The Year Without a Santa Claus (1974 TV Movie) User Reviews (54)

Love Them Misers

[evanston_dad · 7/10 · 8 December 2006]

I find this holiday made-for-T.V. movie to be one of the more charming of its kind, maybe because it's not as well known as "Rudolph" and "Frosty" and other holiday perennials.

In this one, Santa (voiced by Mickey Rooney, who also did Santa honors in "Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town") decides he's had enough of Christmas and those who don't appreciate him and cancels the holiday. Mrs. Claus (voiced by Shirley Booth) decides it's up to her to prove to Santa how much everyone still loves and admires him, so she sends off two elves on an around-the-world fact-finding mission to compile evidence of a belief in Santa and what he stands for. From there, the plot goes all over the place and nothing makes a whole lot of sense, but it's all harmless enough. The film's biggest selling point, of course, are the miser brothers, Heat and Snow, who each get a showstopping burlesque number complete with mini back up singers. I wish these two had been given a Christmas movie of their own.

Grade: A-

It's the hair!!! Heat Miser's hair.

[kimcoxmonm · 8/10 · 17 December 2021]

There are 45 reviews detailing this show, mine won't make a lick of difference. If you have never seen this; Welcome To Earth!!

I grew up on this (I'm 54) and still watch it every year, more than once.

I eagerly awaited for it when the commercial announced its airing date. I was obsessed with Heat Miser's hair; that crazy poof of multicolored fuzzy fur with lights flickering in it to resemble flames. His minions also had it.

To this day, I can't wait for that scene and it's accompanying song.

Very enjoyable

[Christmas-Reviewer · 8/10 · 24 October 2016]

The Year Without a Santa Claus is a 1974 Christmas stop motion animated television special produced by Rankin/Bass Productions. The story is based on Phyllis McGinley's 1956 book of the same name, illustrated by Kurt Werth. It was originally broadcast on December 10, 1974 on ABC.

This could be a sequel to "Santa Claus is Coming To Town" and it is in a spiritual way. Their is however isn't. The animation is different and the elves in this special are not the same elves we see in "Santa Claus is Coming to Town". It is however produced by the same company (Rankin/Bass) and Mickey Rooney voices "Santa" in this special as well.

Now in this film "Santa" decides to not deliver presents this year because he sees that people no longer have "Christmas Spirit" and no longer believe in Santa.

In an effort to save Christmas Mrs. Claus dispatches two elves out into the world to prove to Santa wrong.

Now this special has the now classic songs from "The Heatmiser" and "Mr Snow". There is however 2 other songs that should of been cut or re-worked. Then again that is just my opinion

This special is a true classic. To call it "One of the crown jewels of Holiday Programming" would not do it justice. It is one of the finest programs ever produced for TV.

This special really gained a huge following once it hit Home Video. ABC held the rights for TV broadcast for years but seldom aired the special. After it became obvious that this special was loved by millions ABC began running it again on "ABC FAMILY" and the "ABC Network". The same thing happened with "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" that special was also returned to the ABC Network because of its huge following. That special was syndicated for years. ABC has now re- gained broadcasting rights.

A Christmas Special that REALLY Rocks

[anitatanky · 2 December 2001]

I admit it!!! I am one of those grown ups (a Generation Xer to be exact)who has never really fully grown up-at least not when it comes to watching Christmas Specials like this one. I have this on DVD now and plan to collect all the Rankin Bass Specials in addition to the Charlie Brown Holiday specials.

A Year Without a Santa Claus is just great. You can't beat it in my opinion. I agree with all the other comments that the Miser Brothers are the highlight of the special and should be mentioned whenever this special is marketed. But unlike some of the other comments, I liked the ENTIRE story. Another person who commented, Oldra, seems to hit the nail on the head about the song "So You Don't Believe in Santa Claus". Call me silly, but my eyes get just a "little wet" whenever Ignatious's Father and Mr. "Clouse" start singing to him about the existence of Santa Claus. Even though in real life, a man does not come down chimneys in a red suit to deliver presents, the symbolism of what Santa stands for what the song is trying to convey-and it does a very good job in my opinion!!! To quote the song, "Just believe in Santa Claus, like you believe in Love, and just believe in Santa Claus, and everything he does". Happy Holidays and beyond!

Brings me great joy every time I see it

[TheLittleSongbird · 10/10 · 3 February 2013]

Rankin/Bass have been responsible for a fair number of Christmas classics, such as Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer, Santa Claus is Coming To Town, Frosty the Snowman and The Little Drummer Boy. The Year Without A Santa Claus is almost as good as them and definitely one of the better Rankin/Bass Christmas specials. The stop-motion animation is wonderful, very detailed and both enchanting and atmospheric. I also loved the music, the score is whimsical with some lovely themes that never take away from the story or the festive feel of Christmas. The songs are sweet and catchy, I happen to think that they are memorable too. The Miser Brothers songs are a lot of fun as is Blue Christmas, and I also want to give a shout out to I Believe in Santa Claus, which I have always found very touching with a beautiful and truthful meaning without beating the audience around the head with it. The writing is amusing with the Miser Brothers, and there is evidence of conflict and pathos, and the story while bizarre in places has a lovely subtly handled message and gets you into the Christmas spirit. The characters I also like very much. The Miser Brothers definitely steal the show, especially Heat, but I do also enjoy Mrs Claus' wit and sarcasm, Vixen's cuteness and Santa's benevolence. The voice acting is terrific. Overall, a lovely special that brings me great joy every time, when something gives you that feeling you know it's done something right. 10/10 Bethany Cox

A delightful family classic

[HotToastyRag · 10/10 · 28 May 2018]

The Year Without a Santa Claus is the sequel to Santa Claus is Coming to Town, but really, they're two separate stories, so it's not necessary to watch both of them back-to-back at Christmastime. They're both stop-action cartoons by Arthur Rankin Jr. and Jules Bass, and both feature Mickey Rooney as the voice of Santa Claus, but they both shine in different aspects.

In this one, Shirley Booth stars as Mrs. Claus, and she and Mickey are the perfect choices to voice the North Pole couple. Mickey is loving, humorous, jolly, and just tired-sounding enough to sound like he keeps busy throughout the year. Shirley is hilarious and sweet, and while I've always thought it a little weird for Santa Claus to be married, I couldn't have imagined a better, more fitting sounding wife than Shirley Booth. Dick Shawn, George S. Irving, Colin Duffy, Bob McFadden, and Bradley Bolke join the unforgettable cast, providing an endless supply of accents and deliveries to mimic. I can't count how many household phrases my family has acquired because of this delightful animated Christmas classic.

The jokes in William Keenan's script aren't just for kids. Some jokes are very fast-paced and might not be understood by the little ones, some poke fun at politics or issues kids won't yet understand, and some are geared for the kids but are so hilarious even the poutiest grown-up in the audience will burst out laughing. It's just delightful. Every year, my family and I curl up on the couch and look forward to Shirley Booth's adorable lilting, "Do you think you should, with your cold and all?", Mickey Rooney's sad, tired, famous line, "I dreamed unhappy things!", the toe-tapping Heat Miser and Cold Miser scenes, and the "I Believe in Santa Claus" song when everyone, young and old, even though we've watched it every year for thirty years, sheds a tear.

A really fun and enjoyable vintage 70's yuletide TV special

[Woodyanders · 8/10 · 14 November 2007]

Santa Claus (robustly voiced by the ever-exuberant Mickey Rooney) gets a bad cold and decides to take a year off. Ms. Claus (given an endearingly warm voice by Shirley Booth) sends bumbling elves Jingle Bells and Jangle Bells along with baby reindeer Vixen to go out into the world to find plenty of holiday cheer in order to persuade Santa to go ahead with his usual routine. Meanwhile, the constantly feuding Miser Brothers further muck things up. This delightful Noel family musical television program from Jules Bass and Arthur Rankin, Jr., the same fine folks who gave us such sparkling gems as "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" and "Frosty the Snowman," offers a winning mix of good-natured humor and several highly catchy songs. However, it's the marvelously campy antics of the Miser Brothers who make this show a prime piece of hilarious entertainment: George S. Irving is deliciously manic as the cantankerous overgrown brat Heat Miser while Dick Shawn is camp perfection as the smarmy hambone Snow Miser; their scenes are a complete sidesplitting joy to watch and the jaunty burlesque songs they both heartily belt out are simply awesome. Rhoda Mann likewise impresses as the folksy matronly voice of Mother Nature. The funky stop-motion animation and the light, upbeat tone further enhance the overall merry charm of this lovely little beaut.

Great!

[ebutteru · 10/10 · 21 December 2019]

I love Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer, but no matter what, The Year Without A Santa Claus will always remain as my favorite Rankin/Bass Christmas special. The Miser Brothers are great, its extremely charming, and I'd argue the best animation out of the Rankin/Bass specials. If you love Christmas and the Rankin/Bass specials, like me, then I'd request to give this a watch.

Snow Miser and Heat Miser Steal the Show

[RJV · 6/10 · 19 December 2002]

Why has THE YEAR WITHOUT A SANTA CLAUS endured for so many years? I don't believe it's because of its scenario. The concept of an ailing Santa Claus, convinced the world doesn't care for him, deciding not to ride his sleigh one Christmas is promising. However, its execution is too low-key to provide conflict or pathos. There's a touching rendition of "Blue Christmas" by a child writing a letter to Santa, but the other characters' reactions to Santa's decision seem too mild to generate real drama. Most of the other songs are pleasant but unmemorable. The plot's resolution is too contrived to be affecting.

The two real reasons for THE YEAR WITHOUT A SANTA CLAUS's popularity are Snow Miser and Heat Miser. They are minor characters with limited onscreen time, but they blow away the other characters. Those quarreling siblings provide the special with some much needed brio. As the voice of Snow Miser, Dick Shawn oozes with self-satisfied smarm. Yet he conveys such gleeful humor in his delivery that his oiliness endears viewers. As the voice of Heat Miser, George S. Irving is hilariously irascible, an overgrown brat who fumes over everything associated with snow. It is this very childishness that makes Heat Miser so amusing. Of course, their musical numbers stop the show not because of their lyrics, which are repetitive, but their snappy deliveries.

The Miser brothers are so delightful that their absence creates a void in THE YEAR WITHOUT SANTA CLAUS. One wishes that Rankin Bass, which produced this special, had produced a special focusing on them. It is too late now, at least with the voice of Dick Shawn, who has long passed on. One can still appreciate the fact these characters were devised at all. Without them, THE YEAR WITHOUT SANTA CLAUS would probably be forgotten by now.

A Holiday Classic that gets to the heart of Christmas' big cheese

[beccad90 · 9/10 · 3 August 2006]

Based on the book by Phyllis McKinley, The Year Without a Santa Claus really gets to the heart of Christmas. It's a fun, 'what if tale' that commences when, one year, Santa (Mickey Rooney) has lost heart because he believes the world no longer believes in him, so he decides to takes the holiday off. But Mrs. Clause (Shirley Booth) won't have it, so she sends two of Santa's finest, but clumsiest elves and a young reindeer to Earth to find someone that truly believes...but she also has ways of helping out herself.

So, why is this special so dear to me? Well, for one thing it's an interesting, what if spin on Christmas, about Santa taking a year off and Mrs. Claus finally taking center stage and taking on the challenge of returning the Christmas spirit to her once-jolly husband. Furthermore, the characters are all fun and interesting, but there is one...sorry, two, that seem to stand out not only for me, but the rest of the Rankin/Bass fans out there.

Introducing the Miser Brothers, those two rapscallions who control hot and cold climate under the watchful eye of Mother Nature herself. Snow Miser, who controls snow, hale, and overall chilly weather is carefree and easygoing, having a great enthusiasm for all things below 32 degrees. His stepbrother, Heat Miser, is the complete opposite: a temperamental windbag who controls all things warm, like the sun, volcanos, and generally blistering heat. The two are opposite forces, often butting heads, but do take to Mrs. Claus' pleas to bring cold weather to a town under Heat Miser's Territory...with a little 'persuasion' from Mother Nature herself, of course.

Overall, check this movie out and get into the holiday spirit!

Snow Miser and Heat Miser

[SnoopyStyle · 7/10 · 2 December 2018]

Santa is sick from a lack of Christmas spirit in the people and he has to cancel Christmas. Mrs Claus refuses to give up. She sends elves Jingle and Jangle with reindeer Vixen to find Christmas cheers and goodwill. Santa follows them into town. Ignatius "Iggy" Thistlewhite is a young boy. Like the rest of the kids, he doesn't believe in Santa Claus anymore. Mrs. Claus negotiates an agreement between Snow Miser and Heat Miser to bring snow to South Town and revive the Christmas spirit.

This Christmas special follows Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. It introduces great new characters Snow Miser and Heat Miser. The other characters are less compelling by comparison. This adds to the established tradition of the stop-motion animated Christmas specials.

A Classic

[FilmFreak94 · 9/10 · 23 December 2011]

I don't think any kid in America went through a Christmas without watching one of the Rankin/Bass specials. And they made a lot. The Year Without a Santa Claus has always been one of my favorites.

The basic story is that Santa is feeling sick one day and decides that he shouldn't even bother delivering presents anymore because barely anyone believes in him anymore. Mrs. Claus tries to convince him otherwise by sending two elves, Jingle and Jangle, to see if any kids believe in Santa. They find one boy, Ignatius, who has almost given up on believing in Santa because he thinks it's too childish. He changes his mind when Santa himself shows up to retrieve one of his reindeer who has been disguised as a dog and sent to the pound.

They accept the fact that Santa wants to take a holiday and they decide to go ask the Miser Brothers to let it snow in Ignatius' hometown of Southtown. The Miser brothers(Heat and Snow) are reluctant but are convinced by their mother(Mother Nature) to compromise. All the little kids start to send Santa letters and presents since he won't be sending any to them. This and a letter from a little girl is able to tell Santa that people still believe in him and the Christmas spirit and he decides to cancel his vacation and deliver presents.

Is the plot predictable? Yes. But it's for kids so it's not supposed to be anything mind blowing. Obviously it's got the same animation you're used to with Rankin/Bass and the voice acting is pretty good(Mickey Rooney returns as Santa and the late Shirley Booth plays his wife)with the voice actors giving good performances in their own rights. One of the best parts of this special are the Miser brothers. They both sing a memorable ragtime-like song and have some of the funniest lines when they're interacting with each other.

On top of that, it's just a good special. It has the spirit of Christmas and the holiday season in general without being too preachy about it. When I was a kid I liked it for the Miser brothers. Now I like it because it has a theme of not letting go of your childhood and not to stop believing just because some see it as immature. It's high on my list of Christmas specials.

A Classic Rankin-Bass Christmas Special

[michael_the_nermal · 7/10 · 24 December 2006]

Brief spoilers ahead.

Long before The Disney Channel became a basic-cable channel that solely catered to the "'tween" crowd, it was a pay-cable station that rebroadcast, among other things, classic holiday specials from Rankin-Bass. "A Year Without a Santa Claus" is arguably the best Rankin-Bass special Disney has aired for any holiday, whether it be Christmas or Easter. The plot will certainly amuse children, what with Santa being too sick to make the rounds one Christmas, which forces Mrs. Claus to save the day. This is not really all that special, but this special is timeless for two very good reasons: Heatmeiser and Snowmeiser. These characters are certainly the most colorful and interesting characters you will find in ANY Rankin-Bass production. Their theme songs are very catchy and memorable, and many grown-ups today will fondly remember them and still hum them to themselves every Christmas. The naughty nature of the two "Meisers" will make this special not only palatable for grown-ups, but downright fun to watch.

Aside from the "Meiser" songs, the kids might enjoy the mix of old favorites with original songs, such as "Snow in Dixie," "You're Too Old for Santa Claus," and, of course, "Blue Christmas." Watch the scenes which feature "Blue Christmas:" they were parodied, to hilarious effect, on "South Park," in the episode where Kyle wrote a letter to Fidel Castro.

It'll be a Cold Day in...

[thesar-2 · 5/10 · 6 April 2018]

Wait. What happened to springtime up north...?

My boss, or one of them, practically forced me to watch this tonight - either 3½ months too late for Christmas or 8½ months too early - since I mentioned I had never seen it. In my defense, it aired 8 months after I was born, sooo *maybe* I did see it?

It was cute enough. Had some decent songs and animation for the time. I especially loved the Two "Too-Much" Brothers and their songs. My only issues were from the length which led to a convoluted story and plot holes.

Perhaps they tried to add more and more to make this a full hour special when it really needed to be a short, sweet and tight half-hour classic. Instead, too many directions were added, somethings didn't add up and entire ideas abandoned, such as Heat Miser's commitment for the North Pole.

Santa wants a holiday, and either pretends to be sick or got it in his mind he really is. When others try and "save" Christmas from a newly apathetic Claus, things go south from the North Pole and Santa's gotta clean up the mess. Yada Yada, it snows where it shouldn't, a few calls were made, a reverse Christmas and all is well, again.

Despite being (almost) 44 years old, it still entertained me and made me laugh at some of the jokes. Probably best seen through the eyes of kids in the mid-70s, but it worked for me today.

***

Final thoughts: At least she didn't recommend The Star Wars Holiday Special from few years after this. I might have put my two weeks in right then and there. Just kidding. I would've just walked out.

This is it - Heat Miser and Snow Miser!!

[PodunkSkywalker · 12 December 1998]

Almost everyone who was a child in the US during the early to mid-70s seems to remember that Christmas special with Heat Miser and Snow Miser, but no one can remember the title, or much else about the show. After finally tracking it down and watching it again after all these years, I can understand why. The non-Miser Brothers parts don't hold up so well for this adult, at least. I guess the thought of a sulky, depressed Santa isn't as dramatic as it seemed when I was five. However, my brother and I greatly enjoyed the opportunity to sing along again with "He's Mister Heat Miser, he's Mister Sun...."

It's a mystery to me why the folks marketing the video give only a plot summary on the package with no mention of what kids find most memorable. This is also true of most the guides to holiday viewing in the entertainment magazines. Hint to marketing people: make sure you advertise this as the one with Heat Miser and Snow Miser in it, and everyone born between about '66 and '72 will be buying it for their kids, if not themselves.

Bizarre but highly enjoyable

[planktonrules · 8/10 · 24 December 2008]

The 1960s and 70s brought the world several wonderful Christmas specials from Rankin-Bass. A few, such as RUDOLPH THE RED-NOSED REINDEER and SANTA CLAUS IS COMING TO TOWN are true classics and a few are really milking the franchise a bit too much (such as RUDOLPH'S SHINY NEW YEAR and THE EASTER BUNNY IS COMING TO TOWN). THE YEAR WITHOUT A SANTA CLAUS isn't quite as magical as the earlier specials and it is quite bizarre in some ways, but it is still among the studio's better films.

The plot involves Santa having Seasonal Affective Disorder--in other words, he's depressed. Instead of seeking therapy or anti-depressants, he decides to just skip Christmas this time--after all, he thinks no one really cares about the holiday any more.

Mrs. Claus is worried but instead of trying to persuade him to deliver toys, she concocts a stupid plan. She picks two very nice but seriously dumb elves to go on a mission to find out what kids REALLY think about Christmas. To make this choice even worse, she sends them with a young and fragile reindeer and soon they get into trouble--so much that Santa must come to the rescue. At the same time, Mrs. Claus also comes to help and ends up making visits to the Snow Miser and his step-brother the Heat Miser--two totally bizarre creations of R-B Studios who have nothing to do with the holiday but they do dance to a really rocking song.

The film is lovely to look at--with excellent stop-motion animation. The only shortcoming is that occasionally the story does get a bit bizarre (even for Rankin-Bass) and the elves are a bit annoying to adults--though kids probably won't notice or want to kill them. Still, it's a great treat for the family and worth seeing this holiday season.

Good one!

[Movie Nuttball · 10/10 · 22 July 2005]

I thought that the characters were really funny and all had great personalities. The animation in My opinion was crisp, clean, and really clear. Not to mention beautiful! Most of the characters in this show are hilarious Looney Tunes characters that we all love. in My opinion these characters are the funnies and talented ever seen. In fact, The things that goes on in this series' cartoons are in My opinion nuts which that is what makes them hilarious! There are so many to like and laugh at and the silly things they do! If you like the original Looney Tunes and animated films then I strongly recommend that you watch this movie today!

A childhood favorite

[aloi715 · 10/10 · 6 August 2018]

The Christmas season just isn't the same without watching this. This stands out more to me than any other Rankin/Bass holiday special (Rudolph, Santa Claus is Coming to Town, etc). Overall I think that this movie is perfect for any age. For younger ones and the kid in all of us, it's about hoping that Santa will decide to come around on Christmas. But as I and other viewers grow, it's about not taking life too seriously and to let the kid in you shine. I think that that message alone is crucial to enjoying the holidays. I know that for some, the plot pieces without the unforgettable Miser brothers are boring, but as someone who can recite this movie word for word, the plot flies by for me.

Year without a Santa claus

[andreagirl-92837 · 10/10 · 30 December 2020]

This film is really cute especially with all the catchy songs and the characters. I have to hand it to Rankin bass when they made this it was a really good idea because it showed the truth about what mankind is really about and that no one even cared about Santa anymore and in the end the people did learn a lesson in the end . I got to admit the sequel to this which starred the miser brothers is a whole different thing and it dives deep down into their relationship about them learning to work together to save Christmas.

Lots of action to save Christmas in this holiday film

[SimonJack · 7/10 · 31 October 2022]

This delightful Christmas story traces its origin to a 1956 book by Phyllis McGinley, with the same title. As an animated stop-action special film it first aired in December 1974. As I recall, my children really enjoyed "The Year Without a Santa Claus." Maybe especially because of all the hijinks in the story.

The North Pole doubtful doctor tells Santa to stay in bed over Christmas because he has a cold. Mrs. Claus hatches a plan to convince the old gent that people still believe in him and kids need him. So, she dispatches two elves, Jingle Bells and Jangle Bells, as spies to Southtown. The young reindeer, Vixen, will be their transport and companion.

All kinds of problems occur, with Vixen falling ill from the heat and being sent to a dog pound - disguised as a dog. But a young boy, Iggy, who was skeptical at first, becomes a key to Santa's recovery. Mrs. Claus has to go to their aid, and the jolly old gent himself has to get involved. A couple of natural characters, Snow Miser and Heat Miser get involved, and Mother Nature herself has to intervene.

It's quite a hodgepodge but a lot of fun for the kids. We all enjoyed it back then, and have seen it a few more times over the years. The voices are done very well. Shirley Booth is Mrs. Claus, Mickey Rooney is Santa, Dick Shawn is the Snow Miser, George Irving is the Heat Miser, Bob McFadden is Jingle Bells and Bradley Bolke is Jangle Bells.

A Wonderful Christmas Special To Watch Every Christmas

[matthewsoares · 10/10 · 22 November 2022]

"The Year Without a Santa Claus" is one of my favorite Christmas specials to watch during the Christmas season and it is known to be one of Rankin/Bass' best Christmas specials. The plot for the special was great as well as the songs, but Heat Miser and Snow Miser's songs were the best songs in the special. Since the Miser Brothers' songs were great, cover songs can be heard on Christmas Albums like Big Bad Voodoo Daddy's "Everything You Want for Christmas". To this day, "The Year Without a Santa Claus" is still one of the best Christmas specials out there and timeless classic for the Christmas season.

If Santa Claus stays home, there'll be no Christmas!

[mark.waltz · 7/10 · 14 December 2022]

Ah, says who? This third of the Rankin and Bass TV animated holiday specials has a lot to recommend, particularly the presence of Shirley Booth as Mrs Claus who becomes the heroin here, taking over when Santa is too ill to travel. The presence of Dick Shawn and George S. Irving as the Meiser brothers, Freeze and Heat, added quite a bit of camp especially with a musical number that is one of the most delightful in the series of four holiday movies that started off with Rudolph, moved on to the early years of Santa, continued with the liberated Mrs. Claus and ended disastrously with an over long theatrical entry that united Rudolph and Santa with Frosty and a bunch of other bizarre characters.

Like Angela Lansbury years ago in the TV musical "Mrs. Santa Claus" with songs by Jerry Herman, this focuses on the stay at home wife who must take over out of the blue. But both TV specials are quite different, the one thing they have in common being that Booth and Lansbury had proven their musical talent on Broadway, having been known more for non-singing characters prior to proving that they knew how to sell a song. Mickey Rooney, in the second of three appearances as Santa in a Rankin and Bass special, is basically in support, and yet makes the most of the limited voice over time he gets.

Shawn and Irving (who had a lengthy career as a Broadway musical character actor) take over quite well with Irving definitely unaware that his appearance would later be copied by a real estate mogul turned TV show host turned controversial politician, even unintentionally. Their big musical number was the only highlight of a live action TV remake, and if this had ever been done on stage, it certainly would have been a crowd-pleasing moment. It's still a bit bizarre but fun, maybe not as good as the original "Santa Claus is Coming to Town", but filled with great songs, delightful comedy that will appeal to all ages and a huge heart.

One of the best of all time

[On_The_Mark · 9/10 · 24 December 2020]

Seriously, ask most people who grew up with these specials and there's one song everyone knows and loves - "Heat Miser/Cold Miser." Best song ever from any Christmas special ever. Absolute greatest and beloved.

The overall story for this probably isn't even the best, clearly for little kids and I can't give this a ten because it also has the absolute worst song ever for Christmas Special ("I believe in Santa Claus like I believe in Love" cringiest song ever made).

But that said, you've got Mickey Rooney as Santa again (played him twice in these stop animation shows) and Heat and Cold Miser. The animation, which you don't see anymore with CGI, is classic and is happily preserved for generations to enjoy. I'd hate to see this remade today with CGI. It's an absolute classic.

Worthy of a watch every Christmas time.

The Year Without a Santa Claus

[jboothmillard · 6/10 · 30 December 2017]

I have always seen images and small clips of the cheesy children's Christmas specials, including Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and A Charlie Brown Christmas, this is one of the most famous cartoons in this category, and with the festive season on the way, I treated myself, directed by Jules Bass and Arthur Rankin Jr. (Frosty the Snowman, Jack Frost, The Hobbit, The Last Unicorn). Basically it is Thanksgiving in the North Pole, Santa Claus (Mickey Rooney) has a bad cold, and the doctor tells him he should have some rest. Santa does not believe that anyone really cares about Christmas anymore, he decides to take a holiday, to not deliver any presents and cancel Christmas. Santa leaves it to elves Jingle (Bob McFadden) and Jangle (Bradley Bolke), to find proof that people still believe in Santa Claus. The elves take the youngest reindeer, Vixen, but are shot down by the Miser brothers; supernatural being the Snow Miser (Dick Shawn) who in charge of cold weather, and the Heat Miser (George S. Irving) who is in charge of warm weather. Jingle and Jangle land in Southtown, but get lost, a small town in the Southern United States, policeman complain about their clothing and the reindeer, Vixen is disguised as a dog, she ends up taken to the dog pound. The elves then meet and befriend a boy named Ignatius "Iggy" Thistlewhite (Colin Duffy), they visit his father, the sceptical Mayor of Southtown (Ron Marshall), who laughs hysterically at their story, but agrees to free Vixen if they can prove Santa exists, making it snow in Southtown on Christmas Day, which has not happened in years. On behalf of Santa and the elves, Mrs. Claus (Shirley Booth) visits the Miser brothers, she asks Snow Miser to make it snow, but the town is under Heat Miser's control, Mrs. Claus compromises with Heat Miser, he will only agree if Snow Miser surrenders the North Pole to his control. The brothers disagree, so Mrs. Claus goes "over their heads" by talking to their mother, Mother Nature (Rhoda Mann), Heat Miser and Snow Miser are persuaded to compromise, otherwise they will face the wrath of their mother. Santa, dressed in civilian clothes, arrives in Southtown to rescue Vixen, he discovers that some people still believe in him and the spirit of Christmas when all the world's children make him presents, this sets off headlines around the world. One little girl is upset by Santa's decision to skip Christmas, she writes a letter that she will have a "Blue Christmas", Santa is touched by all the caring and generosity, he decides to make his Christmas Eve journey after all. On Christmas Day, the children of Southtown are happy with the presents they find under their trees, Iggy gets a bicycle, and the town are delighted with the snowfall, in the end Santa is pleased to have delivered presents to all children of the world, he and Mrs. Claus look forward to next year. I should mention, this cartoon is seen in Batman and Robin when Mr. Freeze tries to get his henchmen to sing the Snow Miser song, and the sad letter scene was parodied in South Park, with Kyle writing to Fidel Castro hoping for democracy, with drawings. This hour-long television special was actually surprisingly enjoyable, it was cheesy, but not sickeningly, the highlight is definitely the catchy Snow Miser and Heat Miser songs, the stop-motion animation is charming, and it is a nice simple story the kids and adults can go along with, a fun seasonal animated short film. Good!

Heat Miser and Snow Miser

[dtswpod · 3/10 · 1 November 2022]

This is the second film discussed on the podcast Does This Still Work. They liked it. George had never seen it before but Joe, being the old one, had seen it many times in his childhood.

Joe still got a kick out of what were his favorite characters , the Misers. Though, he misremembered their chorus. Joe was sure they were way way more flamboyant by which he meant he thought they were gay in the Liberace sense of the word. But he was off. Not way off mind you. But off nonetheless.

What amazed George was seeing kids give gifts to Santa for once. Joe thought that was cool as well but found it odd that children came from different nations as opposed to having the different races and ethnicities all be American. This is a pretty mixed country, yes, even in 1974. It would be have been nice if this TV movie reflected that.

Still despite that, it's a pleasant viewing experience. You can even watch this with your young children, if you're into that sort of thing.