Christmas special based on the song of the same name. Narrated by the great Greer Garson, it tells the story of an orphan boy named Aaron. Aaron has had a tough life and is resentful towards humanity. His only friends are animals and his only joy in life comes from playing his drum. Through a series of events he finds himself at the birth of baby Jesus. As in the song, he has no gift for the baby so he plays his drum instead. I love Rankin/Bass Christmas specials. The stop-motion animation, great voice work, memorable music, and beautiful stories make them timeless classics that I can watch year after year. The Little Drummer Boy is a moving, sincere story and I would recommend everybody check it out.
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SnoopyStyle23 December 2014Aaron doesn't like people and plays his drum for his animal friends Samson the donkey, Babba the sheep and Joshua the Camel. Bandits killed his parents and burned down their home. Ben Haramad sees him playing his drum and kidnaps him. In Jerusalem, Aaron gets angry at the townfolks and the entire troupe has to run away. Out in the desert, they come upon the caravan of Three Wise Kings. The Kings aren't interested in Ben or Aaron's performance. The caravan needs a camel and Ben sells Joshua to them despite Aaron's protest. Ben is gold drunk and lets Aaron with Samson and Babba go. They follow the star hoping to catch up to Joshua. In Bethlehem, Babba is run over by a Roman chariot. Aaron brings Babba to be healed by the Kings but only the King of Kings can help him. Aaron has no gift to bring that's fit to give the King. So he plays his drum and Babba is healed.
This is one of the heaviest kids' Christmas specials. The dark material really works with the Bible's more serious nature. The final turn is heart wrenching and quite compelling. Not every Christmas special has to be kiddie fare. The stop motion is very rudimentary and has an old time charm about it. -
kbone32-120 December 2006This holiday classic is still refreshing to see even after almost 40 years. The story line is of course about the little drummer boy who ends up coming to grips with his hatred of people. In the end he has to play his drum for the baby Jesus and even though he is certainly no Buddy Rich it does come from the heart which, as we know from years of watching these type of films is what really counts and in the end the little drummer boy receives a change of heart.It's pretty much the same holiday format that for some reason one can never grow tired of no matter how many times we watch it or different forms it comes in...Certainly a great one to bring the kids up on.
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jake j28 June 2002Although less highly regarded by many than the masterful "animagic" hour of "Rudolph", this 27-minute gem throbs with the joy and heartache of living that is timelessly captured by Rankin/Bass and the brilliant detail of the Dentsu Company miniature sets and artistic direction (so often overlooked in these productions). A hearty and rich score, especially the underscoring of the tragic death of the boy's parents, is unforgettable. Ferrer, Frees, and Eccles are delightful and the often cloying "Miss" Greer Garson delivers the narration with a gentle stroke that is soothing and sincere. The nativity scene is overwhelmingly moving and the film ends on a perfect note. There was a pointless and meandering sequel years later,"Little Drummer Boy-Book II" which is best left unopened- a lifeless and repetitive tale justly obscure. The original, common on video but shown infrequently now during the Christmas season, showcases that deep color film tone that NBC employed so effectively in the mid-60's, which today adds to the nostalgia. Children's prime-time specials once heralded a great era in the success of the medium. All that remains are these video souvenirs.
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SnakesOnAnAfricanPlain14 December 2011Even if you're not into all that Jesus malarkey, you have to at least respect the story for giving us such a wonderful time of year. The Little Drummer Boy focuses on a boy filled with hate, and a man filled with greed. Their stories intertwine until they eventually cross paths with the song of God. Loved the songs and the animation has that old-fashioned quality that just doesn't date (if that makes any sense). The voice-work varied, sometimes being annoyingly slimy. It's a sweet tale that captures the meaning of Christmas, without ramming the religious aspects down the viewers throat. This should be an enjoyable watch for all.
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Horst_In_Translation25 September 2013Rankin/Bass created this 25-minute animated short-film for the holiday season 45 years ago. It features the voices from two former Academy-Award winners Greer Garson and José Ferrer. Unfortunately, as good as an actress Garson may be, I didn't think her voice is particularly suited for narration, which is even a bigger pity as female narrators were an even rarer than these days. Ferrer, on the other hand did a great job in voicing Ben Haramed, easily the best performance from the film. The main character was voiced by Ted Eccles, which I felt didn't really fit the bell at all. His loud and often over-the-top voice-acting was downright annoying at times. It did not so much show the anger of his character than it hurt the soothing effect of this motion picture coming mainly from the animation style and the music. Also, I personally felt, it didn't work at all with the gentle, even if disappointed, way his animated character looked physically.
What i did like a lot, however, was the animation. critics may say there was more defined animation 25 years earlier during the days of World War II already, but I believe it was just different. The style fits the tone of the film very well and I can't deny the way they made the donkey and sheep, I wanted to gently touch their fur from start to finish. I've never been too interested in the story of the little drummer boy and this short film surely did not cause a 180°-turn, but I believe, despite its flaws, it can still make for a decent watch, especially during the holiday season, mainly for Ferrer's excellent work and the music. The Vienna Boys Choir delivers a wonderful performance of the popular drummer boy song. -
Today, for the first time in twenty years I sat down and watched five Rankin-Bass Christmas specials from the 60s and 70s that I had only dim memories of. Of the five, "The Little Drummer Boy" came away the best. While the Rudolph and Frosty specials are the only ones of this era that still endure on network TV today and provided me with a smile or two, this one actually reduced me to tears because in its tale of Aaron the drummer boy, we learn the story of what Christmas is really all about: The birth of Christ and how through Christ our feelings of hate and anger can be purged by the power of His love for all of us.
This is one Christmas special that deserves to be seen again and again. -
mariannenagengast23 December 2011I am in my mid-twenties and was recently talking with two co-workers of around the same age about this song. I mentioned that it was only recently that I was able to appreciate it, as the Christmas special I watched every year as a child terrified me so much and rather traumatized me. My co-workers both emphatically agreed. It reignited my curiosity, as I haven't seen it since I was about ten or so, and I watched it this afternoon. As soon as I hit play, I remembered exactly why it had scared me so much -- parents being killed, a little boy being kidnapped by an evil man, a lamb almost dying... I read on some boards here some people rather belittling the opinion that the special can be disturbing for kids, so I just wanted to counterbalance it and say, yes, it can be disturbing, enough so that 15 years later I'm still transported back to being a child and being terrified of it. This isn't to say it's not a wonderful story, and that it does show the meaning of Christmas and adds a story to a beautiful song...but I definitely don't think it's appropriate for all children.
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jjkaul10 January 2002Each year as the Christmas season unfolds I look forward to the showing of The Little Drummer Boy. Aaron, along with his drumming of the movie's title music always brings tears to my eyes, but they are happy tears because of the love and compassion that fills this little child. It is a wonderful story that I believe everyone should do themselves a favor and watch at least once. I find myself humming the title song for days after seeing the film.
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Rainey-Dawn5 November 2022If you don't believe in the bible you could possibly still enjoy this film because most of the focus is on the drummer boy, Aaron, who is kidnapped and forced to join Ben Haramed's caravan - and they do not have much success - then they met the 3 magi in the desert who are following the north star (aka star of Bethlehem) to bring gifts. Poor drummer boy Aaron has no gift to bring to the nativity scene so he plays his drum for little baby Jesus. It's basically the song on film with a bit more added to fill out the time.
It's not all that bad and I'm not Christian but I have some respect for the old religion.
6/10. -
SeptumSin22 December 2008Our story stars a little drummer boy who is at home with animals more than people as people pretty much made a mess of his life. He is drawn into the nativity story in order to try and find a way to cure his hate and distrust of others.
I know the synopsis is short but it's a short film. I mean really and truly it's one of those films that you show in Sunday school to bring in the cool meaning of Christmas to the children. The movie had a song or two that seemed interesting like the song "When the goose is hanging high" is a very fun song and truly enjoyable to hear the story itself is simple and the voice acting is pretty bad. All in all if you are looking for something to show your children that would be similar to your church Christmas pageant then this is the thing. -
TheLittleSongbird20 December 2009The Little Drummer Boy is a very beautiful and poignant gem from Rankin'/Bass, and it has a great message and conveys so wonderfully the true meaning of Christmas. For me, while I adore this, I don't think it is quite as good as Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer and Frosty the Snowman, two very timeless classics. But this is very overlooked and unjustly, because it is probably the most moving of the Rankin'/Bass Christmas specials. With very detailed miniature sets and art direction, it is a delight to look at, and the music is truly stunning as well, especially with the haunting sound of the Vienna Boys Choir singing the title song. The death of Aaron's parents is truly unforgettable, and is a real tear jerker. And the voice acting is top notch, Jose Ferrer is brilliant as Ben and Paul Frees and June Foray are delightful as Aaron's parents, and Aaron himself is voiced with real sensitivity by Ted Eccles. Special mention though has to go with Greer Garson, who was perfect as Our Story Teller speaking with such gentleness and sincerity that is a rarity nowadays. All in all, beautiful. 10/10 Bethany Cox
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HotToastyRag14 April 2023So many Rankin & Bass movies just make you feel warm and fuzzy at Christmastime. The stop-action animation really appeals to childhood, like a combination of a cartoon and a toy come to life. Adults watching know the careful work that went into the films, and kids will remember the stories the rest of their lives.
So, while we all know the song "Little Drummer Boy", a lot of us associate it with the Rankin & Bass animated movie about the little kid who takes an incredible journey as he joins the three wise men who follow the star. Paul Frees, of course, lends his vocal talents to it, as does June Foray and Ted Eccles, in the leading role. If you listen closely, you'll hear José Ferrer and Greer Garson, too! And yes, you'll get to hear the song as well. It wouldn't be fair not to include the song. -
planktonrules23 December 2022When I was a kid, I watched "The Little Drummer Boy" and remember very little about this experience. All I know is that I have never particularly liked the song. So, when I found it on YouTube, I decided to give it a try. After all, Christmas is only two days away and I wanted a bit of holiday cheer.
When I started watching this film, I was quite surprised. The quality of the stop-motion characters was very poor compared to other Rankin-Bass Christmas specials such as "Rudolph the Red-Nose Reindeer" and "The Year Without a Santa Claus". The animation is much jerkier and cheaper looking...as are the characters. It looked as if the studio was trying to save money and cut some corners.
As for the story, it's really a matter of personal taste. The story, despite being set in the ancient Holy Land, it complete fiction....and some might be okay with this and some might be offended because the story includes the baby Jesus. I honestly don't know how I feel about this...but the story itself seemed pretty depressing. The story is about a boy whose parents were murdered and he was later taken into slavery by a greedy traveling showman. He later sees baby Jesus and plays a song for him on his drum...which is pretty much what you expect from the song.
The idea of a religious Christmas tale is very nice, as often this part of Christmas is de-emphasized or even forgotten. But the story about the drummer boy seemed unnecessary and I wish the film had been more about the birth of Jesus. I guess it's all a matter of taste...but it's not a film I particularly loved. -
sflagal19 December 2005I hadn't seen this in years and watched it recently since I now have the Christmas DVD collection. It never occurred to me until now, as an adult, that this brings out the true meaning of Christmas. It is such a simple story yet touched me in a way no other 'Christmas special' (as others are so loosely called) has. It puts Christ back into Christmas and as far as I'm concerned, and in that sense, it's the best special ever created. As an added bonus, the choir music is angelic and very touching. It is a shame that in this day and age, nothing comes close to stories like these any more. Our country is slowly and methodically being turned into a God-less society and it's quite apparent in the media. I hope many of us will take a stand again and return to the simple morals and values that were once mainstream.
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Mac6016 December 1999I remember seeing this for the first time in the late 60s when I was a child. A timeless message that I still enjoy 31 years later. It's a shame that the true message of Christmas has been lost on a generation and this, and other, religious Christmas programming can only be found on the "family" stations. Time was, this was shown on the networks.
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koltonbrett25 December 2021The old stop motion animation style and the overall story make this a rough watch. The song its based off of is a lovely tune, but this story is dark. To be a family friendly Christmas special about one of the most joyous events in history, it's not a happy or feel-good experience. There is murder, kidnapping, feelings of hatred, and animals being injured. The positive message given at the end fails to make much of an impact. While the song paints a picture of a poor boy bringing the only thing he has to offer as a gift to Jesus, simply because Jesus is worthy, this version of the story has him playing his drum for Jesus so that he'll receive something in return. You'll be much better off skipping this special and reading the Christmas story from the gospel of Luke instead.
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Christmas-Reviewer20 October 2016An orphan drummer boy who hated humanity finds his life changed forever when he meets three wise men on route to Bethlehem.
This film is very good but small children might be frightened of the death of the Aaron's parents. There is also the kidnapping scene of overwhelming images of violence (The parents are killed and the home is burned down to the ground)
Aaron is also forced into labor and says several times that "He hates people".
What I said above is just a parental warning but that doesn't mean this isn't a good in fact it is EXCELLENT.
This a basically a crash course about the birth of Jesus and the power of forgiving and moving forward.
Please watch it with your small children. They might need a little comforting. -
Originally aired as a half-hour special,in full color for NBC-TV on December 19,1968,the holiday special "The Little Drummer Boy" was an example of the "Animagic" that was timelessly captured by Rankin-Bass through the use of its brilliant storytelling along with its miniature settings and artistic direction under the supervision and guidance of its producers Arthur Rankin,Jr. and Jules Bass. Narrated by the great Greer Garson,"The Little Drummer Boy" was an exceptional tale,set in ancient times(the story takes place in Isreal),the half-hour special tells the story of a little boy named Aaron,a six-year-old orphaned drummer boy,along with his drum,and his three animal friends-a lamb, a camel,and a donkey-learned the lesson of love and the true meaning of the holy season by journeying with the Three Wise Men to Bethlehem to witness the birth of the Christ child. In 1968,the "Teachers Guide to Television" listed this holiday special as a "speciality selected program of educational value" prior to its network premiere for NBC.
Through the uses of "Animagic",with the backing of the Vienna Boys Choir with musical direction by Rankin-Bass favorite Maury Laws,this was one of the best of the holiday specials that was produced by the studio. Featuring the voice talents of Jose Ferrer, Teddy Eccles, along with the talents of Paul Frees,this was one of the joyous specials that was both entertaining and educational. However,NBC rebroadcast this special presentation several times from December 18, 1969 until December 23, 1980 on a annual basis. It has been showed on cable for the FOX Family Channel(aka The ABC Family Channel,aka The Family Channel and the former Christian Broadcasting Network),and other networks. -
OllieSuave-00731 December 2018This is a bittersweet little Christmas tale, about a drummer boy named Aaron, who loathes mankind because of a family tragedy. However, Aaron learns the goodness of humanity and the birth of Christ when he is asked to play the drum for him in lieu of a gift in order to save a friend.
Filmed in Claymation with a great voice cast, this less-than-30 min movie captures your heart with its exciting plot and message of love vs. hate, brought by the power of Christ. And, the story is a good lead-in to the famous Christmas carol of the same name. A must-see during the Christmas season!
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Kirpianuscus22 December 2019It reminds the meaning of Christmas. The only meaning and it does that in splendid - touching manner. The story of Aaron is the story of its public, reminding the cure for angry, frustrations, pain. And the story of the little drummer is impeccable crafted. A sort of letter from far land, from us, to us . Because it is inspired animation, lovely story and remember of the help who only a King can do it. A film like an refuge , profound useful to see it, near the Christmas, for prepaire the feast of Birth of the Saviour in your heart, with care, love and mercyful consideration.
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JR54115 October 2006Hey, Lets say we have a roving band of dangerous nomads roaming the desert, brutally murdering people, stealing all of their possessions and leaving their young son to fend for himself in a cruel world. Perfect recipe for a Christmas Special. This one didn't stay as a network staple very long as it was not the happy nice nice special that Rudolph and Charlie Brown were .
To Be honest I have liked this since I was a kid. It wasn't as good as the other Rankin/Bass specials but it was the only one of them that really has anything to do with the Jesus. Lot of emotion at the end. You end up glad that you watched it. -
johnstonjames7 December 2011Tim Burton can go chase a goose. Rankin/Bass may be somewhat dated but they are still the crown kings of stop motion and Christmas entertainment.
people never want to admit that 'Nightmare Before Christmas' is very funny but always overrated by fans who seem to refuse to look any further into stop motion animation or acknowledge Rankin/Bass or Lou Bunin who started it all.
i love Rankin/Bass and this is the one that stands out as my favorite. i love the whole "true meaning" message and i can very easily relate to the drummer boy's hostility of the world and mistrust of people.
i don't know why it seems so hard to get a perfect pristine copy of this show along the quality of the other Rankin/Bass entertainments. i couldn't even believe this was credited as being restored. it looked pretty washed out and age worn when compared with the restoration of say, 'Rudolph'.
oh well, wasn't the message of this that he had no fine gift to lay before a king? i guess some fans will have to put up with inferior restoration of this till someone comes to their senses and rescues this charming and poignant little Christmas classic. -
rebeljenn16 January 2006'The Little Drummer Boy' is the 1968 classic claymation about a little boy who travels with his pet lamb, donkey and camel. His greatest gift is his drum, which was given to him by his parents before they were murdered, and the little boy has a lot of anger that he has to learn to conquer, and he witnesses a magical event. This is a classic and touching Christmas story that I like to watch every Christmas. It's narrated well, and although the technique is a little bit dated, I still think this film stands the test of time. It's got a nice little, moral story, and it is true to life: bad things happen to good people, but we must smile and get through life the best we can and learn to forgive. Don't forget to watch this next Christmas.