| Written by Paul D. Race for Family Christmas OnlineTM |
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Christmas Movies for KidsWhile your kids can safely watch any of the movies we recommend on our Christmas Movies to Watch with Your Children page, and most of the movies we recommend period, this page is for kid-friendly, uplifting Christmas movies that your kids should enjoy, but (with a few exceptions) you probably won't need to see more than once. Note: I'm not being cynical about this - there is a whole 'nother set of supposedly kids-oriented Christmas movies and specials that I don't list anywhere, because they're too cynical, are too badly made, or have no actual message relating to Christmas in any way. That said, we may have overlooked a worthwhile movie that belongs on this list - if you think we have, please let us know. Right now we only have a few movies listed, but check back later in the year - we hope to have more soon.
Honorable Mentions:
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
Crusty actor and sometime folk-singer Burle Ives, aided by some very nice songs and clever writing brought another whole dimension to the old Johnny Marks song. The creative team of Arthur Rankin, Jr. and Jules Bass began producing an "Animagic" (stop motion) television series based on Pinocchio in 1960. A film camera that was set to take one frame at a time would capture images of small flexible figurines that could be manipulated a tiny bit between each shot to give the appearance of motion. In a simple production (like Art Clokey's Gumby) this could be a far cheaper means of production than hand-drawn animation, and it had a unique visual appeal. Nevertheless an elaborate production like Rudolph (1964) could be just as expensive and time-consuming to produce as a hand-drawn cartoon, so it's not surprising that Rankin and Bass more or less alternated between formats.
Most viewers would agree that Rudolph is Rankin and Bass' most beloved (and possibly best) work, and set the standard for all made-for-television animated Christmas specials to follow. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer & The Island of Misfit Toys
Although Rankin and Bass made many more Christmas specials, Rudolph, Hermie and their friends did not reappear until 2001. By then computer generation could produce a look that was reasonably close to the original special. Few Rudolph fans would trade the original for this, but many appreciated the chance to spend a bit more time with the beloved characters from the original special.
Note for 2009 - In 2008, the manufacturer of this DVD stopped pressing it; however it is still available used from many sources, and will probably be available in compilations soon. Frosty the Snowman
After years of bending over tiny models to tweak them between shots, the Rankin Bass production team that brought you Rudolph went to hand-drawn animation with this made-for-television movie, inspired by the classic Christmas song. In December, 1969, I was 16 years old, too old to watch kid's movies, and I thought this was a "step down" from Rankin Bass' earlier efforts. But it has stood the test of time better than a lot of shows that have come in the last thirty years. Comedians Billy De Wolfe and Jimmy Durante bring their unmistakable voices to the production.
Santa Claus Is Comin to Town
A mythical history of Santa Claus, whose best features (besides the quaint animation you loved in Rudolph) is the voicing by Keenan Wynn and Fred Astaire.
Honorable MentionsThese movies and specials are also child-friendly and better than the average:This is a Rankin Bass adaptation of a lesser-known Charles Dickens Christmas story. The hand-drawn animation is on a par with Frosty, and not as bad as the cover art on the dvds would suggest. The story has been adjusted to make it more child-friendly, and the voicings by Danny and Marlo Thomas are first-class. That said, the plot is a little weak in this one, but you can blame Dickens, not Rankin and Bass for that. Like Island of the Misfit Toys, the dvd for this movie goes in and out of production, but you may see this show included on a compilation disk.
The Year Without a Santa Claus This is another Rankin Bass stop-motion ("Animagic") production that children may enjoy. It was an obvious "follow-up" to Rudolph, but without the shiny-nosed reindeer and his friends. This saved Rankin and Bass a fortune in royalties that they paid to Johny Marks (creator of the "Rudolph" song) for the first movie, but disappointed some viewers. If your kids aren't counting on seeing Rudolph and Hermie in this movie, they will probably enjoy it. Again, you may see it on compilations as well as on single DVD.
The mice have it. People and rodents in a small town unite to save Christmas when Santa is neglects to visit. A special bell-tower, a cynical mouse and several tunes combine to remind us why the line "not even a mouse" is important. At the moment, this movie is only being released as the "B" side of the animated feature Frosty's Winter Wonderland, but that's okay, your kids will enjoy that sequel to Frosty the Snowman, too. ConclusionAs always, please contact us with any questions, suggestions, or corrections. Paul and Shelia Race To return to the Christmas Movies Page, click here. To return to the Family Christmas OnlineTM Home Page, click here.
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Rankin Bass' "Twas the Night Before Christmas"