Perry Como's Early American Christmas (1978 TV Special) User Reviews

Average Holiday Special For The Era

[Christmas-Reviewer · 7/10 · 24 September 2017]

BEWARE OF FALSE REVIEWS & REVIEWERS. SOME REVIEWERS HAVE ONLY ONE REVIEW TO THEIR NAME. NOW WHEN ITS A POSITIVE REVIEW THAT TELLS ME THEY WERE INVOLVED WITH THE MOVIE. IF ITS A NEGATIVE REVIEW THEN THEY MIGHT HAVE A GRUDGE AGAINST THE FILM . NOW I HAVE REVIEWED OVER 300 HOLIDAY FILMS & SPECIALS. I HAVE NO AGENDA.

This is a time capsule of the era that's for sure! Perry Como was always a class act. He was a major star for years. If you listen to classic Christmas Recordings I am pretty you have herd a Perry Como cover version of you favorite Christmas song.

This special theme is early America and Christmas. I am not sure things were edited out of the version that I saw but this special is worth seeing. JOHN WAYNE even makes an appearance.

The production values are great and this was made in a era before music videos were made so we get very little cutting and that's great. The director of this knew what people wanted to see.

What is nice about this special there is not much of stupid sketches that sinks this down to a "Hee-Haw" level.

This is a special I think if you are over 50 will enjoy watching! It has a nice tone and its not political. This just people having fun at Christmas.

A delightful combination of holiday entertainment and U.S. history.

[just1Hitch · 22 December 2007]

Perry and crew visit Colonial Williamsburg in Virginia to bring us a colorful and tuneful look at an early American Christmas celebration. A fife and drum corps featuring a young drummer gives Perry an opportunity to sing "The Little Drummer Boy". Perry is our guide as we visit many of the local shops and crafts people. Guests include Diana Canova, the daughter of Judy Canova, a lovely young lady who does a fine job singing several solos and duets with Perry. The young violinist Eugene Fodor, who won the Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow, treats us to a solo. Of interest to John Wayne fans is the big man himself making one of his final appearances and even raises his voice in song! Perry doesn't disappoint us and sings a number of songs appropriate to the holiday season. This show was videotaped and the quality of the transfer to VHS is excellent.

Incidentally, Como's annual TV Christmas shows started in 1948 and ran through 1986! He did an additional one in Ireland in 1994. To date, "Early American Christmas" is one of only three of his complete color shows released to home video. The others are "Christmas in the Holy Land" and "Irish Christmas".

UPDATE: Perry's 1974 holiday special was released on DVD in 2013. It's titled "Perry Como's Christmas Show" and features The Carpenters, Rich Little, and Peggy Fleming.