 |
Arthur Rankin and Jules Bass produced several puppet animations during the 1970's, but it is unlikely that any are better than this one. Santa has a bad cold and he thinks that no one believes in Christmas anymore. But Mrs. Claus has a plan. She will send a couple of elves to get evidence to prove to Santa that people still believe. Mickey Rooney is the voice of Santa and Shirley Booth narrates and is Mrs. Claus. There are some issues with Snow Meiser, who controls the amount of snow that falls, and with Heat Meiser, who wants everything to be warm for Christmas. She has to finally get Mother Nature involved. And Vixen the reindeer is mistaken for a dog and taken to the dog pound. So Santa himself gets involved, and eventually discovers that people still believe in Christmas. There are plenty of things for children to like in the presentation. The songs, lyrics and music are catchy. And of course the animation is excellent. There are also two special features included. "Nester, the Longeared Christmas Donkey" and "Rudolph's Shiny New Year." The latter was reviewed on e-bay previously. Nester is another fine puppet animation from Rankin and Bass. It is narrated and sung by Roger Miller, and the main voice is Brenda Vaccaro. Nester is a longeared donkey who is always tripping over his ears. All the other animals laughed at him because he couldn't earn his keep. Disgusted with him, his owner turns him out in a snow storm. He travels to Jerusalem and has several adventures along the way. He finally has a chance to prove himself and he does. This is very similar to "The Little Christmas Burro" narrated by Lorne Green. Both are done well, but for the little children, I would recommend "The Little Christmas Burro." It is a kinder, gentler version. For example, Nester's mother dies trying to protect him in the snowstorm. It may be a little unsettling for the younger ones in the family. "The Year without a Santa Claus" is one of the best features Rankin and Bass ever produced, and the main feature itself is worth getting. It is appropriate for children no matter what their age.Read full review
This movie is like a beloved childhood memory that I can hold in my hand. I can remember sitting down with my older sister around Chrsitmas and waiting until the ABC channel played this movie. Not being home during the scheduled time was unexcuseable and not permitted. Unfourtnatly, last year my sister moved out for college and we were not able to view the movie as we had always done as children. I wouldnt let that happen again. I searched and searched and when I finally found it, I quickly bought it and waited anxiously for my sister to recieve it at her house. It arrived in 2 days. She called me in tears after she opened the box, we cried together. I look forward to watching this movie with my sister around Christmas or whenever we have some time together.
All movies are great. Nothing wrong with the discs or any of the scenes. Very pleased with this product. Some of my favorite Christmas classics!
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
As a child, I looked forward to watching all the Christmas specials, and The Year Without a Santa Claus was always my favorite. When I became a mom, I began a collection of Christmas classics for my children. Unfortunately, I could never find this one. When I found it on Ebay, I jumped at the chance to buy it. What I like most about this movie is the message that no matter who you are, it's nice to know that you are important to others, but even more important to show those special people in your life how important they are to you. The one thing that I did not like about this product is the outside case. Instead of being made of the hard plastic most cases are made of, it is paper, which means less durability.
i dont think there is another animated christmas movie out there that brings as many great childhood memories then this movie, i looked forward to this movie coming on every year on tv and it set the christmas tone and spirit for the rest of the holiday season, years later with kids of my own i brought this for them so they can feel what i felt while watching this movie ,i think its a must have for christmas, we have the movie on vhs tape that we recorded from tv but once you watch it on dvd and see how crisp and clear the sound and colors are there is no going back to tape on this one its like comparing apples to oranges :) this is a must have in anyway you can imagine possible :)
Current slide {CURRENT_SLIDE} of {TOTAL_SLIDES}- Best Selling in DVDs & Blu-ray Discs
Current slide {CURRENT_SLIDE} of {TOTAL_SLIDES}- Save on DVDs & Blu-ray Discs
Current slide {CURRENT_SLIDE} of {TOTAL_SLIDES}- You may also like
