The Year Without a Santa Claus (1974) (TV)

Directors:

Jules Bass
Arthur Rankin Jr.

Writers:

William Keenan (writer)
Phyllis McGinley (novel)

Release Date:

10 December 1974 (USA)

Genre:

Animation | Family | Fantasy | Musical

Plot:

Mrs. Claus tells us about the time Santa had a bad cold and decided to take a vacation from Christmas...

Plot Keywords:

Christmas | Stop Motion | Santa Claus | Reindeer | Sibling Rivalry

US TV Schedule:

Tue. Dec. 1

7:00 PM

ABCF

Cast

Shirley Booth	...	Mrs. Santa (voice)
Mickey Rooney	...	Santa Claus (voice)
Dick Shawn	...	Snow Miser (voice)
George S. Irving	...	Heat Miser (voice)
Bob McFadden	...	Jingle Bells (voice)
Rhoda Mann	...	Mother Nature (voice)
Bradley Bolke	...	Jangle Bells (voice)
Ron Marshall	...	Mr. Thistlewhite (voice)
Colin Duffy	...	Ignatius Thistlewhite (voice)
Christine Winter	...	Blue Christmas girl (voice)

Runtime:

51 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

USA:Unrated

Company:

Rankin/Bass Productions

Trivia:

Shirley Booth's last filmed acting project.

Goofs:

Miscellaneous: During the "blue Christmas" song the little girl is writing the word blue Christmas with a crayon. As she writes the word Christmas, the letters appears to appear before she writes them.

Quotes:

Mrs. Santa: Would you mind doing us a favor?
Heat Miser: I don't see why I should. No one ever does anything for me. What is it?
Mrs. Santa: Could you let it snow in the south for one day?
Heat Miser: WHAT? SNOW IN THE SOUTH?
Mrs. Santa: Just for one day?
Heat Miser: NEVER.
[thinks for a few seconds]
Heat Miser: Hmmm... unless of course... there was... you know... something in it for me?

Movie Connections:

Spin off A Miser Brothers' Christmas (2008) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Heat Miser

Beloved Christmas Cartoon

If you were alive and cognizant during the 1970's, you must remember the "Heat Miser" and "Snow Miser" songs, but less remembered is one other... "So you don't believe in Santa Claus", which is, imho, one of the most important that Rankin & Bass ever produced. It is about faith backed with personal experience, but in a non-religious-specific way that everyone can relate to alike. The only other Rankin/Bass special that even comes close is "'Twas the Night Before Christmas", and its song about belief in the world's true magic, a belief that some children hold and most adults sadly do not.

The animation in "The Year Without A Santa Claus" is stop-motion in the tradition of "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer", "Santa Claus is Coming to Town", and "Rudolph's Shiny New Year". I call this a must see for every child -- and adult.