Product Description
-------------------
Includes 7 Holiday Favorites:
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
Who’s got a nose for Christmas? Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer!
Just in time for the holidays, here comes Rudolph in the most
beloved special of all time! Packed with a sleigh full of
memorable songs and unforgettable characters, Rudolph the
Red-Nosed Reindeer lights up the hearts of young and old alike.
Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town
Where does Santa’s suit come from? Why does he slide down the
chimney? Why does he live at the North Pole? The answers to all
these questions and the origins of our favorite holiday
traditions are revealed in this delightful classic about Kris
Kringle, the world’s most famous gift giver.
Frosty the Snowman
Look at Frosty Go! What’s become a bigger holiday tradition than
building a snowman? Watching the original Christmas classic,
Frosty the Snowman! Grab your f, bundle up, and get ready for
the incredible adventure of a magical snowman who’s got enough
personality to win over the whole family. You can’t go wrong with
Frosty!
Frosty Returns
Mr. Magoo’s Christmas Carol
Bah Humbug, Mr. Magoo! In this first-ever animated holiday TV
special, the bumbling and loveable Mr. Magoo is Ebeneezer Scrooge
in a hilarious and heartwarming musical retelling of Charles
Dickens’ classic, "A Christmas Carol".
The Little Drummer Boy
This story has touched the hearts of families everywhere. In this
holiday classic, the true spirit of Christmas is revealed when a
lonely orphan stumbles upon the birth of the baby Jesus and
affirms what the holidays are really about – giving and love.
Featuring a beautiful soundtrack by the Vienna Boys’ Choir, this
timeless tale of generosity makes the perfect addition to your
holiday collection.
Cricket on the Hearth
A delightful, animated musical version of Charles Dickens’
classic tale, Cricket on the Hearth, tells the story of a poor
toymaker and his daughter whom a helpful Cricket named Crocket
befriends on Christmas morning. When tragedy strikes the family,
it’s Crocket who comes to the rescue and restores peace and
happiness.
.com
----
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer:
This classic 1964 television special featuring Rudolph and his
misfit buddies set the standard for stop-motion animation for an
entire generation before Tim Burton darkly reinvented it in the
early 1990s. Burl Ives narrates as Sam the Snowman, telling and
singing the story of a rejected reindeer who overcomes prejudice
and saves Christmas one particularly blustery year. Along the
way, he meets an abundance of unforgettable characters: his
dentally obsessed elf pal Hermey; the affable miner Yukon
Cornelius and his motley crew of puppies; the y/adorable
Abominable Snow Monster; a legion of abandoned, but still chatty,
toys; and a rather grouchy Santa. In addition to the title song
that inspired it, this 53-minute tape is crammed with catchy
tunes such as "Silver and Gold" and "Holly Jolly Christmas."
Those who grew up looking forward to watching Rudolph every
Christmas season will undoubtedly be able to recite the quotable
quotes ("I'm cuuuute. She said I'm cuuuute." "ie doesn't like
to make toys.") as well as any Casablanca cult audience.
--Kimberly Heinrichs
Santa Claus is Comin' to Town:
This 53-minute, 1970 animated film may be the most delightful of
those sundry, stop-motion animated Christmas perennials that show
up on television during the holidays. The clay animation
production, boasting a wonderful musical score and art direction
that occasionally underscores the flower-power era in which it
was born, tells the story of Santa's origins, in which Kris
Kringle decides to get toys into the hands of poor children in
gloomy Sombertown. Charmingly narrated by Fred Astaire and
featuring voices by Mickey Rooney and Keenan Wynn, Santa Claus Is
Coming to Town presents a nice bridge between two generations of
entertainment, the classic and the hip. --Tom Keogh
Frosty the Snowman:
Jimmy Durante narrates this Christmas story that is based on the
song of the same name. To make up for the fact that her students
are in school on Christmas Eve, the local schoolteacher hires the
magician Professor Hinkle to entertain the kids. Unfortunately,
he's not a very good magician. Frustrated in his attempt to pull
a rabbit out of his hat, he throws it away in anger. Outside, the
kids build a snowman (what to call it? Harold? Oatmeal? Frosty!),
and when the hat blows onto it--Happy Birthday!--it comes to
life. Professor Hinkle decides he wants the hat back so he can
make money off of its newfound magical properties, but the kids
want to save Frosty. When the temperature starts to rise, a new
problem threatens Frosty's existence. Karen, the leader of the
children, comes up with a plan to save him: take him on a train
to the North Pole, where it's always cold. With a cameo by Santa
Claus, and the promise of Frosty's return every year, this story
of life, death, and holiday cheer is glazed with the sweet
frosting of hope and happiness. A true holiday classic. --Andy
Spletzer
Frosty Returns:
n the same way that many a Hollywood sequel has little to do with
the first film, Frosty Returns has almost nothing in common with
the original Frosty the Snowman, aside from a man made of snow.
The biggest difference is that this Frosty doesn't need a magic
hat to come to life. The story: In the town of Beansboro, old Mr.
Twitchell has invented an aerosol spray that can remove snow
without the hassle of shoveling or plows. This frightens Frosty,
who enlists the help of amateur magician Holly and her friend
Charles to stop the old coot. Made in 1992, Frosty Returns has an
animation style that looks like a cross between the old
Schoolhouse Rock and Peanuts cartoons, with voice talent that
includes Jonathan Winters, Andrea Martin, Jan Hooks, Brian
Doyle-Murray, and John Goodman as Frosty. The story may be
divisive, pitting children against adults and a pro-snow
contingent against anti-snow people, but the songs are catchy and
the message is one that ultimately empowers kids. Like a hero
from an old Western, this Frosty is a wanderer who leaves when
his job is done so he can work his magic elsewhere. --Andy
Spletzer
Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol:
This 1962 special marked the last hurrah of Mr. Magoo, who
starred in 43 cartoon shorts, including two O® winners, from
the UPA Studio between 1949 and 1959. Magoo appears as Scrooge in
a Broadway production of "A Christmas Carol" in this minimally
animated hour. The play-within-the-show features forgettable
songs by Jules Styne and Bob Merrill: Tiny Tim ("played" by the
animated character Gerald McBoing-Boing) sings, oddly, of "razzle
berry dressing" and "woofle jelly cake." This retelling of
Dickens's holiday standard is much tamer than Richard Williams's
O-winning adaptation: the ghosts aren't y, nor does Magoo
confront the specters of Ignorance and Want. Small children who
might be frightened by more dramatic versions of the story will
enjoy this mild program. And the self-satisfied chuckles and
bromides Jim Backus gives Magoo in his lighter moments remain as
delightful as ever. This film is suitable for ages 6 and older.
--Charles Solomon
Little Drummer Boy:
The model animation techniques in this 1968 Rankin and Bass TV
chestnut are primitive by today's standards, and picky kids may
reject them out of hand. The story, however, which elaborates on
the popular Christmas song about a shepherd boy who plays his
drum for the baby Jesus and makes the animals dance, is a little
more tough-minded than you might expect. The kid begins the story
as what we'd now call a neglected child, a surly urchin who says
he hates all people. He's pulled back from the brink, first by
learning to make music, and then by his encounter with the Christ
child. The underlying message alone--that everybody has something
worth contributing--qualifies the show for holiday-perennial
status. The big-name voice performers, Jose Ferrer and Greer
Garson (who narrates), may be a little too ponderous for the
occasion, but the familiar cartoony tones of Paul Frees (aka
Boris Badenov) and June Forey (aka Rocket J. Squirrel) help liven
up the proceedings. It's only 23 minutes long, so it's worth a
for younger children. --David Chute