Santa Claus is Comin to Town (1970)

  

I know what you're thinking. Christmas was on Friday. I shouldn't be doing any more Christmas stories. Well, according to Old World traditions, Christmas actually lasts through January 6th. This is Twelfth Night when the Three Wise Men supposedly showed up in Bethlehem. So in that tradition, I'm giving you one more Christmas story.

The story of Santa Claus is one of my favorite Christmas specials. It tells the story of Kris Kringle, a human child raised by the Kringle elves. When he crosses the mountain to deliver the beautiful toys that the Kringles have made, he learns that the evil Burgermeister Meisterburger has outlawed all toys because "they are out to get him." Meisterburger makes Kris an outlaw and all the traditions that we know about Santa like how he comes down the chimney and leaves presents in stockings was Kris' attempts to get around the Meisterburger's silly laws. It is an adorable story that I enjoy almost every year.

One of things that I find fun about these Rankin Bass Christmas specials is how their narrator puppets always look like the person who is actually narrating. For instance, Fred Astaire narrates this story. Notice the similarities between his character and him:

So let me leave you with old Fred singing the title song to make you happy.

The Christmas List (1997)

One of my favorite Christmas movies, The Christmas List is one I watch almost every year. I'm disappointed that I can't get a decent copy of it, but have to rely on my version I taped off the TV so many years ago.

The story tells of Melody Parris a perfume salesperson in a department store. Melody dreams of opening her own perfume shop and marrying long time boyfriend George and moving out of her mother's apartment building. Her best friend Naomi encourages her to write a Christmas List where she lists all the impossible things that she wants for Christmas. (Such as a car, and a new job). As a joke Naomi then takes the list from her and drops it in Santa's mailbox. Then something magical happens: Melody starts getting everything on her Christmas list in extraordinary ways. She also meets and falls in love with Dr. David Skyler who is so much nicer than George. (I hate George).

A really fun Christmas movie if you can find it. :) In fact, I sometimes write my own magical Christmas list for fun. One year I wished to go to Disneyland for Christmas and that actually happened. :) Merry Christmas everyone!

The Fable of the Christmas Apple

The Fable of the Christmas Apple is one of my all time favorite Christmas stories. Supposedly it is based on an actual miracle involving Saint Herman Joseph, and the main character is named Herman Joseph. Although this Herman Joseph is much older than the Saint was when the miracle occurred. But that doesn't really matter in the grand scheme of things.

According to the Christmas story, Herman Joseph was a clockmaker in a little town with a beautiful statue of the Madonna and Baby Jesus. Every year the people of the town would bring presents and present them to the statue. It was said that if someone brought a present that pleased the Holy Child, he would come to life and reach out of his mother's arms to accept the gift, but that never happened.

For years, Herman Joseph had been working on a clock of the nativity that he was going to present to the Child. He finally finished and put it in his window for the whole town to enjoy. On Christmas Eve, his friend Trude came to him and told him that her husband was sick and that all the money had gone for medicine. There was no money left over for the children's Christmas gifts. Herman Joseph went to the house of the richest man in town asking if he wanted to buy a clock. The Richest Man in Town only wanted the nativity clock, so with a heavy heart, Herman Joseph sold it to him so that Trude's children could have gifts on Christmas morning.

The only thing left in Herman Joseph's house was an apple, so he took that to the church. The people whispered behind their hands about how stingy and horrible Herman Joseph was not to bring his beautiful clock to the Virgin and the Babe. He just kept walking with tears in his eyes. But soon the whispers changed. For Herman Joseph had given all he had, and doing so had given more than all assembled there. The miracle was occurring. The Child was alive and was reaching out to accept the Clockmaker's gift.

The story emphasizes what the true meaning of Christmas is. The birth of a Babe in a Manger and the giving of oneself to others. It is truly a beautiful story.

The Miracle on 34th Street (1947)

The Miracle on 34th Street (1947)

This is the original Miracle on 34th street, and by far the best version. Not to say that the others aren't good, it's just that this one will always be my favorite.

 The Miracle on 34th Street tells the story of Kris Kringle, a man who believes himself to be Santa Claus. Whether he is or not is implied by the movie but is never explicitly stated beyond a shadow of a doubt. :) Kris is hired by Macy's to act as their Santa Claus. There he meets Doris Walker and her daughter Susan, both whom are hardened skeptics that Kris tries to convince of the magic of Christmas. One of the most tender moments in this classic movie, however, doesn't come from these two main characters. It's when Kris, as the Macy's Santa Claus, meets a little girl from Holland. He learns from her adoptive mother that she's a refugee that doesn't speak any English. He then proceeds to have a lovely conversation with the child in Dutch. This is just one of the subtle hints that Kris may indeed be Santa Claus.

As the movie proceeds, Kris is put on trial for his "delusion" of being Santa Claus. Another reason I love this version better than its remakes is when they question Mr. Macy about whether or not Kris is Santa. In subsequent versions, Macy realizes how bad it would be for business if he said that his Santa (who he's built his entire holiday program around) is not really Santa. Although this briefly flits through the mind of Macy in the original version, we also see him remembering how happy Kris made the children during the Macy Day Parade and every day since. He determines in his heart in that minute that this man is Santa Claus.

The ending also made more sense in this movie. After Susan writes a letter to Kris in care of the Court House, the United States Postal Service decides to send all the Santa letters sitting in their Dead Letter Office to Kris. The court then determines that Kris is Santa because it is a federal offense for Postal Workers to deliberately misdirect mail.

So is Kris Kringle Santa Claus? Watch the movie and make your own decision. Personally, he will always be Santa Claus in my mind!

A Christmas Carol

I've always loved the Christmas season. I love the decorations, the music, the movies, and remembering what my Savior did for me 2000 years ago. And yes, I am well aware that Jesus was actually more likely to be born in the Spring and the Catholic Church made "Christ Mass" on the 25th of December to capitalize on some sort of pagan holiday, but I don't care. I also love Santa Claus, and love listening to the music and movies that have him as a main character. :) So for this month I'm going to give you some Christmas stories to enjoy. I have decided to divide the month into four sections, an "adult" story, a children's story, a "Vintage" Christmas movie, a Christmas cartoon, and a more modern live action movie. I thought I would start with a new post that I was thinking of adding to this site. I will call them "World" blog posts. These are books and movies that are based in a single world. These are not sequels or remakes, but different authors taking up the pen to write about an already established world. These lists are not all inclusive because there are many versions I have never seen and/or read, but I hope you enjoy them all the same. :)  With that said let us start off the season with Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol.

Dickens first wrote Christmas Carol in 1843. It tells the story of the miser Ebeneezer Scrooge who mistreats everyone around him. Scrooge is visited by four spirits. The ghost of his late partner Marley comes first to warn Scrooge that if he doesn't listen to the message of the next three spirits he will be damned for all eternity forced to wear chains even greater than his. Scrooge is then visited by the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Yet to Come that come to show Scrooge the "true" meaning of the season. (Peace on earth, goodwill towards all). When Scrooge awakes Christmas morning he turns his life around and as Dickens says, "It was always said of him, that he knew how to keep Christmas well, if any man alive possessed the knowledge." A true Christmas classic for the whole family, even if the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come always scares the socks off me in his creepy Grim Reaper robes. He never speaks either except in Mickey's version where he only says one line when Scrooge asks whose grave they stand at. "Why it's yours, Ebeneezer."  So now that we have gone over the original book, let's look at some of the movie adaptations.

Mickey's Christmas Carol

This is actually the first version I ever saw. In it we have Scrooge McDuck playing the main character with a host of all your favorite classic Disney characters playing the rest of the roles. As I mentioned before, this is the only time I have ever heard the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come utter a word. Pete still scares me in that role. :) A fun and fitting addition to the cannon.

The Muppet Christmas Carol

Michael Cain joins the cast of the Muppets to bring the classic story to life. Gonzo plays Dickens/the narrator and joins you on your journey through the classic journey that includes Kermit and Miss Piggy as the Cratchetts and other favorite Muppet characters.

A Christmas Carol (1984)

I have to admit that I've never actually seen this version, but it is my mother's favorite, so I decided to include it. This version has George C. Scott as Scrooge. My mother always tells me that he plays a very elegant Scrooge, not dirty and dingy as some have portrayed him, and Scott is a good actor. Sooner or later I'll actually watch it.

Looney Tunes Christmas Carol

There are actually two Looney Tunes Christmas Carols, this post is about the original with Yosemite Sam as Scrooge. In this version there are actually no ghosts, it's just Bugs Bunny deciding that old Scrooge needs to be taught a lesson. One of my favorite scenes is where Bugs as the "Ghost of Christmas" tells Scrooge he's taking him to see the man in the red suit. "You mean Santy Claus?" Scrooge asks.

"No, the other man in the red suit," Bugs replies.

"You mean down there," Scrooge asks, pointing to the floor. Bugs nods. Really quite amusing. It is followed by a short where Bugs has the Tasmanian Devil over and has to get him to leave.

A Christmas Carol (1999)

There is nothing really different about this version except that Patrick Stewart plays Scrooge. Really a faithful adaptation.

Chasing Christmas

In this version, a fed up Ghost of Christmas Past strands his "Scrooge" in 1965 and goes AWOL. It is then up to the slightly ditsy Ghost of Christmas Present to help our main character to get back to the present.

A Carol Christmas

Carol is a TV producer that has it all. She is also a jerk and treats everyone horribly. She is visited by the classic ghosts to be taught a lesson and possibly find the love she left behind in the process.

Black Adder Christmas Carol

If you know anything about Black Adder, you know he's a bit of a jerk. In this version, Black Adder is actually a nice guy who is visited by the ghost by mistake. He then shows him what his ancestors were like as a lark. Black Adder decides that the jerks had all the fun and changes his ways for the worst.

Karroll's Christmas

The Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future come to Karroll's house by mistake, meaning to go to his neighbor's house. Karroll then decides to help out by teaching the true meaning of Christmas to his neighbor, learning some things about himself along the way.