Merry Christmas! - The Christmas Toy

ABC, 1986

Voices of Dave Golez, Steve Whitmire, Kathryn Mullen, and Brian Henson

Directed by Eric Till

Music and Lyrics by Jeff Moss

This year, we celebrate Christmas and New Year's with the Muppets in two very different lesser-known Muppet and Sesame Street specials. The Christmas Toy was Jim Henson's second shot at a holiday special after the more subdued Emmett Otter's Jug Band Christmas on cable. Christmas Toy goes in the opposite direction, with a more traditional holiday story in bright primaries revolving around toys and holiday friendship. How does this Muppet toy story look now, after other animated tales of playthings have come and gone? Let's begin with Kermit the Frog dressed as Santa goes down the chimney and introduces us to the Jones family and the residents of the playroom and find out...

The Story: Rugby Tiger (Golez) is little Jamie's (Marsha Moreau) favorite toy that she got for Christmas last year. When he hears it's Christmas Eve, he thinks he'll be opened and found by Jamie again. Trouble is, if toys are found out of place, they're frozen permanently. Rugby and Mew the Cat Toy (Whitmire) go downstairs to climb into a box so Jamie can open him, but it's not that easy. Jamie does have a new big toy this year, Meteora the Space Queen (Camille Bonora), who thinks they're aliens. Meanwhile, Apple the Rag Doll (Mullen) convinces Cruiser the Cab Driver (Henson), Belmont the nervous ride-on horse (Richard Hunt), and Bleep the Robot (Rob Mills) to help her rescue Rugby and keep him from getting them all frozen. Rugby ends up learning a lesson in real friendship when Mew not only helps him convince Meteora to get back in the box, but sacrifices himself to save the others, too.

The Song and Dance: This charming special is faster-paced and more high-energy than Emmett Otter, but just as much fun. Golez revels in playing the hilariously egotistical Rugby, who thinks that just because he's Jessie's favorite toy means he'll stay that way forever. Whitmire is adorable as Mew, who remains a loyal friend despite Rugby insulting him about being a cat toy. The songs are really catchy too, with "Try the Impossible" and the heartbreaking "Together at Christmas" the standouts. I love the bright color palate on the toys, the deep blacks and glittering silvers and golds of Meteora and the tree in the living room, and some of the gags, especially when they try to get Meteora back in the box!

The Numbers: We open with a big chorus routine for the toys, as we're introduced to their world in the play room and how "Toys Love to Play." "I Was the Greatest Christmas Toy" is Rugby's recollection of the year before and how it made him feel like a big star. Apple reprises it briefly in the living room when she remembers it, too...but she felt left out when Jamie said Rugby was now her favorite. Apple tells Belmont and the other toys to "Try the Impossible" as she rounds up a posse to rescue Rugby and Mew. Rugby coaxes Metora back into the box by singing "The Song of Meteora," telling her how much she'll be adored the next day. Mew already adores her and occasionally adds his besotted asides. "Together at Christmas" is Rugby's sad song to Mew downstairs after he's been frozen. Kermit the Frog joins the toys to reprise it for the finale in the play room.

Trivia: This would be spun off into a series in the 90's, The Secret Life of Toys. 

The copy currently on DVD deletes the opening and closing intros with Kermit the Frog. (Fortunately, most streaming copies are uncut and retain Kermit.) 

What I Don't Like: The story itself is nothing new, and is even less original after all of the Toy Story films have come and gone. In fact, this has a lot in common with the Toy Story movies, including a space-themed protagonist who doesn't believe they're a toy, a favorite toy who is jealous of the space toy, and the general idea of toys coming to life. The special mostly focuses on Rugby, Mew, and their relationship, with a little of Apple and Belmont in the rescue sequence. I'd love to learn more about the other toys, especially wise old teddy Balthazar (Jerry Nelson), super-cool Cruiser, and the fashion doll who, in a running gag, keeps missing all the action because she's constantly changing clothes to fit the mood. 

The Big Finale: A charming special with some great songs and delightful characters that's well worth checking out with your kids this holiday weekend, especially if any of them are big Toy Story or Muppet Show fans. 

Home Media: The DVD is currently expensive, and as mentioned, is missing the opening and closing segments with Kermit anyway. You're better off looking for this one on streaming. 

DVD

Amazon Prime

Cult Flops - Journey to Bethlehem

Sony Pictures (Columbia), 2023

Starring Milo Manheim, Fiona Palomo, Antonio Banderes, and Omid Djalili

Directed by Adam Anders

Music and Lyrics by various

There aren't too many musicals covering the real reason for the Christmas season. Most of the few musicals I know of that discuss the birth of Christ are animated or low-budget. This was released theatrically in 2023, and although it didn't do well at the box office, it's become a bit more widely seen on streaming since then. How does a modern version of the story of Mary, Joseph, and the Three Wise Men look now? Let's begin with those three Wise Men as they realize that a new king is to be born and find out...

The Story: Mary (Palomo) wants to be a teacher, but her father (Antonio Cantos) has her betrothed to a man she's never met. She's furious, and he's not happier. He has his own dreams of becoming an inventor. No one believes Mary when she says the angel Gabriel (Lecrae) comes to her, claiming that she'll have a baby who will be the son of God. Even Joseph doesn't at first, until he finally realizes how much he loves and trusts her. 

Even as Joseph decides to trust his wife, egotistical King Harrod (Bandares) is worrying about a prophecy he heard from three rather goofy wise men. Seems there will be a "king of kings" who could potentially take his place among the people. He's not complaining when Caesar Augustus orders all of his people to travel to Bethehem for a census and be counted. Joseph worries that Mary can't make the trip, and when they do finally arrive, there's only room in a stable for them. That turns out to be more than enough for their new family. The Three Wise Men have been searching for them too, but all they have to do is talk to shepherds and follow a certain star to see a baby born in a manger who will become one of the most important religious beings on the planet.

The Song and Dance: This is...not what I was expecting. I figured we'd get something subdued, quiet. What we got amounted to a Disney Channel musical with a religious theme. That's not to say it doesn't have some virtues. Palomo is a lovely, feisty Mary, while Banderes is a wonderfully hissable and egotistical King Harrod, and even the Wise Men occasionally get a funny line or gag. There's also the dusty yellow backdrop, a golden, ancient Spain representing the Holy Lands.

The Numbers: We open with a young woman beginning "O Come All Ye Faithful" over the credits as the Wise Men travel to Jerusalem before it Segways into the title song and the oldest-known still performed Christmas song, "O Come O Come Emmanuel." "Mary's Getting Married" her sisters and the women of the town sing in delight during our first chorus number. Mary's not buying their claim it'll be "good for her." She only sees herself having to give up her dreams of teaching. Harrod claims to his followers that it's "Good To Be the King." Mary and Joseph are more concerned about their fracturing engagement as they wonder "Can We Make This Work?" 

After Gabriel arrives, Mary claims she's now "The Mother to a Savior and King." Joseph's worried that his wife's belief in her immaculate conception may be "The Ultimate Deception." The Three Wise Men claim they are those "Three Wise Guys." Joseph and Mary grow closer during their trip to Bethlehem, where "We Become We." Antipater (Joel Smallbone), the husband of Deborah (Moriah Smallbone), insists that the baby his older wife has created is "In My Blood." "The Nativity Song" is a medley of Christmas carols based around the birth of Christ, revealing the angel Gabriel and the true "king of kings" born in a humble manger. The movie ends with "Brand New Life" over the end credits.

What I Don't Like: Between the nice but largely unmemorable pop songs, the presence of bland but likable Manheim, and the side plot with the too-goofy (not very) Wise Men trying to figure out what's going on, this really feels more like a Disney Channel musical than one that was released on the big screen. They're not going for historical accuracy, either. (Admittedly, they do make this clear right before the end credits.) If you're looking for a darker, more "accurate" version of the Nativity story, this isn't it.

The Big Finale: Worth checking out at least once for families with older kids and tweens looking for a religious musical or a Nativity film.

Home Media: Easily found on disc and streaming.

DVD

Blu-Ray

Amazon Prime

This Christmas

Sony (Columbia)/Screen Gems, 2007

Starring Loretta Devine, Delroy Lindo, Idris Alba Jr., and Regina King

Directed by Preston A. Whitmore II

Music and Lyrics by various

Let's jump back thirteen years from a community-focused Christmas to a family-oriented one. Most Christmas musicals are big and bold. This one reminds us that there's music in smaller holidays, too. I also don't know of too many holiday musicals that focus on the African-American Christmas experience, like this one does. How well does the tangled tale of one family's troubled Christmas Eve and Day hold up over a decade and a half later? Let's begin as a singer performs a slinky "Santa Baby" and the Whitfield family begins to gather for Christmas and find out...

The Story: Shirley "Ma'Dere" Winfield (Divine) is looking forward to seeing her six children and their families and significant others. She's happy with her boyfriend Joe Black (Lindo) after her husband walked out, but her oldest son Quentin (Alba) doesn't like that he replaced their father. Her oldest daughter Lisa (King) is a housewife with two children whose unfaithful husband Malcolm (Laz Alonso) barely has time for her. Kelli (Sharon Leal) is a college grad living in New York, while youngest daughter Melanie (Lauren London) is a college student who brings her boyfriend Devan (Keith Robinson) home for the holidays. Youngest son Baby (Chris Brown) still lives at home. He loves photography, but he also loves to sing, which he hides from his mother. 

Musician Quentin is having his own problems with bookies Mo (David Banner) and Dude (Ronnie Warner), who want $25,000 yesterday. Kelli is happier with Gerald (Mekhi Phifer), the handsome guy she meets at a local nightclub. After middle brother Claude (Columbus Short) is arrested for pulling a gun at a nightclub, his very white wife Sandi (Jessica Stroup) turns up nervous and pregnant. There's also their mother's long-standing dry cleaner business that they all own shares in. Malcolm and Lisa want to pressure the others to sell, but it's their mother's business. Over the course of Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, faith will be tested, new bonds will be created, and the Whitfield family will learn the importance of family, teamwork, connection, and sticking up for yourself and others.

The Song and Dance: I like how low-key this is. As I mentioned earlier, most Christmas musicals tend to be big, bold, and brassy. The focus on one family and their relationships makes this rare among holiday musicals, and almost refreshing just for that. It's sweet and thoughtful with just enough sass to keep it from diving into overly syrupy Hallmark movie territory. Brown's adorable as the youngest member of the family who worries that his talent may upset his mother, Divine is radiant as the family's anchor and matriarch, and Alba as the most tortured of the brothers. 

The Numbers: We open with Lina's sexy performance of "Santa Baby" at the bar where musician Quentin works. "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" provides the backdrop for Baby taking photos while his mother and Kelli wonder where the others are. Marvin Gaye's "Got to Give It Up Part 1" provides the backdrop for Quentin's arrival via Greyhound as the rest of the family dances. "Merry Christmas Baby" by Charles Brown underscores Malcolm and Lisa discussing Quentin and why their mother doesn't allow them to play music. Quentin plays "The Christmas Song" on a piano in the garage late at night. 

A rap group at the nightclub performs "Go Getter" as they arrive. Baby performs "Try a Little Tenderness," to the shock of his siblings who had no idea he could sing. TLC's version of "Sleigh Ride" underscores the scene where the men buy a Christmas tree. Aretha Franklin's "I Ain't Never Loved a Man (The Way I Loved You)" likewise provides the backdrop for an angry Lisa to drive her husband's beloved truck into the Los Angeles River. "Twinkle Twinkle Little Me" by Stevie Wonder has Quentin leaving clothes for Joe. The church choir raises the roof with a gorgeous "O Holy Night," after which Baby sings the title R&B standard for his mother. The movie ends with the entire cast reprise their group dance routine to "Got to Give It Up."

What I Don't Like: If you're expecting a bigger, bolder, or more action-packed show, this is not going to be for you. This is basically a holiday family soap opera with a couple of goons thrown in. It also goes on for way, way too long. Most of the melodrama in the middle could have been trimmed. Some members of the family are heard from more than others. London in particular as the youngest daughter has the least to do other than talk about her night spent with Gerard. And what's with the random dance-off at the middle and end of the movie? They're funny, but they also have nothing to do with anything. 

The Big Finale: If you're looking for a quieter Christmas movie to watch with your grown children by a roaring fire, you can do far worse than this look at one family's tumultuous holiday season.

Home Media: The discs are pricey, but it's easily found anywhere on streaming, including for free with commercials on Pluto TV.

DVD

Blu-Ray

Pluto TV On Demand

Musicals On Streaming - Christmas On the Square

Warner Bros/Netflix, 2020

Starring Dolly Pardon, Christine Baranski, Jenifer Lewis, and Josh Segarra

Directed by Debbie Allen

Music and Lyrics by Dolly Pardon

Our first live-action holiday musical of the season is about as traditional as you can get. Despite the pandemic still raging when this came out, this was a surprise hit on Netflix in 2020, and even won an Emmy for best TV movie in 2021. Is it still as much fun five years later, when there's no health event going on, or is there just a little too much cheese here to enjoy? Let's begin in an obviously fake town square, as people are dancing and celebrating the start of the Christmas season...at least until one expensive car pulls into the Square...and find out...

The Story: Regina Fuller (Baranski) is more than happy to hand out eviction notices to every business in Fullerville two days before Christmas. She claims she wants to build a mall on the land, but she really just wants the town gone. The town is the namesake of her father Jack (Douglas Sills), whom she thought turned her away after she had a baby out of wedlock. She learns her lessons from an angel (Pardon), her angel-in-training Felicity (Jeanine Mason) who is working as Regina's assistant, and from Violet (Selah Kimbro Jones), the girl who works at her father's bar and is the only person to treat Regina kindly after the evictions come down, and from a scare with a possible brain tumor about the importance of life, of forgiveness, and seeing the big picture, even in our grief.

The Song and Dance: Baranski and Pardon are the thing here in this big, bright, bold musical. This is about as typical of a holiday musical as you can get, but Baranski's sarcasm, especially in the first half, cuts the sugar level. Pardon gets some funny moments too, especially with Mason when she's either not getting through to her angry employer or fed up with her attitude problem. Broadway singer Jenifer Lewis has some funny moments too as Regina's best friend Margeline who wishes she'd just cut the attitude problem and see what she's doing to the town. The bright-colored sets evoke a polished local stage show or an old MGM musicals, with their blatantly unrealistic old-fashioned look.

The Numbers: We open with "Christmas Is," as everyone in Fullerville prepares for the big holiday...just as Regina shows up with her eviction notices and the constantly apologizing Felicity. "You" is Pastor Christian Hathaway (Segarra) and his wife Jenna's (Mary Lane Haskell) duet as they admit that while they may not have been blessed with children, they still have each other. Salon owner Margeline is called to do Regina's hair, but she ends up calling her the "Queen of Mean" before telling her to do it herself. Regina's ex-boyfriend Carl (Treat Williams) who owns the local thrift shop calls himself a "Keeper of Memories," not merely a junk store owner.

When the homeless woman in the square reveals herself to be Angel (Pardon), she tells Regina that "Everyone Needs an Angel." Regina needs to "Light Her Lamp" and remember the good times with her father. The town calls Regina "The Wickedest Witch of the Middle" at a church meeting, then encourages everyone to "Try" to be the best they can be. Violet and Regina commiserate at the bar as they admit their lives haven't exactly been a "Fairy Tale." "Maybe, Just Maybe" is Regina's song, which she sings four times, in the opening and before, during, and after her brain tumor scan as she wonders if she can change her life and if she wants to. Jack gives "A Father's Prayer" when he takes his daughter's baby, then puts him up for adoption so he'll have a better life than his mother can give him.

"Christmas Is" turns up again for Felicity as she tries to point out to Regina what she's doing to the town again. Jenna reprises "Try" as she wishes she could conceive a child and have a home to give it. Angel performs "Angels Know" as her magic awakens Violet after a car accident and gives Jenna what she longed for. Margeline and the townspeople raise the roof with a gospel version of "Try." Angel sings of "An Angel's Prayer" as she hovers over the church pulpit on Christmas Eve. Regina sings for everyone to "Forgive Me," including her newly-found son, as she finally admits that the animosity she held to the town and her father was wrong. The movie ends with the entire town - including the two angels - reprising "Christmas Is." Pardon sings "Try" over the credits.

Trivia: The song "Try" was originally written for and featured on Pardon's 2014 album Blue Smoke.

What I Don't Like: Another award this one was nominated for was "Campiest TV Show"....and oh boy, did it deserve that. This is about as campy of a modern musical as you can get. There's so many numbers, it's practically an operetta. They lay on the forgiveness Aesop with the thickest, ripest cheese possible, and it can be way too much. There's also the obviously fake sets. This is not a real town. The square is obviously not a real square, the houses aren't real houses. It's more like a play you'd see at your local repertory theater than a TV movie. The dialogue borders on stiff and well-meaning to the point of being annoying sometimes, especially for the Pastor and his wife. Not to mention, there's the ridiculously melodramatic story that comes off as a cross between It's a Wonderful Life, A Christmas Carol, and The Bishop's Wife and veers between silly and predictable. 

The Big Finale: It's worth seeing at least once if you're a big fan of Pardon or Baranski or want to check out a modern version of those big studio-bound musicals of the 40's and 50's.

Home Media: Easily found on Netflix and on DVD.

DVD

Netflix

Animation Celebration Saturday - The Nutcracker (1995)

Jetlag Productions/Goodtimes Entertainment, 1995

Voices of Andrea Libman, Tony Ail, Nathan Aswell, and Kathleen Barr

Directed by Toshiyuki Haruma and Takashi Masunga

Music by Nicholas "Nick" Carr, Ray Crossley, and Andrew Dimitoff; Lyrics by Joellyn Cooperman

Our last review for the year of a low-budget animated knock-off from the 90's is actually much better than you might think. Though there was an Canadian animated Nutcracker film that came out in 1992, most previous versions of The Nutcracker were short subjects or live-action recordings of the ballet. That and the fact that this sticks more to the original story The Nutcracker and the Mouse King by E.H Hoffman than to the ballet makes this unique among Nutcracker adaptations, and gives it a stronger plot than most of the Jetlag films as well. How well does this do with the whimsical story? Let's begin as Marie (Libman) and her brother Fritz wait to see their tree and open presents and find out...

The Story: Marie and Fritz love their presents, especially his toy soldiers and the Nutcracker she found on the tree. Their Godfather Drosselmeyer brings them a special present - a castle with figures that really move in an endless loop. Fritz is quickly bored with it, but Marie thinks it's lovely. 

That night, she sees the Nutcracker and toy soldiers fight an evil seven-headed Mouse King. She throws her shoe at the Mouse King to distract him and save the Nutcracker, but hits her head while doing so. She wakes up with a bump on her head, in her bed with her parents worried. Godfather Drosselmeyer tells her how the Nutcracker had once been his handsome young nephew who cracked a nut for the Princess Pirlipat. The princess was cursed into ugliness by the Mouse Queen when her parents trapped the Mouse Queen's children. The cracked nut changed the Princess into a beautiful young woman, but with her last breath, the Mouse Queen transferred the curse to the nephew and turned him into the Nutcracker.

Late at night, the Mouse King comes to Marie and demands her candy, then her clothes and books, or he'll destroy the Nutcracker. Marie knows she can't keep doing this, but she doesn't want her Nutcracker hurt. She finally gets Fritz to give up a sword, so he can defeat the evil Mouse King once and for all and take Marie to the magnificent Christmas Wood, Candy Town, and the Marzipan Castle. She wonders if it was all a dream, until Godfather Drosselmeyer comes and introduces his very familiar nephew...

The Animation: Not the greatest thing ever, but not bad for Jetlag. Everyone has the same enormous blue eyes, but at least the humans have more than one expression. There's some wonderful details on the colorful Christmas Woods and Marzipan Castle in the second half. I do wish they hadn't made the Mouse Queen and Mouse King look so cute and cuddly! It belies their roles as terrifying villains. 

The Song and Dance:  This wound up being a rather big surprise. There couldn't be a greater contrast between this and our previous direct-to-video animated review, The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Here, the whimsical comic tone is appropriate for a satirical fantasy. It even uses the entire backstory with Princess Pirlipat that most ballet-centered versions leave out. Marie is adorable, Fritz is funny, and Godfather Drosselmeyer is appropriately roguish, especially insisting that Marie's dreams are true.

The Numbers: We open with "The Season of Love" as unnamed singers tell us what's to come over scenes of people preparing for Christmas. Marie, dressed as a princess, enjoys "Dancing Through the Night" with the Nutcracker near the end of the film. It ends with "A Dream Come True" as Drosselmeyer's nephew and Marie return to the Marzipan Castle, this time to dance forever. "Season of Love" is reprised over the credits.

What I Don't Like: Though it has a better story and script than most of the Jetlag animated movies, it's still a cheap animated knock-off from the 90's. The animation is colorful but stiff, the few songs are tinny and unmemorable ballads, and the Mouse Queen and King are much too cute and cuddly-looking to be believable as villains. You wonder why Marie believed this seven-headed cutie would ever hurt anything, let alone her Nutcracker. 

The Big Finale: Actually, this isn't a bad introduction to the original Nutcracker and the Mouse King for elementary school-aged kids who will enjoy the story and action and be able to overlook the cheap animation and songs.

Home Media: Easily found on DVD and on streaming, the latter currently for free with commercials at Tubi.

DVD

Tubi

Merry Christmas Eve! - Christmas Eve On Sesame Street

PBS, 1978

Starring Bob McGrath, Debbie Chen, Will Lee, and Roscoe Orman; Muppet Voices of Jim Henson, Frank Oz, Carroll Spinney, and Jerry Nelson

Directed by Jon Stone

Music and Lyrics by various

We celebrate the holidays in New York with the 70's cast of one of the most beloved children's shows on television. By the time this and the prime-time show A Special Sesame Street Christmas debuted in 1978, Sesame Street was an institution that taught children numbers, letters, and many life lessons via short clips, skits, cartoons, and its diverse cast of Muppets and humans. Many of the most famous Muppets and humans appear in this lovely special that was one of the big holiday offerings on PBS that season. Is it still as much fun over 45 years later? Let's head to a skating rink in New York City as the Muppets, their neighbors, and skaters from the professional show Holiday On Ice show their stuff and find out...

The Story: After the skating party, Oscar the Grouch (Spinney) tells Big Bird (Spinney) and little Patty (Chen) that if Santa can't get down those skinny New York chimneys, no one will get any presents! The duo spend the rest of their Christmas Eve trying to figure out how Santa does it. They ask Kermit the Frog (Henson), but his and Grover's (Oz) interviews of local kids don't produce the desired results. Having Mr. Snuffleupagus (Nelson) pose as Santa only ends with him stuck in a trash canister. Big Bird finallydecides to go to the roof and find out himself...but when Patty realizes he's gone, the entire neighborhood turns out to find him.

Elsewhere on Sesame Street, Bert and Ernie want to buy presents for each other, but they have no money. They turn to Mr. Hooper (Lee) to exchange the things they love most for them. Mr. Hooper, however, knows what they really want. Cookie Monster would love to tell Santa what he wants for Christmas...if he could stop eating the writing utensils!

The Song and Dance: This couldn't be a greater contrast between this and Special Sesame Street Christmas. Made by Children's Television Workshop (now Sesame Workshop) on PBS with the regular cast and most of the regular Muppet characters of the time, it's heartwarming, adorable, and very funny rather than too cheesy or over-the-top. Spinney has the most fun as the wistful Big Bird, who just wants to know if Santa will get through, and the cynical Oscar. Ernie and Bert's side plot is just as sweet, especially if you're familiar with the famous O.Henry short story it's based on. Cookie Monster has a few good gags with him getting so into thinking about cookies and treats, he eats anything he could use to write Santa.

The Numbers: We open with the skating party and the Holiday On Ice ensemble. Full body puppets of Ernie, Bert, the Count, Oscar, and Cookie Monster show off, while a child helps Big Bird skate to the tune of "Feliz Navidad." "True Blue Miracle" is a chorus number, performed by all the human neighbors as they buy their trees and wreaths on the way home from the skating rink. Big Bird spends the song telling an unimpressed Oscar his ideas for how Santa gets down those chimneys. 

Bob Johnson (Bob McGrath) performs "Keep Christmas With You" as local kids do the song in sign language for his deaf girlfriend Linda (Linda Bove). Oscar's not a fan of holidays period, as he complains in "I Hate Christmas." Bert and Ernie sing "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" after they open their gifts and realize how much they mean to one another. The entire cast reprises "Keep Christmas With You" just before the end credits, after they find Big Bird. 

Trivia: This won an Emmy for Outstanding Children's Program in 1979. 

What I Don't Like: This might seem slow or corny compared to many children's holiday specials today. I'm not sure what younger children will think of this now. It was made well before the debut of such popular recent Muppets as Elmo, Julia, or Rosita. Most of the neighbors are very different, too. Maria's with David rather than Luis, Bob has a girlfriend, and there's Mr. Hooper, who has been gone for so long, many adults may not remember him, let alone their kids. 

The Song and Dance: If you have fond memories of seeing this one on TV or video in the 70's and 80's or have children who love Big Bird and won't mind the lack of recent characters, this sweet trip to Sesame Street during the holidays is very highly recommended. 

Home Media: It's on Amazon Prime and Max, but most streaming copies cut either the "Feliz Navidad" skating sequence or the end stinger with Cookie Monster after having eaten Olivia and Gordon's Christmas tree. You may be better off looking for this one on DVD, either solo or paired with the much later holiday special Elmo's Christmas Countdown.

DVD

DVD - Holiday Double Feature: Elmo's Christmas Countdown/Christmas Eve On Sesame Street

Amazon Prime

Musicals On Streaming - Scrooge: A Christmas Carol

Netflix, 2022

Voices of Luke Evans, Jonathan Pryce, Johnny Flynn, and Fra Fee

Directed by Stephen Donnelly

Music and Lyrics by Leslie Bricusse, Stephen Donnelly, and Jeremy Holland-Smith

We head to England for our next story. This is a partial remake of Scrooge, the 1970 British musical with Albert Finney as the title character and Sir Alec Guinness as Jacob Marley. The film's remained relatively popular during the holiday season, especially in it's native United Kingdom, enough for low-mid budget animation company Timeless to try turning the world's most famous Christmas story into an animated musical. How well did they pull it off? Let's begin with Harry Scrooge (Fee) explaining why he loves this time of year while out and about in London and find out...

The Story: Scrooge (Evans) refuses to come to Harry's Christmas dinner party, or have anything to do with him. He resents that his beloved sister Jan (Jemima Lucy Newton) died giving birth to him. He also won't give money to the poor or let his clerk Bob Cratchit (Flynn) have coal or pay him much, and he forces those in debt to him to pay on Christmas Eve. 

The miserly old man learns a lesson when the ghost of his former boss Jacob Marley (Pryce) appears and tells him he'll be haunted by three ghosts. Past (Olivia Coleman) reminds him how he pushed away his fiancee Isabel (Jessie Buckley) after Jan's death and he left his old boss Mr. Fezziwig (James Cosmo) for the higher-paying Marley. Jolly Present (Trevor Dion Nicholas) shows him the wonderful party he's missing at Harry's and Bob's dinner with his beloved family, including his sickly son Tim (Rupert Trumbull). It's the frightening, silent Future that finally gets across to Scrooge what his nastiness is doing to those around him, and what will happen to them and him if he doesn't change his ways.

The Animation: Sometimes, it looks waxier than the Ghost of Christmas Past, with all the sharp angles and even sharper movement. There's some amazing effects here, though. Past's shapeshifting into different characters and Present's amazing "I Like Life" dance routine are especially well-done. Jacob Marley has an awesome icy entrance, too, all blue, frosty, and angular.

The Song and Dance: There's a lot of interesting ideas here that I think are pretty creative. Considering most versions cut or shortchange the subplot with Scrooge's sister, I like how they connect Scrooge's resentment of his nephew to his difficulties with Christmas and how close he was to Jan here. There's also Scrooge having done nothing to stop Marley from closing the bakery belonging to a certain Mr. Cratchit, then wondering why his son chooses to work for him years later. Scrooge's enormous dog Prudence comes off less of an annoying sidekick and more sweet and loyal, especially when she's one of the only mourners at his funeral in the Future segment. 

The Numbers: The rollicking "I Love Christmas" opens things with a huge dance number that encompasses all of London and even includes Harry playing the saxophone. Bob sings to his "Christmas Children" as they make their way home for the holiday. Scrooge asks Prudence to "Tell Me" why everyone is so crazy about Christmas when it only makes him miserable. Sweet Jan sings gently about her "Christmas Wishes" to her brother working on Christmas Eve, before collapsing in his arms. Isabel and Scrooge dance in the stars as she tells him about her "Happiness," but her hopes for marriage are dashed when he falls more in love with making money and "Later Never Comes."

The Ghost of Christmas Present's "I Like Life" also becomes a huge number, with little cute Cheerlings playing instruments surrounding enormous glistening piles of confections. "The Beautiful Day" is Tiny Tim's sweet little solo at his family's Christmas dinner. "Thank You Very Much" is another big chorus number that basically covers all of London. Even Scrooge is singing along, not realizing that toy shop owner Tom Jenkins (Giles Terrera) is literally dancing on his coffin. He happily claims "I'll Begin Again" after he awakens, and everyone reprises "I Love Christmas" at a huge dinner where Scrooge gives to the charity-collectors, promotes Bob, and releases Tom from his debt. 

What I Don't Like: First of all, what's with the additional songs? None of them are as good as the Leslie Bricusse score from the live-action film, nor do they match their style or the time period. Among the missing numbers are the rousing "December the 25th" at Fezziwig's party (which is basically glossed over) and "A Christmas Carol" that opened and closed the original film. And often, the older songs are given orchestrations that render them almost unrecognizable. For something they dedicated to Bricusse (who died during production), they could have used more of his work.

For all the new ideas that work, others are just plain baffling. Why did they change the names of Scrooge's nephew and sister from Fred and Fan to Harry and Jan? Why does Scrooge look like a handsome middle-aged man rather than a decrepit elderly miser? Why did they change Scrooge's backstory to his father being in debtor's prison? It doesn't come off any better here than it did in Christmas Carol: The Musical. Harry is annoying and too pushy, making you understand a bit better why Scrooge would want nothing to do with him. 

Why are all of the  numbers turned up to 11? The opening and the Ghost of Christmas Present's solo lose their intimacy and charm done as huge productions. None of the kids look like sickly urchins, not even Tim. And while Prudence is a good loyal dog, neither she nor the silly little Cheerlings who appear mid-way through are necessary to the story.

The Big Finale: Not bad if you're prowling around Netflix looking for something to watch with the kids, but there's better versions of this story out there, including the original live-action film. 

Home Media: It's a Netflix exclusive at the moment. 

Netflix

It's Christmas Again

Mapelle Films, 2022

Starring Lawson Touliatos, Leela Owen, Dimintri Mareno, and Jason Burkley

Directed by Sandra L. Martin

Music by Quinten Coblenz; Lyrics by Wes Writer

We explore the less secular side of the holiday with this independent Christian film. I'm not the most religious person in the universe, but I was intrigued by the idea of seeing the birth of Christ through the eyes of a jaded teen boy. How did this come across in this low-budget family tuner? Let's begin with Jake (Touliatos) walking through his town and explaining why the holiday decorations and activities are important to the community and find out...

The Story: Jake wants his girlfriend Abbey (Owen) to go on a skiing trip with him and his family. Not only does her family want her to hang around for the holidays, but her mother encourages her to play Mary in a Christmas pageant that'll raise money for a local church. Jake's disappointed and angry with her, and is even more so when his little brother Oliver (Max Victory) breaks his ankle and his parents end up canceling that coveted skiing vacation. He jumps on his skateboard and heads over to a friend's house for a party, claiming he doesn't understand why everyone's making a fuss over Christmas and refusing to appear as a shepherd in the pageant.

After a nasty fall off his skateboard, he first awakens in Bethlehem just as Baby Jesus is born. To his shock, he's dressed as a shepherd, and the other local shepherds assume he's one of them. Two younger shepherds, one of whom looks a lot like Abbey, take him to see Baby Jesus and his mother Mary (Reina Ozbay). He's attacked by a Roman soldier (Nathan Kehn) after a big dinner with Abbey's family and finds himself back in his town and time...but now, the Christmas decorations and revelers are gone. Abbey claims no one has celebrated it in a long time. With the help of her and a homeless teen (Mareno), Jake becomes determined to bring Christmas back to his community and show everyone in the process that Christmas is truly about the spirit of giving, charity, and hope.

The Song and Dance: Some decent performances anchor this well-meaning parable. Touliatos is pretty funny as Jake, whether he's confronting Roman guards, his friends who would rather be somewhere sunny for Christmas, or trying to convince Abbey that Christmas is worth saving. Owen has a few nice moments as his girlfriend too, especially in the second half where she's the skeptical one and he's trying to make her see the light. In fact, I do like how they turn around their positions in the last third. It shows just how much Jake has changed. 

The Numbers: Jake introduces us to the many holiday activities and decorations around his town in the energetic opening title song. He's determined to do Christmas "My Way" at school, even if Abbey can't join him. Once in Bethlehem, he tells the shepherds that what they do is "Not for Me." The people in Bethlehem are more interested in "Gimmie, Gimmie" as they lament having to be counted for taxes. "Mary's Lullaby" soothes the Baby Jesus after the kids arrive. The big family dinner for Abigail and her mother and siblings turns into the "Bless This Home" chorus number that baffles Jake. He briefly sings "We Three Kings" to tell the other shepherds about the wise men who are on their way with gifts. 

"Hey Christmas" is another chorus number, this one in a coffee shop when Jake and his new homeless friend Joe try to explain the holidays to the clientele. "Time Stands Still" is Abbey's solo as she admits how much she misses her father. The trio "Reach Out a Hand" and deliver food to the poor and homeless who were displaced when the church closed. It ends with another huge chorus number and a reprise of the title song as Jake admits that there's a lot more to the holidays than the same old traditions.

What I Don't Like: First of all, it's obvious that this is a low-budget Christian film. The sets are cheap as heck, especially the Bethlehem that more closely looks like something that was filmed in the back of a church. The songs are dull pop and rap and, other than the title song, are totally unmemorable. There's also the cliche of the Mysterious Black Friend having been questioned quite a bit lately, and it gets played to the hilt in the second half. 

My biggest problems is this movie has plot holes big enough to drive a whole herd of sheep through. It should have either stayed in Bethlehem and let the kids meet the Wise Men, or gone the It's a Wonderful Life route and have Jake wake up and realize what the lack of holiday spirit has done to the town. Either one would have sustained a full plot. Or maybe kept the second half, but have him interfere with history in some way and and awaken to Christmas being gone everywhere, period, or never have existed to begin with. 

I can understand him dreaming the sequence in Bethlehem, but they never explain why he wakes up and is suddenly in a world where his town just stopped celebrating Christmas. They don't say how it happened, or how or if it's connected with the church, or why Abbey's father is suddenly dead during the last 20 minutes.

The Big Finale: This recommended only for the most ardent teen Christian movie fans or parents desperately searching for a holiday movie to entertain their teens for an hour and a half before Christmas dinner.

Home Media: Easily found on DVD and streaming. Tubi currently has it for free with commercials.

DVD

Amazon Prime

Tubi 

Musicals On TV - Rent Live! (2019)

Fox, 2019

Starring Brennin Hunt, Jordan Fisher, Vanessa Hudgens, and Tinashe

Directed by Michael Greif and Alex Rudzinski

Music and Lyrics by Jonathan Larson

After their success with Grease, Fox searched for another recent rock musical that could match its popularity with teens and young adults. Though the movie version of Rent wasn't a hit in 2005, the stage show continued to be a favorite of young people who enjoyed the story and unique characters. How well did it adapt to TV, especially after they ran into major trouble right before the broadcast? Let's begin with a black screen showing the words of Jonathan Larson himself and find out...

The Story: Mark Cohen (Fisher) is a documentary filmmaker who spends a year shooting life in and around the dilapidated building in Manhattan's East Village where he and his songwriter roommate Roger Davis (Hunt) live. Their former roommate and current landlord Benny (Mario) is demanding the rent, even going so far as to turn off the electricity and padlock the building. Part-time philosophy professor and their friend Tom Collins (Brandon Victor Dixon) falls for kind-hearted transvestite Angel Dumott Schunard (Valentina), while Roger gets involved with exotic dancer Mimi Marquez (Tinashe). 

Mark's ex-girlfriend Maureen Johnson (Hudgens) is a performance artist whose avant-garde one-woman protest against Benny's desire to build a "cyber studio" in place of their tenement sparks a riot on Christmas Eve. She's in an on-again, off-again relationship with uptight lawyer Joanne Jefferson (Kiersey Clemons), who doesn't appreciate Maureen's flirting with everything and anything. Roger's even less happy with Mimi's drug addiction and breaks it off with her, too. The group finally breaks up after Angel dies of complications from AIDS, with Mark selling his work to a network show and Roger heading for Santa Fe. Roger returns to New York when he can't forget Mimi. 

The Song and Dance: For something that was only intended to be a dress rehearsal, there's some genuinely good performances here. Real-life drag queen Valentina has an absolute blast as Angel, especially during the "Today 4 U" number. Hudgens is even more fun as flirtatious Maureen than she was as Rizzo in Grease Live, and Tinashe is a touching and delicate Mimi. That enormous industrial set, with its crisscrossing pipes, bright lights, and graffiti-covered "walls," definitely gives this show a gritty urban vibe and won deserved Emmys. And heck, that last 10 minutes or so with both the new and original cast singing "Seasons of Love" is pure electricity and almost worth the price of admission. 

The Numbers: "Tune Up #1 and #2" and "Voice Mail #1" introduce us to Mark, Roger, and their situation with the housing and Mark's big film-making project. "You Okay, Honey?" and "Rent" brings in Angel and Tom as they try to help a homeless man and explain the trouble with the building and what Maureen is protesting. Roger says what he wants is just "One Song Glory" and to be remembered for something great before he dies. "Light My Candle" introduces Mimi to Roger. Angel tells the guys she's going to take them on the town as she struts her stuff in feather-trimmed Christmas duds to "Today 4 U." 

Benny protests them not paying the rent, saying "You'll See" what he does to get rid of them. Mark and Joanne dance a "Tango; Maureen" as they discuss the woman they have in common and why she drives them crazy. "Life Support" and "Will I?" introduces the AIDS group Mark films, while Mimi laments having to go "Out Tonight." "Another Day" and "I Should Tell You" are Mimi and Roger's love duets; "I'll Cover You" is Tom and Angel's. Tom tells Mark and Angel he dreams of quitting his job and opening a restaurant in "Santa Fe." Joanne claims "We're Okay," while the others sing about those "Christmas Bells." Maureen's idea of a protest is doing a really strange number about cows jumping "Over the Moon." Everyone gets a lot more into the big first-act closing number "La Vie Boheme," despite Benny's protests.

The second act opens with everyone performing this show's biggest hit, "Seasons of Love" and wishing each other "Happy New Year!" Maureen and Joanne's argument ends with them telling each other to "Take Me or Leave Me," while Mimi and Roger try to live "Without You." "Contact" and the reprise of "I'll Cover You" depicts Angel's death and the heartfelt funeral afterwards. The entire group says "Goodbye Love" as they split up, with Roger and Mark fleeing New York in "What You Own." The "Finale" brings Roger back to Mimi as she reveals what she's seen after her near-death experience. The entire cast, including the cast of the original 1996 Broadway show, return over the end credits to encore "Seasons of Love."

Trivia: The last 15 minutes with "Seasons of Love" was the only scene that ended up being filmed live. Brennin Hunt broke his foot during the dress rehearsal, which is why he is in a wheelchair during the finale and they ended up broadcasting the dress rehearsal. 

What I Don't Like: The critics have a point. Why didn't Fox have stand-ins or understudies for the main cast, just in case someone did get hurt? Couldn't they have gotten someone else, or done it as a concert? This was advertised as a live show, and it didn't end up being that. And while I do think Rent is tailor-made for the small screen, it might be better off on streaming or a cable channel like MTV with less stringent standards. Fox altered lyrics and cut a lot of profanity and sexual and drug references. 

The Big Finale: This ended up being much better than I thought it would be from all the criticism it received in 2019. Worth checking out if you're a fan of the show, of Larsen's other work, or of other rock operas. 

Home Media: Currently available for purchase only at Amazon.

Amazon Prime (Purchase Only)

Musicals On TV - Elf: Buddy's Musical Christmas

NBC/Warner Bros, 2014

Voices of Jim Parsons, Ed Asner, Mark Hamill, and Kate Miucci

Directed by Mark Caballero and Seamus Walsh

Music by Matthew Sklar; Lyrics by Chad Beguelin

The film Elf, about a human who was raised as an elf and goes to New York to get his father off the naughty list, was an instant sensation in 2003. Comedian Will Farrell had one of his biggest roles as Buddy, the enthusiastic, Christmas-loving human-sized elf who inspires the holiday spirit even in jaded New Yorkers. It became a Broadway show in 2010, and even then was popular during the holiday season. How does this story work as an animated holiday special? Let's begin in Christmastown as Santa (Asner) explains how Buddy (Parsons) was the happiest elf in the North Pole despite also being the clumsiest and find out...

The Story: As it turns out, Buddy isn't an elf. He's a human whose mother gave him up for adoption before her death. Santa sends him to New York to find his birth father Walter Hobbs (Hamill), who is on the naughty list. Walter is a high-powered publishing executive who spends more time trying to create a blockbuster Christmas children's book than with his wife Emily (Rachel MacFarlane) and son Michael (Max Charles) and thinks Christmas means nothing but making money.

Buddy doesn't have a pleasant introduction to the Big Apple. He's thrown out of Walter's office in the Empire State Building when he mistakes him for a singing telegram boy, then ends up at the Hobbs' apartment after he accidentally reveals a mall Santa to be an impostor and starts a brawl. Emily and Michael take to him far more than Walter after he helps Michael with a science project. Buddy's thrilled, and is even happier on a date with sweet but cynical Jovie (Miucci). His father just gets angry with him after he excitedly tears up an important manuscript. Buddy runs away, but his new family bring him back when Santa crashes, and Buddy could be the only one who can drum up enough Christmas spirit to get him back in the air.

The Animation: I really like the unique cut-paper stop-motion work they did here. It looks like the pop-up book Santa reads in the beginning, complete with fluffy clouds made of actual cotton and Wooly yarn or curly nylon hair. While a bit on the jerky side, that once again does kind of work with it being a pop-up book read by Santa. Some of the designs - notably Buddy and Walter's obnoxious boss Mr. Greenway (Gilbert Gottfried) - can be awkward or a little scary, though that was probably intentional in the case of the latter.

The Song and Dance: This wound up being much cuter than I thought it would be. Jim Parsons has just as much fun playing the energetic Buddy as Will Farrell did and sings the heck out of his numbers to boot. Hamill matches him as the executive who is so focused on making a blockbuster by Christmas Eve, he's forgotten what's important. The songs are a lot of fun too, especially Buddy's big decorating number with his family at their apartment and "The Story of Buddy the Elf" over the closing credits.

The Numbers: Santa's a bit annoyed with how the elves are "Happy All the Time" as they work in Christmastown, especially Buddy! Buddy's excited when he goes to find his father,  hoping he'll be the "World's Greatest Dad." Emily and Michael wistfully admire a department store display, telling Santa "I'll Believe In You" if only their husband and father would pay attention to them. They and Buddy use the cards in their house and a few umbrellas to make the austere Hobbs apartment "Sparklejollytwinklejingley." 

"A Christmas Song" explains Buddy's feelings on the holiday to Jovie as they dance on their date and why he loves it so much. After his father rejects him, Buddy joins a group of department store Santas (including Jay Leno) to lament "Nobody Cares About Santa." Emily and Michael rally the New Yorkers in Central Park by claiming "There Is a Santa Claus." This leads into a reprise of "A Christmas Song," ending with the cast singing Buddy's tale over the end credits in "The Story of Buddy the Elf."

Trivia: Elf: The Musical debuted on Broadway as its big Christmas show for 2010. It would return to Broadway in 2012 and is currently playing there again through January. It was on the West End during Christmas in 2015, 2022, and 2023. It's toured extensively during the holidays on both sides of the Atlantic and is a popular holiday attraction for regional theaters as well.

What I Don't Like: Fans of the movie will note many changes, from the narrator being Santa instead of the head elf who adopted Buddy to the elimination of Buddy wrecking havoc in the mail room at the Empire State Building, mistaking a short author Walter is trying to impress for an elf, and helping Michael with bullies in Central Park. I can understand losing the first two, but I wish they'd kept the last one in. We really don't get to see Buddy bond much with any of his family, including the father he's traveled so far to find. It also eliminates a few songs from the musical for time, notably Jovie's solo "Never Fall In Love" and Buddy's "Just Like Him," moves "The Story of Buddy the Elf" to the finale, and uses the opening number created for the 2012 Broadway revival "Happy All the Time."

The Big Finale: If you're a fan of the original film or the musical, or just want to show your kids a unique modern animated special, you can do far worse than Buddy's frantic Christmas tale.

Home Media: Easily found on every format, including all over streaming.

DVD

Blu-Ray

Amazon Prime

The Lemon Drop Kid

Paramount, 1951

Starring Bob Hope, Marilyn Maxwell, Jane Darwell, and Lloyd Nolan

Directed by Sidney Lanfield

Music by Jay Livingston; Lyrics by Ray Evans

We jump start Christmas this week with two adaptations of older films as holiday musicals, starting with this one based on a Damon Runyon story. This was originally filmed in 1934 with Lee Tracy as the lemon candy-loving racetrack tout, but it was heavily reworked for Bob Hope and his gags by former Looney Tunes animator Frank Tashlin, among others. How does this story of a con man who uses an older lady to make money, only to learn a holiday lesson about giving, look today? Let's begin in Florida with The Lemon Drop Kid (Hope) selling phony horse race tips and find out...

The Story: The Kid gets into real trouble when he sells a phony tip to the girlfriend of gangster Moose Moran (Fred Clark). The furious boss demands that he pay back the $10,000 she lost by Christmas Eve. He returns to New York, first trying to get money off his girlfriend Brainey Baxter (Maxwell), then from local crime boss Oxford Charlie (Nolan). Seeing all the sidewalk Santas earning money, he hits on the idea of posing as a Santa, too. He's arrested for panhandling, but that just gives him the idea of posing as a Santa earning money for charity.

Hearing how local older lady Nellie Thursday (Darwell) wasn't allowed to join a senior home because her husband is in jail, he creates the "Nellie Thursday Home for Old Dolls" at one of Moran's abandoned casinos. He and other local gangsters bring in older women as friends for Nellie and even dress as Santas themselves to earn money for her. The Kid originally intends to hand the money over to Moran, but starts to have second thoughts when Brainey leaves her job as a dancer for Charlie to look after the women and he realizes just how big this has gotten...and how important it is to the ladies.

The Song and Dance: This ended up being really cute. Hope is having a terrific time as the candy-sucking con man who thinks he's found a way to easy riches, before he realizes he's found people who really care about him instead. Maxwell also has fun as his sarcastic girlfriend who has been left sitting without a fur coat for too many years. All of the character actors playing gangsters are a riot, too, especially William Frawley as Gloomy Willie and Sit Melton as Little Louie, and Darwell is adorable and very funny as the kindly older woman whose dilemma gives the Kid his charity idea in the first place.

The Numbers: We get the chorus girls doing a dance routine at Charlie's club, claiming "You Obviously Came to Hear Us Sing." Brainey and the Kid gently remind the older women as they settle them down for the night that "It Doesn't Cost You Anything to Dream." The holiday standard here is "Silver Bells," and it gets a number worthy of it, too. Frawley begins it as an attempt to drum up customers. Brainey and the Kid encourage him to give it a softer sell...which leads into them and half of Times Square to tout the delights of the city at Christmastime.

Trivia: Frank Tashlin ended up directing part of the film along with writing part of it, but received no credit for directing. 

What I Don't Like: First of all, I did read that this has nothing whatsoever to do with the original short story or the first film besides the title and a con-man who likes lemon candy. It wasn't originally set at Christmas, either. You can definitely detect Tashlin's wacky Looney Tunes sensibilities in the increased emphasis on slapstick and wacky gags for one of Hope's movies, including near the end where he dresses as an old woman to find the older ladies Oxford Charlie has kidnapped and the missing money. 

The Big Finale: One of Hope's better comedies of the 1950's deserves far more love than it gets for the hilarious script and its two lovely songs. Definitely recommend checking it out this holiday season if you're a fan of Hope, are looking for an adorably hilarious comic caper, or ever wondered where "Silver Bells" came from.

Home Media: Easily found on DVD and streaming.

DVD

Amazon Prime

Merry Christmas! - How the Grinch Stole Christmas (1966) & The Berenstain Bears' Christmas Tree

Merry Christmas, one and all! This year for our closest review to the big day, we're covering one of the most beloved holiday TV specials of all time, and one that's not as well-known today. Do they still deserve a place at your holiday gatherings? Let's start down in Whoville as the Whos begin preparations for their own celebration and find out...

How the Grinch Stole Christmas

CBS, 1966

Voices of Boris Karloff, Thurl Ravenscroft, June Foray, and Dallas McKennon

Directed by Chuck Jones and Ben Washam

Music by Alfred Hague; Lyrics by Dr. Seuss

The Story: All the Whos down in Whoville like Christmas a lot...too much, if you ask the Grinch (Karloff). He finds their noise to be annoying and their Christmas cheer, especially their big Christmas Day gathering around the town tree, to be sickening. Fed up with the noise and sentiment, he makes himself a Santa Claus outfit, puts horns on his dog Max, and rides a sleigh down to Whoville to steal their holiday goodies. He thinks this will put a damper on their Christmas cheer. Not even a tree-stealing Grinch can stop the true holiday spirit, though, finally teaching the Grinch that "Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more."

The Animation: Chuck Jones' signature style is all over this special. I don't think anyone can see the Grinch without thinking of that evil yellow grin and those expressive heavy eyebrows. The Whos, by contrast, are tiny and adorable, with their little child faces and slender teardrop bodies. Their pastel Christmas in the opening is wonderful to look at, with something nifty in every frame. And the Grinch may have found them unbearably noisy, but I did love the creative designs of their toys when he's complaining about how loud Christmas morning is.

The Song and Dance: Jones' animation and Seuss' classic script makes this one of the all-time great TV Christmas specials. The Grinch is a hoot to watch, especially just how he gets away with stealing everything and his defrosting afterwards. His dog Max has great moments of his own. I love his wide-eyed expression when the Grinch ties that horn on his head. Cindy Lou catching him is just adorable - I love how big that ornament is compared to her. 

Favorite Number: "Welcome Christmas" is the Who's song. This gentle greeting opens and closes the special and shows us why the Whos' holiday is so special to them...and why it annoys the Grinch. The first rendition of "Welcome" goes straight into "Trim Up the Tree," a Seuss tongue-twister showing off both the Who's unique decorations and Seuss' creative words for them. 

Of course, the big one here is the song heard throughout the special. "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch" is given extra weight by Thurl Ravenscroft's menacing bass and the constantly escalating lyrics. Some of the most creative insults and villain descriptions ever heard on TV come from this song. It perfectly captures what the Grinch is doing as he makes his plans and takes the Whos' goodies.

What I Don't Like: Honestly, the book isn't that long. There's a bit of slapstick padding with Max and the Grinch getting the sleigh down to Whoville, though it's not nearly as intrusive as similar sequences in the live-action and feature-length animated films. 

The Big Finale: This is one of the most famous holiday specials of all time for good reason. If you haven't watched it yet this season, do so, especially if you have younger children who will enjoy the Grinch's antics.

Home Media: Easily found on all formats; frequently runs on TV and cable during December as well.

DVD

Blu-Ray

Amazon Prime

The Bernstein Bears' Christmas Tree

NBC, 1979

Voices of Ron McLarty, Gabriela Glatzer, Jonathan Lewis, and Pat Lysinger 

Directed by Mordecai Gerstein

Music by Elliot Lawrence; Lyrics by Stan Bernstein

The Story: Papa Bear (McLarty) is determined to find the perfect Christmas tree, "a tree to show how Christmassy we are." Mama (Lysinger) recommends buying one from the local tree lot, but Papa takes their cubs Sister (Glatzer) and Brother (Lewis) into the mountains to find a real tree. What Papa didn't consider is  those mountain trees are home to wild animals who don't want to lose their residences for the holidays. If they're not being chased by angry critters, they're being pelted by the snow storm Papa claimed wasn't coming. They're disappointed when they finally get back down the mountain, until Sister notices something glowing at their own tree house...

The Animation: Not nearly as expressive as Jones' work on The Grinch, but there's still a lot of nice details here. I especially love the opening sequence as Papa carries his salmon through town and the snowstorm when they're in the mountains. The characters move less well, but they do largely resemble their book counterparts at the time, which is really all this franchise needs. 

The Song and Dance: The first Bears special gives us Papa in full-on goofy mode. In fact, other than the occasional comment from the cubs, this is almost entirely Papa's show. McLarty puts in likely his best performance as lovable Papa, who may be a bumbler, but can always be counted on to do the right thing in the end. (Eventually.) He gets most of the best moments, whether they're dodging an eagle throwing an ax or skiing and rolling back down the mountains. Some of the rhymes are almost as twisty as those in the Seuss special, especially in the "Christmas Tree" number going up the mountain. 

Favorite Number: We open with Papa strolling through a bustling Bear Town and wrecking havoc with his waving fishing hook as the rest of town sings that "Christmas Day Is Here." Papa and the cubs march along to "A Christmas Tree" as they describe the perfect tree they want to find. The finale has everyone, bears and wild animals, singing about how "The Christmas Star" that glitters over the tree house has brought them together. 

What I Don't Like: We don't really see much of the rest of the family. Mama is only in the beginning and just barely in the end. The cubs don't have that much to do besides pester their father to finally, FINALLY chop down something. Really, if you don't like Papa's antics, you probably won't be into this one.

The Big Finale: Charming comic tale is worth looking around for if you want to find a Christmas special for younger kids or have fans of the older Bears books at home. 

Home Media: On DVD bundled with episodes of the 1985 TV series. 

DVD

And here's hoping all of you have the very merriest of holiday seasons! 

Animation Celebration Extra - The Polar Express

Warner Bros, 2004

Voices of Tom Hanks, Daryl Sabara, Nona Gaye, and Jimmy Bennett

Directed by Robert Zemekis

Music by Alan Silvestri; Lyrics by Glen Ballard

We celebrate the holidays this week with musicals and TV specials for the whole family. The book The Polar Express by Chris Van Alsburg originally debuted in 1985. It immediately became a favorite Christmas picture book, due to its soothing story and dreamy winter artwork. It even won the Caldecott Medal for best picture book in 1986. 

Hanks had wanted to appear as the conductor and Santa Claus since 1999; Zemekis came on board in 2000. He was the one who insisted on the new motion capture animation technology, claiming that a live-action version would be too expensive. How does the movie look now, after many CGI movies have come and gone? Let's begin in a typical neighborhood in Alsburg's native Grand Rapids, Michigan on a snowy Christmas Eve and find out...

The Story: The Polar Express stops and picks up a boy (Sabara) who is starting to doubt the existence of Santa. The lavish train is taking a group of children to see Santa at the North Pole, including a feisty little girl (Gaye), an obnoxious know-it-all of a boy (Eddie Deezen), and lonely Billy (Bennett). The boy makes sure that the girl has her ticket when she loses it. While following her, he runs across a bum riding on top of the train (Hanks) who helps him get to the engine. She's actually working the engine while the engineers (Michael Jeter) fixes the throttle that slows the train. They almost run into a reindeer and barely avoid plunging into an icy lake.

Even when they arrive at the North Pole, the little boy remains doubtful about Santa's existence. He accidentally uncouples their car, and they end up in Santa's workshop. The kids first have to find their way back to Santa and his elves in the first courtyard. He'll choose the child who will receive the first gift there. It takes a very special gift only he can hear to make the boy understand the importance of believing in the things we can't see.

The Animation: This was the first full movie done in computer motion capture. The train itself, based on a real train housed at Michigan State University, is nearly as much of a character as the kids and conductor. The details on the engine itself and inside the cars, are incredible. You see every bit of chrome and ironwork, every coal in the fire. The North Pole is pretty amazing, too, with its towering brick buildings. It's the humans where this falters. They all look too much alike - even the kids - are way too uncanny, and really lack expression. Even characters who aren't supposed to be creepy, like the children, come off that way.

The Song and Dance: This simple adventure still has a lot going for it. Fans of Hanks will really love this. In addition to the conductor, he's the voice of the bum on top of the train, the Scrooge puppet the boy runs into, the boy as an adult, and Santa. He's believable as every single one, with a totally different voice for each character. Some of the other voices are well-done too. Gaye and Bennett sound wholly believable as kids on their way to an adventure, and Deezen has a few good moments as the obnoxious know-it-all who discovers that there are things even he hasn't learned about yet.

The action sequences are especially well-done. The animation swoops and soars as the train goes out of control and the kid runs along the top of the train with that strange hobo. The scene where they barely make it across that cracking ice really gives you the shivers, it's so realistically cold.

Favorite Number: Our first big number has Hanks and the dining car waiters and chefs bringing the kids "Hot Chocolate." Their ode to that favorite warming beverage turns into a rollicking dance routine with the waiters dancing on makeshift "tables" and soaring around brass hot drinks machines. Hanks also performs the title song as the little boy comes on the train. Billy and the little girl sing about what they think will happen "When Christmas Comes to Town" in their touching number on the observation car before they arrive at the North Pole. "Spirit of the Season" and "Seeing Is Believing" are huge largely instrumental chorus numbers for the elves as they dance, do acrobatics, and prepare for Santa's arrival in the square. Stephen Tyler and a band of hard rock elves party on after Santa leaves with "Rockin' on Top of the World."

The big number here is the credits song, "Believe," performed by Josh Grogan. It was a fair-sized hit in late 2004 and would be nominated for an Oscar in 2005. It still turns up on the radio from time to time during the holiday season, despite it really being rather syrupy, even for Christmas fare.

Trivia: Final film of stage actor Michael Jeter.

The Polar Express is based on a real train, the Pere Marquette 1225, which was on display at Michigan State University.

Many of the buildings seen in the film are based after real ones in Grand Rapids, including homes, the massive station at the North Pole, and a department store that the Express passes. 

What I Don't Like: Unlike the book, which was largely dreamy without being too frightening, this one can be plain scary in some places. The train car full of marionettes, including the Scrooge puppet, is downright creepy, as is the entire deal with the hobo. The motion capture animation did great with the train and the backgrounds, but they still had a hard time with accurately depicting human emotions. Most of the humans move stiffly and have little expression. There's also a ton of padding in the middle and end of the film. The book is pretty much the train leaving and arriving at the North Pole. Though the action scenes are well done, they also feel out of place with some of the quieter sequences. 

The Big Finale: The uncanny valley animation and some of the noisier action scenes makes this most appropriate for older elementary school and pre-teen fantasy lovers who are just starting to have their own doubts about Santa.

Home Media: As one of the most popular Christmas films of the last 20 years or so, this is easily found in every format. 

DVD

4K Blu-Ray

Amazon Prime

Family Fun Saturday - I Believe In Santa Claus (J'ai Recontre Le Pere Noel)

Acteurs Auteurs Associes, 1984

Starring Emeric Chapuis, Karen Cheryl, Armand Meffre, and Alexia Haudot

Directed by Christian Gion

Music by Francis Lai; Lyrics by Pierre-Andre Dousset

We travel across time and Europe from 1865 Holland to 1984 France for our next holiday movie. I first ran across this one on a dusty video I picked up when the local grocery store cleared out their tapes. I'd never heard of it before, and it wasn't online at that point. Now that it's on Tubi, I figured the time is right to finally share one of the strangest holiday movies I've ever seen. How bizarre is the story of a boy who asks Santa to find his missing parents for Christmas? Let's start with Simon (Chapuis) in the school yard and find out...

The Story: The only thing Simon wants for Christmas is for his parents, who are political prisoners in Africa, to come home. He writes a letter to Santa (Meffre) and sends it via his teacher (Cheryl). During a field trip to an airport, he and his best friend Elodie (Haudot) manage to sneak onto a plane and travel to Lapland to make sure Santa got the letter. 

Santa can't find Simon's parents alone. He recruits the Christmas fairy Maryellen (Cheryl) to help him convince the African guerrillas to release them. Meanwhile, Simon and Elodie wander in the woods and are captured by the nasty ogre (Dominique Hulin) who eats little children and looks an awful lot like the mean janitor who locked Simon in the closet when another child claimed he broke something and he didn't. When Santa and Maryellen return from Africa, they end up rescuing the two children, too.

The Song and Dance: Very unique French fantasy makes copious use of its European and African settings. It really was filmed in a small town in France and in the real Africa, and those are actual African locals playing the freedom fighters and people Santa asks directions from. Love the cinematography, especially the shots of cold, icy Lapland and wide open shots of desolate Africa. 

I also enjoy seeing holiday customs from France. I've never heard of a fairy helping Santa instead of Mrs. Claus, for instance. Kids put out their shoes for Santa instead of stockings, and Simon and Elodie help Santa cover presents in garland instead of wrapping paper. Everyone in the town goes to a midnight mass when the kids return. Some of the simple songs are real earworms, too. I can't get "'Cause There's a Father Christmas" out of my head for days after I watch this.

Favorite Number: Our first number is "Getting Ready for Christmas" as the kids write notes to Santa and the teacher helps them prepare their class for the holiday. The incredibly catchy "'Cause There's a Father Christmas" is the teacher's number with the kids as they take the bus to the airport. The kids are taken to "The Toy Factory" after they arrive in Lapland, where the see Santa's elves make the toys and Maryellen supervise. "Land of the Midnight Sun" is Maryellen's number when, dressed in a peasant outfit and cape, she travels through Lapland to rescue Simon and Elodie from the ogre. The kids join the teacher and their town at Midnight Mass for the carol "Christmas, a Child."

Trivia: The African scenes were filmed on location in Senegal. 

My original New World Pictures video from 1985 was titled Here Comes Santa Claus. 

What I Don't Like: Did I mention how weird this is? Very bizarre and low-budget. There are plot holes big enough to drive Santa's sleigh through. As far as I can tell, this isn't played as "it was all a dream." While I appreciate them not going for the cliche, it doesn't explain how they get away with sneaking off to Lapland without a single adult realizing something's wrong, or how Maryellen and the ogre look like the teacher and the janitor. There's also the janitor abusing Simon and locking him in the closet in the opening. Nowadays, he'd be brought up on abuse and assault charges, not just ignored or merely suspected of doing harm. Not to mention, Maryellen's magic seems to work at the writer's whim. 

The directing is so awkward, "Christmas, a Child" and "Land of the Midnight Sun" are cut off abruptly. The synchronization is terrible, too. The lips frequently don't match the words on the English dub. Santa and Maryellen do have some amusing banter in Africa...but fairies and Santa and ogres really don't belong in a story about political prisoners who want to return to their son. The African guerrillas are not played for laughs. The whole thing with the ogre gets pretty dark, too, including him actually eating a puppy (off-camera, but it's insinuated that he did). 

The Big Finale: The catchy Euro-pop music and unique story makes this one of my favorite holiday guilty pleasures, but it's definitely not for everyone. This one is best for true lovers of 80's cheese and older kids who'll appreciate something seriously weird in their Christmas viewing and still be able to ignore the plot holes and technical bobbles.

Home Media: The DVD is hard to find and expensive when it does appear. You're better off streaming this one. Tubi and Amazon Prime currently have it for free with ads.

DVD

Amazon Prime

Tubi

Musicals On TV - Hans Brinker, or the Silver Skates (1969)

NBC, 1969

Starring Robin Askwith, Eleanor Parker, Roberta Tovey, and John Gregson

Directed by Robert Scheerer

Music and Lyrics by Moose Charlap

The book Hans Brinker, or the Silver Skates has been a beloved children's novel since its release in 1865. The story of poor Dutch boy Hans, his sister Gretel, and their attempt to win the title skates in a big local skating contest has been made into a movie at least four times on TV, including two musicals and two different Disney versions. We're discussing the second musical version from 1969. It first debuted on NBC as a Christmas special and ran on cable frequently during the 80's and 90's. Is it still worthy of those silver skates today, or should it be left behind? Let's begin with how Hans' father Raff (Gregson) had the accident that left his family in poverty and find out...

The Story: Raff fell from a dike and suffered head trauma. He frequently doesn't recognize his family, and when he does, he often suffers violent spells. Hans tries to get a job to earn money for his family, but the residents of his small town look down on him for being poor, and his pride won't allow him to take charity. He's also sweet on pretty and wealthy Annie (Sheila Whitmill), though his mother and hers wishes they'd cool things down a little and avoid the town's gossip. 

Hans whittles wooden skates for him and his sister Gretel (Tovey) in the hope that they might win the New Year's Day skating contest and have skates of their own. He earns enough money carving to join a group of boys from the town in Amsterdam and hire renown physician Dr. Boekman (Richard Basehart). Hans is able to talk Boekman into it, but he cautions that it could prove fatal. Now, Hans and Gretel really have high hopes for the Christmas holiday, not only to win the big skating contest, but for their father to get well.

The Song and Dance: Unlike many TV movies of this time period, this was filmed on location in the real Netherlands. It goes a long way to giving the movie authentic Dutch charm and grace, especially the many shots of long Dutch canals in all their blue frozen beauty. Parker is lovely and elegant as Peter's concerned mother, and Cyril Ritchard steals the show as the fussy innkeeper who teaches Hans and his country friends a memorable musical lesson in manners. 

Favorite Number: We open with the chorus singing about the delights of of "Holland" as Gretel admires her family's small but cozy home. Dame Brinker reminds her children that "There's Always a Way" to make your dreams come true. The children in the town are delighted to be "Free" to join their friends on the frozen pond in the first big skating number. Upset after one of her husband's violent outbursts, his wife recalls the "Golden Tomorrow" of their early courtship. 

Hans and the other boys in town are thrilled when they arrive in the big city of "Amsterdam" as they practice skating for the contest. Innkeeper Mijnheer Kleef (Ritchard) tries to teach the boys "Proper Manners" when they sit at the table, but they keep grabbing at the food and having food fights when his back is turned. Hans and Annie wonder what happens "When He/She Speaks" as they stroll through a Dutch winter wonderland hand-in-hand. It's hard for Hans and Gretel to enjoy "A Hymn to St Nicholas" at Annie's big Christmas Eve party, even when the kindly old bishop himself appears, due to their worries about their father's surgery. 

Trivia: This is the second time the book was adapted into a TV musical. Hallmark Hall of Fame originally did this one in 1958 with Tab Hunter as Hans and Olympic figure skater Dick Button as one of his friends. Disney also did two non-musical TV versions, a more traditional one in 1962 for their Wonderful World of Color and the modernized 1998 Disney Channel movie Brink!

What I Don't Like: Charming though this is, it can also come off as a bit stiff and cold, especially in the first half when Hans' pride has him turning away many friend who could help him. Ritchard's number is such a showstopper that the others, mostly ballads and chorus routines, suffer by comparison. And if you haven't read the book (of which this is a fairly accurate adaptation) and/or aren't into older children's novels, you may find a lot of this slow going or overly melodramatic, especially the end with how the father gets well. 

The Big Finale: Charming tale may be a tad slow and stiff, but it's still highly recommended for fans of Ritchard or the book or those looking for a sweet family musical on a cold Christmas night.

Home Media: The DVD is available, but hard to find. You're better off watching this one online; it can currently be found on YouTube. 

DVD

YouTube

Say One for Me

20th Century Fox, 1959

Starring Bing Crosby, Debbie Reynolds, Robert Wagner, and Ray Walston

Directed by Frank Tashlin

Music by Jimmy Van Heusen; Lyrics by Sammy Cahn

We kick off our first full week of holiday reviews with a musical so obscure, I never heard of it until I found the soundtrack record last year. After White Christmas was biggest hit of 1954, it was likely inevitable that Bing Crosby would turn up in a holiday musical again. 20th Century Fox opted to grab Crosby after he left Paramount and borrow Reynolds from MGM, along with picking up handsome newcomer Wagner. 

They tossed White Christmas, Crosby's earlier Oscar-winning turn as a priest in Going My Way, and Crosby's dramatic turn in The Country Girl into a blender and came up with the story of a priest in New York's Theater District who gets involved in the lives of his parishioners. Does this holiday mash-up still work today? Let's begin with Father Conroy (Crosby) and church-going college girl Holly LeMaise (Reynolds) as they prepare for a holiday show and find out...

The Story: Holly takes a job as a chorus girl in a local dive club when her father, former vaudevillian Harry LeMaise (Les Tremayne), becomes desperately sick. Tony Vincent (Wagner), the ambitious young singer at the club, hires Holly as part of his act. He's taken with her, but she finds him terribly obnoxious and forward at first. 

Holly's not the only one in Tony's orbit Father Conroy ends up helping. He befriends Tony's pianist Phil Stanley (Walston), an alcoholic songwriter who is now reduced to playing piano for Tony's act. Tony wants him and Holly to come along when he's booked for a show in Miami, but Father Conroy doesn't approve. He doesn't think Tony's right for Holly. It takes Tony becoming the godparent to the infant son of chorus girl Mary (Connie Gilchrist) and Conroy offering him a spot on his Christmas charity TV special for Tony to understand what real love is about.

The Song and Dance: I'm a bit surprised at how dark this story is for the late 50's. The side stories with Mary and her baby and Phils alcoholism are taken seriously and not played for comedy. This is unusually intense for a cheery MGM-style musical with big numbers and gorgeous color. Reynolds in particular runs with the drama; Bing plays off her fairly well as the priest who promised her father he'd look after her. The DeLuxe color and nifty costumes definitely give off that brassy 50's vibe, with some nice widescreen cinematography in the glowing numbers.

Favorite Number: The movie starts with its biggest assets on display before the credits even begin as Father Conroy and Holly rehearse the title song in the church. Tony hopes to woo Holly in her apartment with pizza and a song, but as Holly reminds him, "You Can't Love Them All." This is heard again later as a more traditional number for Tony and the chorus girls at the club. Tony and Holly joke about Holly's giving up college in their duo routine with Tony calling her "The Girl Most Likely to Succeed." They also get "Cha Cha Choo Choo" in a goofy Puerto Rican number at the club with the chorus girls and a cardboard train.

Bing joins Walston at the piano twice, to sing one of Phil's old hits, "I Couldn't Care Less," and to hear Phil perform the song Father Conroy inspired him to write, "The Secret of Christmas." The teen girl Tony turned down for his act earlier in the movie returns in the charity show to sing the pop spoof "The Night Rock and Roll Died." "Secret of Christmas" gets a full-on rendition in the finale, as Tony insists on Phil playing it and Father Conroy singing it. Holly ends up joining in as she watches them on TV.

What I Don't Like: Wagner seems to be playing a different movie entirely. He's doing tough-guy melodrama while Reynolds and Crosby are in a fluffy MGM musical. Tashlin can never decide if he wants this to be a big, brassy widescreen cartoon or a dark look at what it takes to get ahead in show business. Tony is such a jerk and so obnoxious to everyone around him, you can understand why Father Conroy doesn't want Holly near him. His last-minute conversion is too sudden and way too soppy. Other than "Secret of Christmas," the music isn't all that great, either. 

The Big Finale: The all-over tone and dull numbers make this for major fans of Crosby or Reynolds only.

Home Media: Only on DVD via the 20th Century Fox Cinema Archives. 

DVD

Christmas Short Subject Special - The Small One

Disney, 1978

Voices of Sean Marshall, Olan Soule, William Woodson, and Hal Smith

Directed by Don Bluth

Music and Lyrics by Don Bluth and Richard Rich

I'm sneaking one last holiday special in before the big day arrives. This debuted during a time of transition at the Disney studios. Many of the "old guard" animators who had been there since the 30's had passed on or retired by the late 70's. New animators began to step up to the plate, and with them came new ideas, like this lovely featurette. Originally debuting with a re-release of Pinocchio in mid-December 1978, it made its cable debut on HBO the day before Christmas Eve and has been a staple on cable and home media around Christmas ever since. How does the story of a little boy and his donkey friend look now? Let's begin with the "Small One" and his kid buddy (Marshall) as they start their day in the stables and find out...

The Story: Small One has grown too old to carry the heavy loads the boy's father (Soule) requires him to. He insists the boy take him into town and sell him for one piece of silver. Small One is too scrawny and diminutive to be of much interest to anyone but the tanner (Woodson), who just wants his hide. By the end of the night, they've almost given up finding a new owner...until a certain gentleman (Gordon Jump) asks the boy if he can buy the donkey to take his wife to Bethlehem...

The Animation: Gorgeous, some of Disney's best from the 70's. The subdued colors work with the rich backdrops and simple but well-rendered characters. There apparently was some reused animation, notably of Mowgli as the boy, but it doesn't really stand out that much. Bluth's hand can be seen in the sketchy, slender characters and wealth of detail. Truthfully, it looks more like a shorter version of his later films than a Disney movie, and it stands with the best of his work. 

The Song and Dance: One of Disney's sweetest shorts is a lovely and gentle retelling of the birth of Christ, from the point of view of the donkey who carried his parents to Bethlehem. Marshall, who had taken care of another beloved animal friend in Pete's Dragon the year before, does well as the little boy who has to let his friend go, whether he's singing about how they'll find him a good master, or defending him staunchly from the abusive and obnoxious auctioneer. Soule is warm but weary as his father; Williamson has a menacingly memorable cameo as the man who only wants Small One to use him for leather.

Favorite Number: The film opens with the title song, performed by folk artist Christalee. The slightly syrupy ballad gives us an idea of what's to come, as she sings of how "someone is waiting" for Small One. There's not a dry eye in the house after the touching "A Friendly Face," in which the boy wishes to find a kind owner for his adored friend while he takes care of him in the stable. "The Merchant's Song" is performed by three salesmen in Nazareth, who have no trouble swindling everyone they can reach out of whatever is in their pockets. This is contrasted with "Small One for Sale" as the boy tries get someone to take his pet, only to be constantly told he's not good enough.

Trivia: Don Bluth's directorial debut and his last film for Disney. 

Most copies seen nowadays (including on Disney Plus) were edited to include more points on the star in the finale and to change the lyrics in "The Merchants' Song" from "cheat a little harder" to "work a little harder," likely to avoid Jewish and Arab stereotypes. (The original prints can be found on older video copies of its late 80's "Mini Classics" release.) 

What I Don't Like: Slightly dark and subdued for a Christmas special. Many kids may be put off by the relatively mature story and this not being your typical colorful and noisy holiday show. It may be best watched with adults on hand to explain the Christian themes and assure them that things will turn out ok.

The Big Finale: This may be one of the best Disney animated films you've never heard of. Highly recommended viewing for fans of Bluth and those looking for great family holiday programming, especially stories revolving around the Nativity. 

Home Media: The two DVD collections this can be found on are expensive. You may be better off streaming it; it's on Disney Plus with a subscription.

DVD - Disney Animation Collection Vol. 7: Mickey's Christmas Carol

DVD - Classic Cartoon Favorites Vol. 9: Classic Holiday Stories

Disney Plus