Animated- Christmas
MPAA Rating: G
Based On: A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
Writer: Burny Mattinson, Tony L. Marino, Ed Gombert, Don Griffith, Alan Young, & Alan Dinehart
Director: Burny Mattinson
Music By: Irwin Kostal
Produced By: Burny Mattinson
Distributed By: Buena Vista Distribution
Run Time: 25 minutes

If Twas the Night Before Christmas is the most famous Christmas poem, then Charles Dicken’s A Christmas Carol is the most famous story. Published during the holiday season in 1843, it has always been one of his most famous works- it’s also one of the most adapted stories for Christmas. There have been operas, plays, TV shows, and especially films made based on this little story almost as soon as it was originally written! Just about every film studio has made their version too… including the Disney studio in 1983’s Mickey’s Christmas Carol.

Disney stays mostly faithful to Dicken’s story (which is really impressive considering it’s only 30 minutes long) and what makes it really unique is that is borrows every single character in the film from another Disney movie. Mickey plays Bob Crachett, Minnie plays his wife, Goofy is Jacob Marley, Jiminy Cricket is the Ghost of Christmas Past, Willie the Giant is the Ghost of Christmas Present, Pete is the Ghost of Christmas Future, Donald is Scrooge’s nephew, and all of the background characters are from other Disney films as well. Matter of fact, almost every character from Disney’s version of The Wind in the Willows makes an appearance!

Mickey Mouse is to Disney what peanut butter is to jelly but for some reason this was the first Mickey short cartoon in 30 years (the last had been The Simple Things in 1953) and he plays more of a cameo role because Scrooge will always be the main focus of the story. The film was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Short Film, Animated but lost to Sundae in New York though. Many of the critics weren’t very impressed with Disney’s Christmas special but even if I do wish it were a little longer; it is still a very pleasant experience during the busy holiday season.

Links: Film Wikipedia, Original Story Wikipedia, Imdb.com, Encyclopedia of Disney Shorts

Complete Film:


Hear what these two Scrooges Thought:

Santa Wants a Holiday Off

From the magic making Rankin/Bass studios comes a unique and beloved Yuletide favorite boasting delightful stop-motion animation, catchy songs and it's a family-pleasing story too. In The Year Without A Santa Claus, weary St. Nick (voiced by Mickey Rooney) foregoes his gift-giving journey, leaving Mrs. Claus (Shirley Booth) and two spunky elves to reawaken the Christmas spirit in Santa and the world's children.

Title: The Year Without a Santa Claus
Release: December 10, 1974
Genre: Animated/ Stop-Motion- Christmas
MPAA Rating: G
Based On: The Year Without a Santa Claus by Phyllis McGinley
Writer: William Keenan
Director: Jules Bass & Arthur Rankin Jr.
Music By: Maury Laws
Produced By: Jules Bass & Arthur Rankin Jr.
Distributed By: ABC Family
Run Time: 50 minutes

Poet and Children's author Phyllis McGinley wrote a short Christmas story called The Year Without a Santa Claus in 1956. Nearly 20 years later, Rankin/ Bass made it into one of their most popular stop-motion Christmas specials. It's the only one that was re-made into a live-action film (even if it was pretty awful) and recently into an animated film too.

What I love about this particular Christmas special and why it’s really high on my favorites list is mainly due to the Miser Brother: Heat (George S. Irving) and Snow (Dick Shawn). Also I really like Mickey Rooney who reprises his role as Santa Claus from the other Rankin/ Bass special Santa Claus is Coming to Town- making this one kind of a sequel to that. Truly, those two are the highlight of the special but the rest is pretty good as well.

Rankin/Bass as always has some amazing songs in the film too. Matter of fact, this is my favorite holiday soundtrack! The Miser Brother songs are the best of course ("I'm Mr. White Christmas, I'm Mr. Snow...") but there are tons of others including one sung by Mrs. Claus that is often overlooked since its so early in the film (she's voiced by Shirley Booth and this was her last film role before she died). Outside of the Miser Brothers though, Mickey Rooney has the very best song: I Believe in Santa Claus- and this little special really makes you want to!

Links: Wikipedia, Imdb.com, Christmas Wikia, Rankin/Bass Website

Complete Film:


Mr. Snow Miser:

Not a Creature was Stirring...

Inspired by Clement Moore's poem, 'Twas The Night before Christmas is the charming animated tale of Scrooge-like Albert Mouse who calls Christmas "a fraudulent myth" and because of his opinions letters to Santa written by the children of Junctionville are sent back unopened. The skeptical rodent must be brought to his senses "and let up a little on the wonder why." Joel Grey, Tammy Grimes, John McGiver and George Gobel are featured voices.

Title: Twas the Night Before Christmas
Release: December 8, 1974
Genre: Animated Christmas Special
MPAA Rating: G
Based On: Twas the Night Before Christmas by Clement Moore (poem)
Writer: Jerome Coopersmith
Director: Jules Bass & Arthur Rankin, Jr.
Produced By: Jules Bass & Arthur Rankin, Jr.
Distributed By: CBS Television
Run Time: 25 minutes

A Visit from St. Nicholas; more commonly known as Twas the Night Before Christmas, is one of the most famous poems ever written and is considered to be responsible for the main beliefs about Santa Claus that have continued on to this day. Originally published in 1823, there have been many interpretations and parodies of Clement Moore’s poem from stories to cartoons to even comic strips. It’s even been made into a few films and holiday specials like Rankin/ Bass’ 1974 loosely interpretive animated version.

I say “loosely interpretive” because while some of the dialogue is lifted directly from the poem, holiday specials run a minimum of 25 minutes and the poem just wasn’t long enough to cover the full time. So somebody got the brilliant idea of not only is a mouse “stirring” but he’s the main narrator! Voiced by the comedian George Gobel, Father Mouse’s story is what helped stretch the picture so long and it wouldn’t be Rankin/ Bass without a couple of songs and he sings one too, the often deleted song “Give Your Heart a Try” (the others are all sung by a chorus, the most notable is Christmas Chimes are Calling). Surprisingly, Gobel wasn’t credited as being the narrator, instead Joel Grey was and he doesn’t tell the story at all! His character Joshua Trundle is one of the most important people in the story; as he is supposed to be the narrator in the original poem, but he’s still secondary (he still sings one of my favorite songs, “Even a Miracle Needs a Hand.”

Rankin/ Bass’ most popular Christmas specials were those that are stop-motion animation featuring beautifully made puppets but I doubt even the kings of Christmas could have pulled off animating this story any other way than they did. While the animation isn’t as charming as something that Disney would have produced, it’s still able to provoke an acute case of nostalgia today.

Links: Poem Wikipedia, Christmas Special Wikipedia, Imdb.com, Original Poem

Complete Special:

Someday is Here!

The lovable snowman is back, but his plans to marry the (snow)woman of his dreams are threatened by wicked Jack Frost, in "Frosty's Winter Wonderland." Jackie Vernon, Andy Griffith and Shelley Winters supply voices.

Title: Frosty's Winter Wonderland
Release: December 2, 1976
Genre: Animated Christmas Special
MPAA Rating: G
Based On: Frosty the Snow Man by Walter "Jack" Rollins and Steve Nelson (song)
Writer: Romeo Muller
Director: Jules Bass & Arthur Rankin, Jr.
Produced By: Jules Bass & Arthur Rankin, Jr.
Distributed By: CBS Television
Run Time: 25 minutes

Jules Bass and Arthur Rankin Jr. have long been recognized as some of the best producers of holiday specials- especially ones for Christmas! Seven years after their success with translating a popular seasonal song into an animated format, Frosty the Snowman came back in Frosty's Winter Wonderland. Despite being considered an "official" sequel to the original special, only Frosty himself returns (still voiced by comedian Jackie Vernon).

There are several new characters in this sequel like Frosty's new wife Crystal voiced by Shelley Winters (a role she would repeat in the third and final Rankin/ Bass Frosty film: Rudolph and Frosty's Christmas in July), my favorite winter character Jack Frost voiced by Paul Frees (who has done a lot of other voice work for other Rankin/ Bass specials), and due to illness, the original narrator Jimmy Durante could not reprise his role so one of my family's favorite actors, Andy Griffith became the narrator instead. While other children were watching Barney, I was watching The Andy Griffith Show so it was interesting to see him play a different kind of character- even if he is just an animated caricature!

Like the original, this Frosty film is completely animated (the third Frosty film is the only one that was produced in the more popular stop-motion animation using puppets) and as with many others of the day, short-cuts have been taken. Partly because of the short-cuts and also due to some of the story, I’ve never been particularly crazy about Frosty’s Winter Wonderland and I think the first Frosty was much better. Jack Frost takes Professor Hinkle’s place as the bad guy whose not really a bad guy and a pair of horses takes Hocus Pocus (the rabbit)’s place too. Just about the only unique character was Crystal and she just wasn’t that interesting. Rankin/ Bass doesn’t make horrible movies in my book so while this will never be something I really enjoy, it wasn’t very bad and Frosty is still my favorite snowman!

Related Post: Frosty the Snowman

Links: Wikipedia, Imdb.com, Christmas Wiki

Complete Special:

A Jolly, Happy Christmas with Frosty

Frosty the Snowman comes alive when the kids put Professor Hinkles hat on Frosty's head. When the temperature starts to rise, and snow melts, Frosty with his friend Karen must find their way to the North Pole before he melts and before Professor Hinkle takes his hat back.

Title: Frosty the Snowman
Release: December 7, 1969
Genre: Animated Christmas Special
MPAA Rating: G
Based On: Frosty the Snow Man by Walter "Jack" Rollins and Steve Nelson (song)
Writer: Romeo Muller
Director: Jules Bass & Arthur Rankin, Jr.
Produced By: Jules Bass & Arthur Rankin, Jr.
Distributed By: CBS Television
Run Time: 22 minutes

Frosty the Snowman was a fairy tale they say, he was made of snow but everyone knows that Rankin/ Bass brought him to life one day. Originally only a song written for Gene Autry, it was a major seasonal hit and has since been recorded by numerous artists including the narrator for this special Jimmy Durante in his last film.

However, there is a good reason why this Frosty special isn’t as beloved as Rudolph not the least of which is that even though it’s a great film with great songs it is animated and you can tell that the creators were on a tight budget. Things appear, disappear, and even stay stationary at times but all the goofs are easy to overlook because the film is just so charming!

Better known for their holiday specials like Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Rankin & Bass have also produced and directed several animated specials as well including Frosty’s Winter Wonderland in 1976 (there is also a stop-motion animation one called Rudolph and Frosty’s Christmas in July). Nobody has ever done Christmas quite like Rankin/Bass! They’re my favorite for their nostalgic value and of course because they’re just so nicely animated. Plus the songs are all ones I know by heart too.

Links: Wikipedia, Imdb.com

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