Holiday History (Part 2)

51 years ago on this day, December 10, 1974, my all time favorite Christmas special aired for the first time. Long time readers of this blog are familiar with it for sure – The Year Without a Santa Claus. Back in 2019, I wrote an entire piece on the special for a blog-a-thon. Here it is updated a bit:

Rankin and Bass Productions produced many holiday television specials. Many of these were based on songs (1964’s Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, 1968’s Little Drummer Boy, 1969’s Frosty the Snowman, and 1970’s Santa Claus is Coming to Town). Along with How the Grinch Stole Christmas and A Charlie Brown Christmas, these holiday specials were something that I (and many children) looked forward to watching every year.

So what makes these specials so special? Here are my thoughts: First of all, many of them were produced using a stop-motion animation process called “Animagic”. Animagic was used on shows like Puppetoons, Gumby, and Davey and Goliath. Compared to the advances we see in animation today, these specials shot with this primitive process still hold up and are entertaining.

Second, many are based on familiar Christmas songs. We know the songs and the stories, but the specials elaborate on them. We know the story of Frosty – but the song doesn’t mention Professor Hinkle (and we know we need his magic hat). We know the story of Rudolph – but there is no mention of Yukon Cornelius, Hermie, or Bumbles in the song (and we know Yukon saved Rudolph’s life). We know the story of Santa Claus – but the song doesn’t mention the Burgermeister Meisterburger (who is responsible for him going down chimneys) or the Winter Warlock (who gives Santa his magic snowball so he can see if you’ve been bad or good).

Next, you have the wonderful musical score and additional songs throughout the specials. Maury Laws, who sadly passed away in March of 2019 at age 95, was the music director for almost every Rankin and Bass production. He conducted and arranged so much of the wonderful music heard in these specials. Along with the title songs, who can forget “Holly Jolly Christmas”, “We Are Santa’s Elves”, “Silver and Gold”, “There’s Always Tomorrow”, “Put One Foot in Front of the Other”, “No More Toymakers to the King” and so many others?!

Finally, and maybe most importantly, the voice work of some very talented actors and actresses make the Rankin and Bass specials so very entertaining. I read somewhere that they really tried to find unique voices for their characters. They did have their own company of actors (Paul Soles, Larry Mann, Billie Richards, Paul Klingman, and Paul Frees), but they were able to get some “star power” for narrators and other characters. Think about the voices of Jimmy Durante, Jackie Vernon (who was known for his blue comedy work), Buddy Hackett, Shirley Booth, Mickey Rooney, Fred Astaire, and Burl Ives. They all had very unique voices that were perfect for these characters!

The Year Without A Santa Claus

The Year Without a Santa Claus originally aired on the ABC TV Network on December 10, 1974. The story is not based on a song, but is based on a poem/book. In 1956, Good Housekeeping magazine published the poem “The Year Without a Santa Claus” which was written by Phyllis McGinley. It was so popular that it was turned into a picture book the following year with illustrations by Kurt Werth.

In 1968, 6 years before the Rankin and Bass special, just a few months before he passed Boris Karloff (who narrated How The Grinch Stole Christmas) narrated an LP record version of the story/poem that was available on Capitol Records.

The poem tells of a year where Santa decides to take a vacation because he is feeling old and worn out. As the children of the world hear of this, they become very sad and cannot imagine a Christmas without Santa. There is one boy, Ignatius Thistlewhite, who takes a stand and explains that even Santa needs a vacation. He explains that Christmas is not only about receiving, but about giving. The children of the world launch a big campaign to give back to Santa and send him gifts to show him how much they love him. He is so moved by this gesture that he decides not to take the vacation and goes out on his annual flight like every other year.

Rankin and Bass Version

(Note: Spoilers) For the most part, the special follows the poem/book, with some minor and major changes. Shirley Booth plays Mrs. Claus, who tells us the story. This would be Shirley’s last acting role, as she retired after her part was completed. Santa is played by Mickey Rooney, who also played Santa in the Rankin/Bass special Santa Claus is Coming to Town.

In the special, Santa is sick. He is advised by his overly honest and grumpy doctor to stay home. The doctor also tells him nobody care about Christmas, and that no one believes in him anymore! Santa, feeling that his doctor may be right, decides to cancel Christmas for the first time ever.

Mrs. Claus, however, feels that it wouldn’t be fair to the children, and has a plan. She sends two Christmas elves, Jingle and Jangle, along with reindeer Vixen into the world to prove that there is still Christmas Spirit and that children still believe in Santa. Jingle and Jangle provide some comic relief (I always sensed a Laurel and Hardy vibe with them). Bob McFadden voices Jingle, while Bradley Bolke (best known as Chumley in the Tennessee Tuxedo cartoons) voices Jangle.

Santa knows his wife is up to something and gets her to explain just what she’s got going on. He is aghast to learn that the elves and Vixen are heading into the world. In a bit of foreshadowing, he mentioned that they’ll be lucky to make it past the Miser Brothers. The Miser Brothers are easily two of the most memorable characters ever created by Rankin and Bass, more on them shortly. As the elves fly directly into their path, the are shot down by Heat Miser (who calls them members of “the Santa Claus Gang”). Vixen and the elves narrowly escape and wind up landing in a place called Southtown USA.

While in Southtown, they find a lack of Christmas Spirit, and children (one of them Ignatius “Iggy” Thistlewhite, mentioned earlier) skeptical that Santa even exists. Things go from bad to worse in Southtown, as the elves receive a ticket and then Vixen is taken to the pound by the dog catcher (who thinks she is a dog). The elves are told by the policeman to see the mayor if they want to free Vixen.

Santa, who is now on a mission to save Vixen and the elves, has also flown down (on Dasher) to Southtown in search of them. He seems to be a step or two behind them. He runs into Iggy as he is coming home, introduces himself as “Mr. Clowze” and asks if he has seen his friends. Iggy replies that he has, but when Santa sneezes, Iggy’s mom invites him in for tea to help his cold.

While at the table, he learns that the elves were asking if he believed in Santa Claus. Iggy asks the old gent if HE believes in Santa Claus. He admits that he does in song, and we learn that Iggy’s dad actually saw Santa as boy, and he still believes. Iggy then tells Santa about the mess that the elves were in and that the dog catcher has their “dog”. Santa, worried about Vixen, jumps on his reindeer and flies away, not caring that he is in plain sight of the family. Iggy now realizes who Mr. Clowze really is and decides he is going to help Jingle and Jangle.

Santa pays a fine to the dog catcher and decides it is best to take Vixen home. Meanwhile, Iggy and the elves tell the mayor their story and the mayor laughs in disbelief. He does not believe that they are Christmas Elves, or any bit of their story!

He does, however, agree to free Vixen (and give Santa a holiday) if they can PROVE they are elves (who he says can do magic) and make it snow in Southtown, where it hasn’t snowed in over 100 years! Knowing that they are in a spot, they call Mrs. Claus to help. When she arrives, they go to see Snow Miser.

The Miser Brothers, Snow Miser and Heat Miser, are the offspring of Mother nature. Snow Miser controls all of the cold weather on the earth, while Heat Miser controls all the warm weather. There is no doubt that these two characters are the stand outs in this holiday special. The characters are larger than life. They are two step brothers, who obviously dislike and despise each other. We got a glimpse of them both early on, but now we get their official “introductions”.

Each Miser Brother has his own introductory song, with choreography and dancing minions. Each song is a boost to their egos as they admit that they are both “too much”!

Snow Miser is voiced by the amazing Dick Shawn, while Heat Miser is voiced by George S. Irving. Both were very well known character actors and each play their roles to the utmost. Shawn’s Snow Miser is a friendly guy who is full of puns and energy, while Irving’s Heat Miser is a miserable grouch!

It would just be wrong for me NOT to post a link to their songs – which are truly the highlights of the special!

Mrs. Claus arrives and asks Snow Miser for a snow storm. He will gladly oblige! However, when he hears where they need it to snow, he tells them he cannot help because the South is under Heat Miser’s control, and they must get his permission. Upon arriving at Heat Miser’s volcano, and listening to his song, he is obviously miffed at his visitors. He even accuses Santa of going out “doing commercials” for his brother. When the ask to let it snow in Southtown, he refuses at first, but then says he will allow it to snow there if he can provide a nice sunny day at the North Pole. The two brothers bicker on the phone and Mrs. Claus stops them and says that she is going over their heads. She is taking this to their mother – Mother Nature!

Despite the fact that the brothers, the elves, and Mrs. Claus are all a bit scared of Mother nature, she is a pleasant lady. She summons her boys with thunder and lightening (very reminiscent of the old Chiffon margarine ads that featured Mother Nature). With some initial bickering, she eventually gets the boys to agree. Snow Miser will allow a nice warm day at the North Pole and Heat Miser will let it snow in the south.

Once the snow hits Southtown, the mayor finally believes Jingle and Jangle and gets on the phone with all the mayors around the world. They officially declare a national holiday for Santa. The newspapers proclaim this “Day Off For Santa!” and the word spreads from pole to pole! With this news, all of the children begin to send letters and presents to Santa to show their appreciation for him and wish him a happy holiday. Santa receives one letter from a little girl who says she’ll have a Blue Christmas without him (and the song accompanies this)…

Santa is very moved by this letter, and the outpouring of gifts and love by the children of the world. He decides that it is ridiculous for him to take the night off! Christmas is back on again! He tells the elves to load up the sleigh and his ride begins by going down “Santa Claus Lane” in Southtown, USA.

At the end of the special, Mrs. Claus reminds us that somehow, “yearly, newly, faithfully, and truly” Santa ALWAYS comes!

Final Thoughts

In 2006, NBC remade this classic into a live-action special that was a huge disappointment. In 2008, ABC Family aired “A Miser Brothers’ Christmas” which, despite having a few of the original voice actors, was also something that never achieves the magic of the original.

Had The Year Without a Santa Claus simply told the story of the poem or book, it would easily be classified as a typical and standard Christmas special. However, Rankin and Bass take it above and beyond that. They make it a truly wonderful story with great characters, wonderful voice actors, well known and original music that brings a smile to my face each and every year! When I listen to the radio and hear “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch”, “Frosty the Snowman” and “Holly Jolly Christmas” from other TV specials, I find myself wondering why stations don’t take a chance and play the Miser Brothers songs? Every time I mention this special to someone – they IMMEDIATELY know them and their songs!! It’s a missed opportunity!

I can still remember the first time my brother and I sat in front of the TV to watch this. I remember over the years checking the TV guide to see if and when it would air again. When it was available on home video/DVD, I made sure I had a copy. It was one of the first specials I shared with my sons. I still tear up when Santa is reading about the little girl’s Blue Christmas. I sing along with the Miser Brothers. My heart doubles in size when Santa declares that Christmas isn’t cancelled. And every time I watch it, I am laying on the floor in front of the TV with my younger brother next to me … and I am 6 years old all over again.

Ladies and Gentlemen – Mr. Eddie Deezen!

I have been meaning to do a little interview with Eddie Deezen for a couple of years. I was always afraid to ask. You see, we’ve been friends on Facebook for some time and I’ve found that we share a lot in common. He has shared a lot of great personal stories about his interactions with other Hollywood celebrities, as well as some amazing trivia on just about everything.

I had noticed that he did a few podcasts with other Facebook friends and thought, “Maybe, he’ll allow me to ask him some questions for my blog.” As scared as I was to ask, Eddie said yes almost immediately. What follows in the transcript, if you will, of our chat. My questions are in bold and his answers follow.

Today is Eddie’s birthday, by the way, so what better way to celebrate than sharing a few minutes with him?

Keith: You and I have been Facebook friends now for almost 10 years. You have a very active social media presence. For fans like me, it is a wonderful way to connect with you. Like a true friendship, you share your life with us and you share your laughs with us. Many celebrities avoid social media or have someone run their page for them. What is it about social media (Facebook) makes you love it so much?

Eddie Deezen: I love Facebook. I am 100% pure Facebook. I know I could reach more fans and have more followers on other sites, on Facebook I am limited to just 5,000 fans. This is the only thing about Facebook I dislike. The 5,000 friend limit makes no sense to me. I am a compulsive writer and joke writer. I fill up notebook after notebook with my jokes and stuff. With Facebook I have an avenue of people to see my stuff. Before I joined Facebook in 2009, I would write jokes and stories and trivia to a list of about 200 friends. My Facebook friends are wonderful. I love them very much. Also, I get told by people who are not on my Facebook friends list that they read my posts too. So that makes me happy.

One of the things I look forward to on your Facebook posts is your personal stories about your movies, behind the scenes tid-bits, and your interaction with other actors. Many folks know you as Eugene from Grease. You have shared so many wonderful stories about John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John (and others). Do you have a favorite Grease story you love to share?

My favorite Grease story would be how I got Grease in the first place. Ok, I went to my Grease audition in my little suit, with a bow tie and I put Vitalis or some greasy stuff in my hair (The movie was called “Grease”, so I figured Grease in my hair made sense). I went in to Paramount Studios (by the way, Paramount has always been my favorite studio) and the place was packed with guts in leather jackets and girls in poodle skirts and saddle shoes.

I read for Allan Carr the producer), Randal Kleiser (the director) and Joel Thurm ( the casting director). As I was talking to them and reading my two or three lines, I saw them nudging each other. I figured the nudges were a good sign. Anyway, a few days later, my agent calls and tells me I got the part. I was ecstatic, I called my parents and my friends and told them I was going to be in a movie with John Travolta and all.

Then, a few days later, my agent calls me and tells me “Eugene is a small role and the studio decided they’re going to cut out your role from the film”. Of course, I felt like jumping off a cliff. My agent said “We’re going to church to pray”. I swear to God, we go in, my agent gives me a match and tells me to light candies and pray at the alter. I prayed fervently to God. “Please God, let something good happen”. A few days later, the studio calls my agent and tells her they want me back in the movie.

True story. Divine intervention? Or just a lucky break? Who knows? I have wondered about this first 48 years now. You can believe whatever you want, but this really did happen..

That is a GREAT story! I’m glad you got back into the film! Speaking of Grease, you worked with comedy legend Sid Caesar. Did you have any interesting interactions with him?

Well, I was chauffeured home each night with Sid Caesar. I was carefully instructed “Don’t speak to Mr. Caesar unless he speaks to you first”. So I would sit in the back seat and Mr. Caesar would sit in the front seat and I would just sit silently as he spoke to our chauffeur. One day He turned around to me and said “So you’re the water boy, huh?”. I replied sarcastically “ Oh, is it okay if I speak?”. This was very rude of me, but I was a twenty year old kid. Very immature.

Mr. Caesar was a very intelligent man. I would listen to him pontificate about history and religion and stuff. Our chauffeur was named Kirk or Kurt. He was a nice guy.

One of my favorite movies of yours is 1941. What a cast for that movie! You had the chance to work with John Belushi. On Facebook, you have shared that Belushi was actually pretty quiet and was very nice to you. Can you elaborate on that?

John was always extremely kind and nice to me. I loved him so much. We had met previously in New York. He was at the premiere of my movie “I Wanna Hold Your Hand”. At the party after the premiere I sat with John and we chatted for about 15 minutes. He was serious and thoughtful. No jokes. He spoke earnestly. I loved seeing him on the set of “1941”

The last time I saw John was around 1980. I was just leaving a really bad audition. I felt bad and who comes walking down the street but John Belushi. He saw I was sad and said “What’s the matter, Eddie?”. I said, “ I just had a terrible audition, John. These guys hated me”. He replied “They’re assholes”. And he just walked away. That was the last time I ever saw John Belushi.

To John’s credit, he was probably right!

I wasn’t going to ask, but I’d kick myself if I didn’t ask you to share a bit about Murray Hamilton and the dummy from the Ferris Wheel scene….

Murray was a wonderful, very nice guy. We had many great talks up on that Ferris wheel. Murray was a big time smoker. He smoked three or four packs a day. So every once in a while he would have trouble breathing up there. Steven had a. Oxygen tank he kept for Murray. If Murray was having trouble breathing, Steven would let us down and Murray would take a few hits of oxygen.

One of my favorite holiday films is the Polar Express. Your work as the Know It All kid is just wonderful! How did you and Tom Hanks get along? Is he as nice as he seems?

Tom has always been my favorite movie star. The first day of the table read, there were a bunch of us all gathered to greet Tom. He was the biggest movie star in the world. He spots me in the bunch, walks up to me first and says, “Hi Eddie. I’m Tom”. No shit Sherlock.

He was a total pro. Never flubbed a line or missed a cue. One day I made a bad mistake. I screwed up a line or some such thing. Our director, Bob Zemeckis, said “cut”. “What happened, Eddie?”, he asked me. Before I could say anything, Tom cut in. “That was my fault”, he said. He took the blame for my mistake. He was like an older brother to me.

After we finished filming “The Polar Express”, he took me to three Dodger games at Dodger Stadium. We sat in his box seats. We sang the National Anthem and “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” together. He was just as cool as you’d expect him to be.

That’s awesome. What an experience for you!

You got to work with Dick Shawn in an episode of Magnum PI.

He seemed like a pretty unique guy. His comedy was so different and manic at times. I don’t think there is anything I’ve seen him do that didn’t intrigue me. What was it like to work with him?

Dick Shawn was a wonderful, nice, lovely, friendly, terrific, and delightful guy. I loved working with him. My career was pretty much movies, not a whole lot of television. But that “Magnum P.I.” episode I did (“Squeeze Play”) was probably the best thing I ever did on tv. I loved the entire Magnum cast and crew. Dick Shawn was a marvelous comedian and a fantastic straight man too. I loved playing his nephew.

You also shared the screen with two of the hottest gals of the 1980’s: Heather Thomas in Zapped! and Morgan Fairchild in Mob Boss.

Correct me if I am wrong but don’t you have a story about kissing Morgan Fairchild?

Yes, I did a movie called “ Mob Boss” with Morgan. Ok, we had a scene where the nerdy guy (me) kisses the ultra-sexy woman. We embrace and kiss and my glasses are all steamed up. Well, before we did that scene, Morgan said to me, “Eddie, do you want to rehearse?”. YOU THINK?? So she held me and kissed me at different angles and straight on, Etc. By the way, Morgan was a marvelous kisser. Her lips were so soft. She was also the most lovely lady ever. I loved her so much. She was a fabulous comedienne. Great straight woman too.

It was so much fun to work with Heather Thomas, too. Heather was a doll. She was very cool and incredibly nice. The episode of “The Fall Guy” I did with her was very fun to shoot. I loved all the cast and crew of “The Fall Guy”.

As a voice over actor, you have appeared in countless cartoons and series.

I always love when I hear your voice on something my kids are watching. You showed up recently on an episode of Handy Manny and also on Oswald. Do you find voice acting to be easier than acting on screen or are the about the same? Do you prefer one over the other?

Well, I have never been great at memorizing lines. Now, on camera stuff, you have to learn your lines by heart. For “The Polar Express”, our director Bob Zemeckis, knew my problem, and he let me read my entire role using cue cards.

I enjoy voiceovers and doing cartoons because you can just read your role from a script, no memorization involved. But as a performer, you get a bigger rush doing a movie, because it’s fun seeing yourself onscreen.

A show that many folks don’t remember is the Weird Al Show from the late 90’s. Can you tell me how you got to play “Guy Boarded Up in the Wall?”

Yes, Weird Al is a marvelous, very nice guy. He also knew of my problem remembering lines and he wanted me on his show. So he created the “Man in the Wall” character. I was “ on camera” but I was behind a wall, so I could just read my lines. It was a very fun gig.

Your fans are well aware of your love for the Beatles and their music.

A while back, my blogger friend, Dave from A Sound Day ran a feature. He had some of us bloggers write about the Beatles and if they were still relevant today. I wrote my piece about songs I would use to introduce the band to someone. So, if YOU had to introduce someone who had never heard of the Beatles or their music, what 5 (or ten if you wish) songs would you play for them?

My favorite Beatles song is “A Hard Day’s Night”, so I would have to include that one. Now, you did not ask first my favorite Beatle songs, however, you asked first five or ten Beatle songs I would use to introduce a new fan to the Beatles. So here are my choices:

Love Me Do
She Loves You
I Want to Hold Your Hand
Help!
Yesterday
In My Life
Penny Lane
A Day in the Life
Strawberry Fields Forever
Let It Be

There are so many great Beatles tunes to choose from, and you have some classics there!

You and I share many of the same likes, the Beatles being one of them. However, you are also as big a Stooge Fan as I am. I have loved The Three Stooges since my dad introduced me to them as a kid. You have said often that Curly is your favorite.

It is hard NOT to like him. Is there any one thing in particular that makes him your favorite?

Yes, Curly Howard is my all- time favorite comedian. He was as great as Charlie Chaplin or Buster Keaton physically. Plus, he was a hilarious verbal comedian, something Chaplin and Keaton were not. He made 97 shorts. About 70 or 80 are comedy classics. He was amazingly prolific. He was all finished and retired by the age of 42. 42!!!! He just wore himself out. He was spent and got progressively sicker. The poor guy was gone at the age of 48. 48!!!

You could really see how sick he was in his last few shorts. The world certainly got a lot less “funny” when he passed away. So, do you have a favorite Stooges Short?

My favorite Three Stooge shorts are “Punch Drunks” and “Micro-Phonies”

Those are both in my top ten Stooges shorts, too. One last question for you, my friend. Do you think Shemp gets a bum rap for following Curly?

Well, yes. Shemp is obviously anticlimactic because he followed Curly. That’s Iike following Elvis or Paul McCartney, anyone would suffer in comparison. That said, Shemp was a fair to good comedian. He was not great. He did not have Curly’s innate sense of humor or timing or sense of what makes a line funny or what makes a gag funny.

He had his great moments, yes, but he has a lot of very unfunny scenes too. Plus, his character was not as original or lovable or magical as Curly’s. I always love what Leonard Martin said about him- Shemp was an indisputably good comedian, but he never had Curly’s “otherworldliness.” A perfect word that captures it all. Curly was otherworldly.

I’d forgotten that you wrote a piece about Shemp for Mental Floss back in 2011. It’s a great piece that readers can see on the Mental Floss Site.

Eddie, thank you for taking the time to answer my questions. Thank you for your friendship. I truly hope to meet you in person one day. Maybe a trip to the Stoogeum in Pennsylvania one day? I wish you all the best and lots of happiness on your birthday, my friend! Cheers to another year of friendship and laughs!

Thanks Keith. I’m glad to answer these questions for you. You are a wonderful guy and I am proud to have you as a friend both on Facebook and in my life. That trip to the Stoogeum sounds like a plan on my bucket list, so let’s hope! See you on Facebook!

I need to once again extend a huge thank you to Eddie for taking the time to chat with me. If you are a fan, Eddie also does do personalized messages for birthdays and such on Cameo. I had him do one for my dad a year or so ago! You can check out the information on Eddie’s Cameo Page.

Happy Birthday, Eddie! May your day be filled with laughter and happiness!

Tune Tuesday – Happy 50th Anniversary

Today marks the 50th anniversary of (in my humble opinion) the greatest Christmas special of all time. On December 10, 1974 ABC aired The Year Without a Santa Claus for the first time. The plot focused on a fear of every child – Christmas being cancelled and Santa Claus taking the night off.

In 2019, I wrote a piece for The Happy Holidays Blogathon on the special. It goes into much more detail than I will in this blog. It remains one of my most read blogs to date. You can read that piece here:

The Year Without a Santa Claus (1974)

I don’t think anyone would disagree with me when I say that the characters who truly make this special are The Miser Brothers. The Snow Miser and Heat Miser are instantly recognizable to kids who were raised in the mid-70’s and early 80’s. These two also top the list of my favorite characters:

My Top 20 Favorite Christmas Characters

Their songs are the high points of the musical score. It only makes sense that I post those two songs for Tune Tuesday. Here is the great Dick Shawn as Snow Miser and George S. Irving as Heat Miser! After the video, read on for more 50th anniversary info.

My friend, Rick Goldschmidt, is the official Rankin/Bass Productions historian/biographer and has authored many books on their specials. This year, in celebration of the 50th anniversary, he has put out a book on The Year Without a Santa Claus (and the Night Before Christmas). It can be bought here: https://www.etsy.com/shop/MISERBROS

You can learn more about him at his blog: https://enchantedworldofrankinbass.blogspot.com/

He was nice enough to even sign my copy!

The Year Without a Santa Claus is something I will watch every year. I will sing along with the Miser Brothers, cry at Blue Christmas, and (spoiler) rejoice that Santa decides to NOT take the day off.

Movie Music Monday – Love At First Bite

Today the tannest man in show business celebrates his 85th birthday. I am, of course, talking about George Hamilton. He is no stranger to television and movies. His film career started way back in 1959 when he started in Crime and Punishment USA

He played many serious roles both on television and in the movies. In 1979, however, he starred in the hit Love at First Bite, where he showed that he could also do comedy.

Admittedly, the set up of the film is kind of silly: The Communist regime of Romania ejects the Count from his ancestral home, he and his manservant Renfield (Arte Johnson) go in search of the current incarnation of Mina Harker (Dracula’s true love). This incarnation is a fashion model named Cindy (Susan Saint James) who lives in New York City. The comedy ensues when the incurably romantic Count finds it difficult to adjust to life in the Big Apple in the late 1970s.

Richard Benjamin is pretty funny as Cindy’s psychiatrist, Dick Shawn (who is always great) plays a NYPD Lieutenant, and there are funny appearances from Sherman Hemsley and Isabel Sanford.

One of the best scenes in the movie is when Dracula and Cindy dance at a disco. The song that they dance to is I Love the Nightlife (Disco Round) by Alicia Bridges.

The song was recorded in 1978 and was released as the first single from her debut album. It went to number 2 on the Disco charts and became a crossover hit, peaking at number five on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart.

The song is forever connected to the movie. Which is why I find it odd that the 2007 DVD release of the movie features a different song in the relevant scene! I don’t even know what song they used or why Bridges song was cut. Thankfully, the 2015 release by Shout Factory restores the original song to the scene.

The song is heard throughout the movie’s trailer as well….

Happy birthday, George Hamilton!!

Modern Tech Can Ruin A Classic

As a fan of old movies and old TV shows, I sometimes find myself thinking about how modern technology can immediately take an entire show or movie and destroy it. Just to prove my point, I will quickly look at a movie that I have been meaning to write about for some time – It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963).

This movie is a classic and almost anyone who is anyone in comedy was in it. The main characters are played by Spencer Tracy, Milton Berle, Sid Caesar, Mickey Rooney, Jonathan Winters, and Buddy Hackett. There are countless comedian cameos throughout the entire movie.

Here is a quick synopsis: A criminal who has been just released from prison has a car accident and drives off a cliff. Five motorists who witness the accident rush down to help the driver (Jimmy Durante) who is fatally injured. Just before he dies, he tells the motorists about $350,000 that he has buried in Santa Rosita State Park under “a big W.”

As police arrive, and question the motorists (who say nothing about the money), they climb back up to their cars and all eventually pull over to discuss what has transpired. They decide that they will all go to see if there even is any money, but first begin arguing over the best way to divide up the money between themselves.

After failing to come up with a satisfactory way to split the money, it becomes every man for himself and everyone begins racing each other to the park. What they don’t know is that they are all being watched by a police captain who has been following the case for years. The remainder of the movie consists of car chases, plane mishaps, car thefts, and plenty of property destruction as the motorists race across the country to get to the money first.

You don’t have to think hard about what piece of modern technology would stop the plot of this movie dead in its tracks – a cell phone.

All these motorists would have to do is call someone close by to look for the money, right? As a matter of fact, in the film Ethel Merman’s character calls her son (Dick Shawn) to tell him about the money because he lives close by. However, the son is so dumb and doesn’t listen to her and gets in his car and drives toward her instead of to the money.

Sid Caesar’s character charters a plan for him and his wife and the actually arrive in town first. They go to a hardware store to buy tools to dig with. They enter the store as the store closes for lunch (who does that anymore?) and are locked in the basement. A cell phone would have easily allowed them to call for help. Without the cell phone, however, he and his wife manage to destroy the basement of the store with fire and even dynamite!

It’s funny to think about how modern technology could change or completely erase story plot. The characters only knew that the money was buried under a “Big W.” They didn’t even know what that meant! Many of them were shown driving in their cars guessing what it could be (A water tower, or a windmill). Today, you could simply type into Google or ask Siri, “What’s a Big W located in Rosita Beach State Park?”

You could easily watch countless movies and TV shows from the past and say, “That would never happen today!” Think about how many old detective shows or courtroom shows would be different just because of the use of DNA evidence today?

What IS important is to sit back and watch these classics understanding the culture of the day and remembering the time frame they were created in.

What are your thoughts?

The Year Without a Santa Claus (1974)

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This is one of two entries that I am writing as part of The Happy Holidays Blogathon hosted by The Pure Entertainment Preservation Society (PEPS). You can check out all of the first day participants here:

https://pureentertainmentpreservationsociety.wordpress.com/2019/12/06/the-happy-holidays-blogathon-has-arrived/

While the rules state that the blogs should be about holiday “films”, I appreciate them allowing me to write on what is my favorite television holiday special – The Year Without A Santa Claus from 1974.

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Next, you have the wonderful musical score and additional songs throughout the specials. Maury Laws, who sadly passed away in March of this year at age 95, was the music director for almost every Rankin and Bass production. He conducted and arranged so much of the wonderful music heard in these specials. Along with the title songs, who can forget “Holly Jolly Christmas”, “We Are Santa’s Elves”, “Silver and Gold”, “There’s Always Tomorrow”, “Put One Foot in Front of the Other”, “No More Toymakers to the King” and so many others?!

The Year Without A Santa Claus

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Rankin and Bass Version

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Each Miser Brother has his own introductory song, with choreography and dancing minions. Each song is a boost to their egos as they admit that they are both “too much”!

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It would just be wrong for me NOT to post a link to their songs – which are truly the highlights of the special!

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At the end of the special, Mrs. Claus reminds us that somehow, “yearly, newly, faithfully, and truly” Santa ALWAYS comes!

Final Thoughts

Thanks to the Pure Entertainment Preservation Society for allowing me to participate in this blogathon! Happy Holidays!

My Top 20 Favorite Christmas Characters

Growing up, I loved watching all of the various Christmas specials that were shown on TV every year. With the availability of almost all of them on DVD, we can watch them whenever we want – even if it’s not during the holiday season! My brother and I would sit in front of the TV and watch Jimmy Durante tell us the story of Frosty the Snowman, Fred Astaire delivering mail while telling us about Santa, and Burl Ives shared the story of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. I don’t care who you are or how old you are, if you have kids – it’s still just as special watching these specials together. I even know some people my age who have no children – they find themselves watching them on TV, too!

Technology has come a long way from when these TV specials were made! Today, the cartoons and animation are above and beyond what these classic specials had. While some of the specials were animated – most of the favorites were done by Rankin and Bass and were done in stop animation. It had to have taken a long time to shoot these specials for sure! What make these so memorable are not only the stories and songs, but the characters and the people who voiced them.

There were some pretty talented voice actors and big stars who provided voiced for these iconic characters! They had many memorable lines, too. Here now, are my Top 20 favorite characters from the Specials of Christmas Past (and Present):

20 – Jingle Bells (The Year Without a Santa Claus)

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Jingle Bells (right) is the #1 elf at the North Pole. He is partnered up with Jangle Bells (left) and they remind me of a Laurel and Hardy type team. Jingle is the smart one, Jangle – not so much. Together, they get in some trouble while trying to find some Christmas Spirit. It’s Jingle who suggests they call Mrs. Claus for help.

19 – Sally Brown (A Charlie Brown Christmas)

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One thing that I loved about the Charlie Brown Christmas special is that the voices are done by real kids. As someone who has had to record children for commercials and such, I can tell you this is no easy task. You often have to feed them lines one at a time and edit them together. This is obviously what happened with the girl who plays Sally. Listen to her say – “Will you please write a letter to Santa Claus for me?” next time you watch it … you can hear the edits.

I love Sally because in her letter she gets on Santa’s good side by asking how his wife is and then goes on to say she has included a list of things she wants and for him to “note the size and color” of each item. LOL! When Charlie Brown questions her – she tells him that she just wants her “fair share”

18 – Doc Bobbin (The Year Without a Santa Claus)

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Santa is sick, so Mrs. Claus calls the doctor. This guy is just miserable! He’s cranky and angry! He’s an example of someone with no Christmas spirit. He tells Santa he’d be surprised if anyone still believed in him and is just plain rude. His appearance is a short one, but my favorite line from him is “Nobody cares a hoot and a holler for you (Santa) or Christmas!”

17 – The Grinch (How The Grinch Stole Christmas)

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The Dr. Seuss classic – not the new one or the Jim Carrey one! This guy reminds me a lot of Ebenezer Scrooge. He’s a mean one, as the song suggests, and yet in the end, he finds the true meaning of Christmas and he is a changed Grinch. It’s a bonus that the great Boris Karloff is the narrator for this cartoon.

16 & 15 – Mr. and Mrs. Claus (The Year Without a Santa Claus)

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Mickey Rooney and Shirley Booth! What’s not to like? Mickey played Santa in Rankin/Bass’s Santa Claus is Coming To Town and did and amazing job. It’s a treat to hear him revisit the role – his vocal inflections (while acting like he has a cold) are perfect. The playfulness of Shirley Booth as Mrs. Claus is just as good. She is our story-teller and plays and all important part in the story.

14 & 13 – Rudolph and Hermey

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Now, to be honest, I wasn’t going to include Rudolph in this list. However, when I thought about Hermey (the elf who wants to be a dentist), I felt that Rudy should go with him. These two are here because they are truly a “couple of misfits”. They are different and you know what? That is ok! Be different!!! Be spectacular!

Recently there have been rumblings about the lessons taught by this Christmas special, and in all honesty, the talk is annoying to me. Something offends everybody and everybody is offended by something these days! Hey! Get a grip! In order for the wonderful ending of this tale to mean anything – there had to be mean reindeer and a mean elf!

12 – Professor Hinkle (Frosty the Snowman)

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Here is a nasty man. He is a crappy magician and he has no idea how important his hat really is! He’s on the list because he is voiced perfectly by Billy De Wolfe. One of my favorite lines of his is: “When you’re grown up, you’ll realize that snowmen can’t come to life!” Oh, how wrong he was!

11 – Lucy Van Pelt (A Charlie Brown Christmas)

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Lucy is a real piece of work. She bosses everyone around, has an opinion about everything, and is a know it all. She’s also kind of a jerk. So why is she on the list? Because of all the things I just mentioned and this quote: “Look, Charlie Brown, we all know that Christmas is just a big commercial racket. It’s run by a big Eastern Syndicate, you know?!”

Maybe it is not run by a syndicate – but one thing is for certain – Christmas is, and continues to be, a big commercial racket!

10 – Santa Claus (Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer)

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Ok, yes … Santa is already on the list. That, however, is the Mickey Rooney Santa. This Santa is different and is played in a whole different way. I agree, he was a jerk to Rudolph. However, he does come around at the end and Rudolph saves the day. Why is he #10? He says one of my favorite lines: “Every year I shine up my jingle bells!”

Take that however you want.

9 – The Head Elf (Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer)

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Just like the above Santa, this guy was kind of a bossy jerk! Think about it, how many bosses have you had that were jerks? That is what some bosses are good at – being jerks.

At any rate, this guy gives Hermey a hard time. Not only does he have a workshop to run, but he also has to run Elf Practice! I mean – how else are elves gonna learn how to wiggle their ears, go “hee-hee” and “ho-ho” and “important stuff like that”? He was probably thankful that Hermey’s dental practice was able to get him in so soon after Christmas……

8 – The Winter Warlock (Santa Claus is Coming To Town)

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Voiced by Keenan Wynn, the Winter Warlock is yet another character who has a change of heart. He is a mean man who is frigid and cold – that is, until Kris Kringle gives him a toy. The ice and cold melts away to show he is really a gentle old man. He tells Kris he really is a mean and “despicable creature at heart” and tells Kris how difficult it is to “really change”. Kris tells him that changing from bad to good is “as easy as taking your first step” which leads into the great song “Put One Foot In Front of the Other”

7 – Linus Van Pelt (A Charlie Brown Christmas)

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Linus is Charlie Brown’s friend. He is often there to give him insight on issues that he is dealing with. He often prompts Charlie to think about things a little differently. It is Linus who says the crappy little tree that Charlie Brown picked out isn’t so bad and just needs a “little love”.

It is also Linus who gives an amazing little speech about what Christmas is all about quoting from the King James Bible Luke 2: 8-14. Linus, who carries around his security blanket at all times, does something really unique while reciting these verses. To the casual observer, it may go unnoticed, but I think it is amazing how this kid who needs this blanket so badly, drops it when he says “Fear not: for, behold, I bring you tidings of great joy”. That’s powerful.

With so many people offended by things, I am truly amazed that there isn’t an uproar about this special because of Linus’ speech.

6 – Sam the Snowman (Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer)

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Voiced by one of the familiar “voices of Christmas”, Burl Ives, Sam the Snowman tells us Rudolph’s story. He’s like a gentle old grandpa telling us the story. Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without hearing Burl’s version of Holly Jolly Christmas – which is just one of the songs he sings in this special.

He tells us the story with bits of info (First castle to the left) and humor (“haven’t you ever seen a talking snowman before?”) Even though he is telling a story, he still is frightened by certain parts of it (the Abominable Snow Monster of the North), enough so that he hides under his umbrella!

I have to admit, I often find myself singing lines from Silver and Gold every year when I trim the tree. As a kid, I remember making a snowman and then sliding behind him, making a trail – so it looked like he glided into place …. just like Sam.

5 – Charlie Brown

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How many of us can relate to Charlie Brown – not just at Christmas, but all year round? He tells Linus, “I’m just not happy. I don’t know the way I am supposed to feel.” While this is a real issue for many people, Linus tells Charlie Brown that he is the only kid he knows that “can take a wonderful season like Christmas and turn it into a problem”.

He’s a “blockhead”, but he means well. He tries and he fails – but he never stops trying. He is the director of the Christmas play and louses up the production, but in the end, it all comes out ok. He buys a scrawny tree, and his friends make it something special they wish him a Merry Christmas.

Charlie is a simple kid and we are all a little bit like him.

4 – Burgermeister Meisterburger (Santa Claus is Coming To Town)

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Voiced by the great Paul Frees – this guy is a presence on screen! Just what the hell is a Burgermeister? Well it is a sort of mayor – he is an executive. Our Burgermeister is the head of Sombertown (why would anyone want to live there?). He makes it clear that he hates toys and children too, apparently!

The story could have gone very differently, as the baby Claus shows up on his doorstep and he orders his soldier to “Get the brat out of here!” Good thing the soldier, Grimsley, loses the baby on a sled and it shows up at the Kringle house…..

He isn’t all bad – he does love playing with a yo-yo!

3 – Yukon Cornelius (Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer)

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How can you not love Yukon Cornelius’ sense of adventure!? Here is a guy who is out looking for gold and silver! He is on the hunt with the mindset of striking it rich! He knows no fear! He makes his own rules! He isn’t afraid of that Abominable Snow Monster of the North, whom he downplays by calling him Bumbles, and actually attacks him. Sadly, he goes over a cliff with the monster during the attack.

He is a scene stealer and there is a sense of sadness when he tumbles off the cliff, but he is friggin’ Yukon Cornelius! He shows up later with Bumbles to everyone’s amazement! How did he survive? Well…..Bumbles Bounce!!

2 – Heat Miser (The Year Without a Santa Claus)

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He’s Mr. Green Christmas! He’s Mr. Sun. He’s Mr. Heat Blister. He’s Mr. 101!

To me, when you talk about the Miser Brothers from The Year Without a Santa Claus, everyone knows Heat Miser first. Some would say that he should top this list. I can see your argument and it’s a good one – but a close one.

Voiced by George S. Irving, Heat Miser obviously doesn’t care about Santa. He asks Mrs. Claus is Santa is “out doing another commercial” for his brother. He describes Santa a “traipsing around in that stupid sleigh of his! Stirring up cold winter breezes and causing everyone to think fondly of snowball fights and – urgh – ice hockey!”

Not only does he not like Santa, but he certainly does not care too much for his brother!

1 – Snow Miser (The Year Without A Santa Claus)

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He’s Mr. White Christmas. He’s Mr. Snow. He’s Mr. Icicle. He’s Mr. 10 Below!

The Snow Miser tops my list. He’s just a bundle of energy and damn funny! Voiced by Dick Shawn, he conveys a carefree attitude and is just a fun dude. When he is summoned by his mother (Mother Nature), he and his brother are arguing and they are told to stop. His response is “If I can’t have any fun, I might as well leave.” While he and his “hothead” brother don’t get along, he loves Santa and Mrs. Claus. He tells “Mrs. C” to make sure she brings him with her next time she comes and they’ll have “a blizzard”. He is a friendly, loveable, and fun guy who loves “chilly humor”.

I have always been amazed that when radio stations play Christmas music, they will play songs from various Christmas specials, but they never seem to play the Miser Brothers songs….and that is just sad! You mention the Miser Brothers and the first thing that happens is someone starts singing their songs!

Closing thoughts

As I look at this list – there are some good guys and bad guys. Maybe there are more bad guys than good … I don’t know, I didn’t count. Here is an observation, though that fits into what’s going on today.

Without bad guys, there can be no heroes. You kind of need bad guys, bullies, and jerks to make the end of the story a happy one. Good conquers evil! Good wins over bad! Sure, the bad guys may be doing things that we don’t agree with, but they are necessary to the plot to get us to the happiness at the end! Imagine A Christmas Carol without Scrooge! Imagine It’s a Wonderful Life without Mr. Potter! It feels better and more special when the good guys come out ahead….doesn’t it?

What characters are your favorites? Who is missing from my list?