The First Christmas: The Story of the First Christmas Snow
Rankin-Bass/NBC, 1975
Voices of Angela Landsbury, Cyril Ritchard, David Kelley, and Dina Lynn
Directed by Arthur Rankin Jr. and Jules Bass
Music by Maury Laws and others; Lyrics by Jules Bass and others
The Story: Sister Teresa (Landsbury) and the nuns at an abbey by the sea find a young shepherd struck by lightning during a storm. They take him in and give him shelter with his sheep in the stable. Poor Lucas (Kelley) was struck blind by shock and has no place to go. Sister Teresa wants him to stay, but fussy Father Thomas (Ritchard) worries that he might be better off in an orphanage. Meanwhile, Teresa explains snow to Lucas, who's never seen it, and lets him join the angel choir in the school pageant. Three boys tease him when they make the sheep run away, but regret it after Lucas and the sheep get lost.
The Animation: Paul Coker Jr. was designing the specials by this point, and it shows in the round heads and large, expressive eyes and mouths on the characters. Everyone, from the kids to the nuns to the dog, has wide saucer eyes that crinkle upwards when they're happy or become triangular when angry. There's a slightly more realistic vibe on this one, especially the nuns; the abbey and stable backdrops are appropriately cozy and intimate.
The Song and Dance: Landsbury and Ritchard are the thing in this unusual tale, one of the most unique to come from Rankin-Bass. She's warm and thoughtful, he's fussy and fun. I also appreciate that this may be the only Rankin-Bass special with no real villain. Father Thomas and the three bullies are set up to be, but the priest is just worried that the abbey lacks the resources to take care of Lucas and his wooly charges properly, and the kids immediately realize what they did was wrong and help find the sheep.
Favorite Number: Sister Teresa describes a real white Christmas to Lucas as she recalls a song her father taught her, "Christmas Snow Is Magic," while Lucas wonders what a real "White Christmas" would feel like. Father Thomas admonishes the kids and nuns to "Save a Little Christmas" for later in the season when they try to put up the tree too early.
What I Don't Like: As much as I like Landsbury, she does seem a bit miscast as a nun. This isn't one of their more exciting or campy specials. The story is pure melodrama, with the lightning strike and the blinded orphan, and a bit of a muddle. The entire sequence with the bad kids and the missing sheep seems more like padding added to fill out the middle.
The Big Finale: Not one of their major specials, but it's charming enough if you love Landsbury or are looking for something short and sweet to show kids around Christmas.
Home Media: Easily found on DVD; turns up often on AMC during the holiday season.
Nestor the Long-Eared Christmas Donkey
Rankin-Bass/ABC, 1977
Voices of Roger Miller, Shelly Hines, Brenda Vaccaro, and Paul Frees
Directed by Arthur Rankin Jr. and Jules Bass
Music by Maury Laws and others; Lyrics by Jules Bass and others
The Story: Spieltoe (Miller), the donkey who works with Santa at the North Pole, tells the story of his ancestor Nestor (Hines). Nestor had very long ears that made him the laughingstock of the stable in Scandinavia where he lived with his mother (Linda Gary) and the bane of the owner Olaf (Frees). Roman soldiers came to take the young donkeys for their troops. They throw back Nestor when they see his ears, accusing Olaf of tricking him. Olaf angrily throws Nestor out in the snow. His mother follows him and sacrifices herself shielding him from the storm.
Nestor's devastated by the loss of his mother until he meets Tilly (Vaccaro), a cherub. She tells him his ears will let him do wonderous things and he'll save another, as his mother once saved him. They end up on the outskirts of Bethehem, when Nestor winds up in another stable. He's about to give up when a certain Mary (Taryn Davies) and Joseph (Harry Maurice Rosner) love his "gentle eyes" and buy him to take Mary to Bethlehem.
The Animation: Same deal here, with almost the same animators. The designs are slightly cartoonier and more exaggerated, as befitting a story featuring a cherub and a little donkey with excessively long ears. The sandstorm sequence with the cherubs towards the end is especially well-done.
The Song and Dance: This is such a sweet story. Simpler and a bit rougher than the similar Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, it may be even more charming. Vaccaro is especially funny as the endearing and eager Tilly, who shows Nestor the first respect he's seen in his life outside of his mother.
Favorite Number: Country star Roger Whittaker starts us off with the title number, as he tells us why the elves' version of the donkey in the manger is inaccurate. He also admonishes the animals of the frozen north "Don't Laugh and Make Somebody Cry" as Tilly and Nestor travel to Bethlehem. Only Nestor's ears can "Follow the Song of the Angels" and hear a cherub choir in a sandstorm.
What I Don't Like: Like the song it's based on, it's obvious this is a religious version of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. It even begins and ends with Santa. Nestor himself is a bit of nonentity besides his ears and doesn't actually do much until that sandstorm. In fact, Tilly's so much fun, I really wish she was in more of the special. She's barely there for five minutes and the one number. Miller doesn't really have much to do besides narrate, either.
The Big Finale: Adorable but derivative; once again, best for major Rankin-Bass fans, fans of Miller, or those looking for religious holiday programming for kids.
Home Media: Your best bet on DVD is the big Classic Christmas Favorites set that includes everything from the Grinch to The Leprechaun's Christmas Gold; it turns up frequently on AMC as well.
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