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IMDbPro

The Little Drummer Boy

  • TV Movie
  • 19681968
  • Not RatedNot Rated
  • 25m
IMDb RATING
7.0/10
5.9K
YOUR RATING
The Little Drummer Boy (1968)
AnimationDramaFamily
An orphan drummer boy who hates humanity finds his life changed forever when he meets three wise men en route to Bethlehem.An orphan drummer boy who hates humanity finds his life changed forever when he meets three wise men en route to Bethlehem.An orphan drummer boy who hates humanity finds his life changed forever when he meets three wise men en route to Bethlehem.
IMDb RATING
7.0/10
5.9K
YOUR RATING
    • Jules Bass
    • Arthur Rankin Jr.
    • Takeya Nakamura(uncredited)
    • Romeo Muller
  • Stars
    • José Ferrer(voice)
    • Paul Frees(voice)
    • June Foray(voice)
    • Jules Bass
    • Arthur Rankin Jr.
    • Takeya Nakamura(uncredited)
    • Romeo Muller
  • Stars
    • José Ferrer(voice)
    • Paul Frees(voice)
    • June Foray(voice)
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 41User reviews
    • 8Critic reviews
  • See production, box office & company info
  • See more at IMDbPro

    • Videos1

    The Little Drummer Boy, Frosty the Snowman, Rudolf the Red Nosed Reindeer, Santa Claus is coming to town
    Trailer 0:43
    Watch The Little Drummer Boy, Frosty the Snowman, Rudolf the Red Nosed Reindeer, Santa Claus is coming to town

    Photos39

    The Little Drummer Boy (1968)
    The Little Drummer Boy (1968)
    The Little Drummer Boy (1968)
    The Little Drummer Boy (1968)
    Fred Astaire, Mickey Rooney, and Ted Eccles in The Little Drummer Boy (1968)
    The Little Drummer Boy (1968)
    The Little Drummer Boy (1968)
    The Little Drummer Boy (1968)
    The Little Drummer Boy (1968)
    The Little Drummer Boy (1968)
    The Little Drummer Boy (1968)
    The Little Drummer Boy (1968)

    Top cast

    Edit
    José Ferrer
    José Ferrer
    • Ben Haramed
    • (voice)
    • (as Jose Ferrer)
    Paul Frees
    Paul Frees
    • Aaron's Father, the Magi
    • (voice)
    June Foray
    June Foray
    • Aaron's Mother
    • (voice)
    Ted Eccles
    Ted Eccles
    • Aaron
    • (voice)
    • (as Teddy Eccles)
    Greer Garson
    Greer Garson
    • Our Story Teller
    • (voice)
    • (as Miss Greer Garson)
    Wiener Sängerknaben
    • Themselves
    • (voice)
    • (as The Vienna Boys Choir)
      • Jules Bass
      • Arthur Rankin Jr.
      • Takeya Nakamura(uncredited)
      • Romeo Muller
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    More like this

    Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town
    7.7
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    7.3
    Frosty the Snowman
    Jack Frost
    6.9
    Jack Frost
    The Year Without a Santa Claus
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    Nestor, the Long-Eared Christmas Donkey
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    Nestor, the Long-Eared Christmas Donkey
    Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
    8.0
    Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
    Rudolph's Shiny New Year
    6.6
    Rudolph's Shiny New Year
    Frosty's Winter Wonderland
    6.8
    Frosty's Winter Wonderland
    'Twas the Night Before Christmas
    7.3
    'Twas the Night Before Christmas
    Rudolph and Frosty's Christmas in July
    6.3
    Rudolph and Frosty's Christmas in July
    Cricket on the Hearth
    5.5
    Cricket on the Hearth

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      When restoring the film in 1998 for its 30th anniversary, it was found that the original master 35mm elements for the film were lost. As such, 16mm B-roll footage had to be used instead. Although the sound quality was improved, a majority of the sound effects were lost and a crucial piece of narration by Greer Garson was mistakenly replaced by a scratch track of Paul Frees voicing the line.
    • Goofs
      In some copies of the video, the narration switches from Greer Garson to Paul Frees. At the very end, where the Greer Garson narration begins "and as Aaron looked at the babe..." the voice is that of Paul Frees. This mistake is due to the fact that when restoring the film in 1998 for its 30th anniversary, it was found that the original master 35mm elements for the film were lost. As such, 16mm B-roll footage had to be used instead. Although the sound quality was improved, a majority of the sound effects were lost and a crucial piece of narration by Greer Garson was mistakenly replaced by a scratch track of Paul Frees voicing the line.
    • 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.

    • Crazy credits
      The special ends with only the Rankin-Bass logo, as there are no closing credits whatsoever. Instead, all the staff, cast, and production credits, are at the beginning.
    • Alternate versions
      When the show first aired, the death of Aaron's father was graphically depicted with a thrown knife entering his father's belly. In the re-mastered version, Aaron's father's face is shown grimacing in close-up after the knife is thrown but you never see the knife penetrating his body.
    • Connections
      Featured in Desert Winds (1994)
    • Soundtracks
      The Little Drummer Boy
      Written by Katherine K. Davis and Henry Onorati
      Arranged by Harry Simeone
      Performed by Wiener Sängerknaben (as The Vienna Boys Choir)

    User reviews41

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    8/10
    Still Great Holiday Classic
    This holiday classic is still refreshing to see even after almost 40 years. The story line is of course about the little drummer boy who ends up coming to grips with his hatred of people. In the end he has to play his drum for the baby Jesus and even though he is certainly no Buddy Rich it does come from the heart which, as we know from years of watching these type of films is what really counts and in the end the little drummer boy receives a change of heart.It's pretty much the same holiday format that for some reason one can never grow tired of no matter how many times we watch it or different forms it comes in...Certainly a great one to bring the kids up on.
    helpful•11
    2
    • kbone32-1
    • Dec 20, 2006

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • December 19, 1968 (United States)
      • United States
      • English
    • Also known as
    • Production company
      • Rankin/Bass Productions
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

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    • 25 minutes

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