ironhorse_iv Review of Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town

Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town (1970 TV Movie)

This beloved television special is still the talk of the town. It's a very interesting watch despite its flaws.

[7/10 · 30 December 2019]

As of the present. This Arthur Rankin & Jules Bass movie about how Santa came to be is still a gift worth opening up each year around the holidays. However it does have some flaws that might put me in the naughty list for pointing it out. Regardless, the risk of getting a lump of coal is worth it because there are plenty of things about this special, I really didn't like. For example I don't like the opening. Not only does it copy their other stop motion work 1964s 'Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer' pre title card newsreel; but like the other TV special, the outdated live action news broadcast doesn't match up with the year in which this film came out. Everything about the footage look like it's from Great Depression rather than the Disco Era. Plus seeing the American real life news recording mixed with the European fantasy 1910s aspects of the film visuals of puppet animation is kinda jarring. The film instead should had started with the Postman voiced by Fred Astaire arriving in the North Pole with the letters to Santa (Voiced by Mickey Rooney) & asking him his life story; rather than him already knowing a lot about his client by clearly opening up his mail. It's kinda stalkiest when you think about it. In short, Santa should be the one narrating to the children because he live through the events. Regardless the main story written by Romeo Miller was very interesting. I like that Miller made a unique origin story instead of digging too deep in the complex & highly complicate real life historical, biblical & mythological source material lore of the character. Although I doubt diehard religionists felt the same with the omitted Saint Nicholas veneration and no mention of Jesus Christ. Nevertheless it was nice to see that the film answer most of the burning questions in a one of a kind way. I just wish that they explain how Santa is able to old, but able to stay alive for all those years. That key to immortality need to be found quick! Yet the movie also left some really jarring plot holes such in the case of why the guards of Sombertown were able to arrested most of the Claus's crew for helping him and yet they didn't arrest Jessica (Voiced by Robie Lester) who was standing right there? Nor did the film explain how Kris's crew were able to escape the prison. I guess the cell they were kept didn't have a roof. A bigger question is how the villain of the piece Burgermeister Meisterburger (Voiced by Paul Frees) able to gain so much power over the King of that country? Call it gutsy. Still I don't get why did the mother of the baby abandoned the child to the most evil person in the town in the first place. Nonetheless, while there were some allegories toward Nazism with the burning of toys from the antagonist of the piece. At least it didn't go as far in being highly offensive by saying the toys are living creatures like 2010 film 'the Nutcracker in 3D'. That would be disturbing as hell with the Holocaust references. Still I found it very strange that the TV special didn't have the villain get his comeuppance or learn the error of his ways. The ending is quite anticlimactic with the off screen offing. Although I did dig the shout outs toward Rudolph and Scrooge in the end. As for humor. The special had a lot of silly childish slapstick that somewhat works for me. However there isn't much of more adult driven off the wall comedy that viewers can linger on like an elf wanting to be a dentist or a madman explorer. Most of the good guy characters including the main character are pretty generic one dimensional and boring. Even pets like Topper really don't do much for the film besides looking cute. The only heroic character that had somewhat of edge was Winter Warlock (Voiced by Keenan Wynn). Some of the things he did were bizarre enough to keep me interested. Nevertheless there were plenty of unintentionally visuals that came across as somewhat funny to see in a kid's movie like a child holding a machine gun or the filmmakers reused certain puppets a little too much like the King feature as the doctor. Even the choppy jerking stop motion movements & obvious repetitive dialogue can seem humorous. As for the voice acting. Most of everybody work within their role. Sadly the child performers do not. They're really bad in their delivery. Annoying wooden. To add onto that, Rooney isn't much better. The way he speaks sometimes sound over demanding and bellowing. Certain songs like 'If you sit on my lap today' sounds very creepy within his voice. It doesn't help that the lyrics from Maury Laws and Jules Bass is telling children to give kisses to an adult male in order for your wishes to come true. Add the soulless large pupils of the puppet and mouth being open. That sequence is indeed disturbing. Along with that, song sequences like "My World is Beginning Today' were too psychedelic for children even for the 1970s. While, others scene were also removed mainly for time. I don't blame channels for omitted these two songs in their broadcastings. The LSD trip and the touchy feeling song is truly wrong. "Put one foot in front of the other' is probably the only one worth listening to. Anyways this movie was follow by a semi sequels 1977 'Easter Bunny is Coming to Town' with Astaire reprising his role & 1974 'The Year without a Santa Claus' & 1979 'Rudolph and Frosty's Christmas in July' with Rooney back in the role. In the end even with its flaws. This movie is still a holiday treat worth seeing. So put one foot in front of the other & go see it.