'Toon Reviews 10: Rankin/Bass Christmas Specials Part 7: The Year Without a Santa Claus

The Year Without a Santa Claus

 

Told by Shirley Booth

Original Airdate: December 10, 1974

Airs Annually on AMC’s Best Christmas Ever

Widely Available on DVD and Blu-ray

One of the points that Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town brought up was that even though Santa spreads the Christmas spirit throughout the world, there are still cynics who lack it.  This special expands upon that point where Santa, who’s much older now, feels the effects of many people not caring about him or Christmas. 

Combined with getting sick and worn out from getting ready for Christmas, Santa opts to sit out for the year.  The concept alone makes for an interesting center for the story.  We know Santa as a figure who loves giving happiness to others as his previous role as the main focus showed. This scenario adds in a human layer to his character that despite his ambitions, he can still get effected by less-than-ideal realities.  Out of this drastic decision though, the special picks up with several creative and enjoyable decisions to move the plot forward.  I like how Mrs. Claus is a major player in what goes on especially when most Christmas stories just have her present as Santa’s wife and nothing more.  She really cares about the true meaning of what her husband does and stops at nothing to prove that the Christmas spirit still exists, and her determination is admirable.  She first attempts to pose as Santa herself, but even if she has a good idea to make it work and there’s a whole song devoted to the plan, she quickly shoots the idea down.  It’s unfortunate that this whole bit turns out pointless since Mrs. Claus taking her husband’s place could make for a fun story, but what follows is executed so well, it hardly matters.  She plans to prove that even if many don’t have the Christmas spirit, it’s still persistent in some places, which is something everyone should consider when life gets too cynical.  She's not perfect with planning though when she sends a young reindeer, Vixen, and two bumbling elves, Jingle and Jangle, to do the job. This lands them in Southtown, USA and Vixen gets sick.  However, her flaws set into motion an interesting string of events that resolve the conflict.  Jingle and Jangle bring good comedy as they try to look for the Christmas spirit among people who don't care about Santa staying home while taking care of Vixen disguised as a dog.  Santa, disguised as an old man intending to rescue Vixen, bonds with a Southtown resident, Iggy, which brings out some Christmas spirit in the boy. As a nice touch, their bond includes a touching song about believing in Santa.  Even Iggy’s father joins in through recounting his own experience of believing in Santa, letting his son know that it’s perfectly fine to keep certain beliefs all through life.  As for Iggy, what he learns from the song leads to him offering valuable contributions to the story.  With a more open mind, he joins Jingle, Jangle, and Mrs. Claus to help Santa free Vixen from the dog pound by promising the mayor to make it snow in Southtown, which never happens.  This leads to the biggest highlight, the moments featuring the Miser Brothers, Snow Miser and Heat Miser.

Of all the characters in this special, these two are the ones you’re sure to remember the most.  These guys are really passionate about their respective weathers and have fun bringing them onto the world when they get the chance.  They express their passions with great enthusiasm to engage the audience in what they do, which is especially shown in their musical numbers.  Another entertaining thing to them is their sibling rivalry.  Not only does it relate to average rivalries between siblings, but it’s also a unique personification for how the weather can’t decide if it wants to be hot or cold.  It also brings out a lot of laughs whenever they interact, particularly when Mrs. Claus’s requests snow in the south and one warm day at the North Pole, which neither will allow.  Out of their banter though, they have a heart from their love for their mother, Mother Nature, which is what gets them to compromise.  Anyway, throughout getting it to snow in Southtown, no one knows that Santa has already saved Vixen.  However, everything the supporting characters does has value when the snowy day for Southtown leads the world to give Santa a holiday for the year.  The sequence of kids everywhere sending Santa gifts really shows how a little bit of Christmas spirit goes a long way. It also makes the scene of Santa walking about the North Pole with everything that’s usually active this close to Christmas dormant somewhat emotional. He’s not allowing anyone to do anything about the apparent spirit.  Adding to the emotion is the song, “Blue Christmas” playing as he reads a letter saying how sad Christmas will be without him.  Ultimately, he’s convinced to go through with his traditional Christmas ride, and it’s a grand event when he arrives, enhanced by the amazed reactions of everyone in Southtown.

In the end, we’re left with an exceptional Rankin/Bass special that reminds us that in a harsh world, there’s always some happiness and good will. That’s what should be focused on to move forward healthily.  Plus, through working in lovable and imaginative characters, effective songs, genuine emotion, and solid comedy, this special is its own form of Christmas spirit.

Highly Recommended

The Ranking

1. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
2. Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town
3. The Year Without a Santa Claus
4. Frosty the Snowman
5. The Little Drummer Boy
6. ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas
7. Cricket on the Hearth

Be sure to stay tuned for my review of the next special, which is one of Rankin/Bass' more down to Earth works, The First Christmas: The Story of the First Christmas Snow.

If you would like to check out other Rankin/Bass special reviews on this blog, click here for the guide made especially for them.