The Little Drummer Boy (TV 1968)

An orphan drummer boy who hated humanity finds his life changed forever when he meets three wise men on route to Bethlehem.

Directors:

Jules Bass, Arthur Rankin Jr.

Writer:

Romeo Muller

Stars:

José Ferrer, Paul Frees, June Foray

Cast

Complete credited cast:
José Ferrer	...	Ben Haramed (voice) (as Jose Ferrer)
Paul Frees	...	Aaron's Father, the Magi (voice)
June Foray	...	Aaron's Mother (voice)
Ted Eccles	...	Aaron (voice) (as Teddy Eccles)
Greer Garson	...	Our Story Teller (voice) (as Miss Greer Garson)
Wiener Sängerknaben	...	Themselves (voice) (as The Vienna Boys Choir)

Storyline

Animated film version of the legendary song of a boy who lets out all his frustrations on a drum, little knowing how significant this drum will be in the birth of the newborn Jesus.

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Plot Keywords:

orphan | christmas | based on song | bible | redemption | 

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Genres:

Family | Short | Animation

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

19 December 1968 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Rankin/Bass Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

25 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Goofs

In some copies of the video, the narration switches from Greer Garson to Paul Frees. At the very end, where the narration begins "and as Aaron looked at the babe..." the voice is inexplicably that of Paul Frees.

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Quotes

Our Story Teller: Aaron's heart was filled with joy and love. And he knew at last that the hate he had carried there was wrong. As ALL hatred will ever be wrong. For more powerful, more beautiful by far than all the eons of sadness and cruelty and desolation which had come before, was that one tiny, crystalline second of laughter. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

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Connections

Referenced in Hewy's Animated Movie Reviews: The Last Unicorn (2009)

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Soundtracks

"The Little Drummer Boy"
by Katherine Davis, and Henry Onorati
Arranged by Harry Simeone
Performed by Wiener Sängerknaben (as The Vienna Boys Choir)

User Reviews

Poignant

Today, for the first time in twenty years I sat down and watched five Rankin-Bass Christmas specials from the 60s and 70s that I had only dim memories of. Of the five, "The Little Drummer Boy" came away the best. While the Rudolph and Frosty specials are the only ones of this era that still endure on network TV today and provided me with a smile or two, this one actually reduced me to tears because in its tale of Aaron the drummer boy, we learn the story of what Christmas is really all about: The birth of Christ and how through Christ our feelings of hate and anger can be purged by the power of His love for all of us.

This is one Christmas special that deserves to be seen again and again.