Rating: 
Summary: Yipee!! Two favorite Rankin/Bass Christmas specials on DVD
Review: I am so pleased to see these two Christmas specials packaged on one disk. What a great holiday treat. "Santa Claus is Comin' to Town" is an animagic classic. Fred Astaire pulls up the holiday express to narrate the story of young Kris Kringle (Mickey Rooney)and the children of Sombertown, and the story of how Kris became known as Santa Claus. Kris meets the evil Winter Warlock and melts his icy heart. The Burgermeister Meisterburger will not be so easy. This is a true holiday treat, and covers all of the familiar ground. Why do reindeer fly? Why does Santa climb down chimneys and leave toys in stockings? Why does he wear a beard and red clothing? How does he know if you've are sleeping, know if your awake? And what is Mrs.. Claus name, anyways? Find out in this DVD. "The Little Drummer Boy" is based on one of my favorite holiday tunes. Aaron, the little drummer boy, is filled with hatred for all people. His parents have been murdered and his home burned to the ground. However, his gift for drumming enchants the animals and they dance about when he plays. Based on this talent, he falls in with a bad crowd when he meets Ben Haramed, the King of the Desert Showmen. How do things turn out for Aaron? Listen to the song, and watch the DVD. Bah-rump-bum-bum-bummmm.
Rating:
Summary: Yipee!! Two favorite Rankin/Bass Christmas specials on DVD
Review: I am so pleased to see these two Christmas specials packaged on one disk. What a great holiday treat. "Santa Claus is Comin' to Town" is an animagic classic. Fred Astaire pulls up the holiday express to narrate the story of young Kris Kringle (Mickey Rooney)and the children of Sombertown, and the story of how Kris became known as Santa Claus. Kris meets the evil Winter Warlock and melts his icy heart. The Burgermeister Meisterburger will not be so easy. This is a true holiday treat, and covers all of the familiar ground. Why do reindeer fly? Why does Santa climb down chimneys and leave toys in stockings? Why does he wear a beard and red clothing? How does he know if you've are sleeping, know if your awake? And what is Mrs.. Claus name, anyways? Find out in this DVD. "The Little Drummer Boy" is based on one of my favorite holiday tunes. Aaron, the little drummer boy, is filled with hatred for all people. His parents have been murdered and his home burned to the ground. However, his gift for drumming enchants the animals and they dance about when he plays. Based on this talent, he falls in with a bad crowd when he meets Ben Haramed, the King of the Desert Showmen. How do things turn out for Aaron? Listen to the song, and watch the DVD. Bah-rump-bum-bum-bummmm.
Rating:
Summary: We're Hooked!
Review: I can't say enough good things about "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town." Since the moment I brought it home, my 2-year old has watched it non-stop. The whole family knows the words to all the songs (which are wonderful, by the way)! The characters are so fun and Mickey Rooney's Kris Kringle is quite loveable. My advice: Buy it, buy it, buy it!
Rating:
Summary: Classic Rankin and Bass Christmas Specials!
Review: I grew up watching a lot of these Rankin and Bass Christmas Specials and Santa Claus is Coming to Town and The Little Drummer Boy were two of the specials I liked to watch and was disappointed when both specials were not shown on TV for years! My favorite is The Little Drummer Boy, it is narrated by classic movie actress Greer Garson and is a very excellent and heartwarming story that mentions the true meaning of Christmas and includes a wonderful scene of Baby Jesus and Aaron the Little Drummer Boy. I also liked Santa Claus is Coming to Town, it is of course about the legend of Santa Claus and is a good story with some nice songs and features the voices of Mickey Rooney and Keenan Wynn and is narrated by Fred Astaire and both Santa Claus is Coming to Down and The Little Drummer boy have those stop-motion puppets that are so adorable and much nicer than some of the CGI created images used today!
Rating:
Summary: wonderful!
Review: I highly reccomend this for ANYONE and if you liked this you will probably like The Year Without a Santa Clause and the 1964 original Rudolph the Rednosed Reindeer.
Rating: 
Summary: Great, if oddly creepy at times
Review: I love all the Rankin-Bass specials, even though they seem to come up with new origins for Santa with each one. Fantastic songs throughout, but am I the only one who finds this couplet unnerving: "If you sit on my lap today/ a kiss a toy is the price you'll pay"? That aside, it's memorable and Keenan Wynn as the wizard guy is great.
Rating:
Summary: A Perfect Restoration of a Holiday Classic
Review: I remember being a child and watching these classics in the weeks before christmas. But, I don't ever remember them looking so good! Santa Claus is coming to town is the classic story of an orphan who was destined to do great things. It's a timeless story of coming of age and of the innocence and fellowship that surrounds Christmas. It is full of cute songs that your children can sing throughout the season. The little drummer boy is also cute and suitable for children off all ages. This title is a must for your DVD colection.
Rating:
Summary: A Rankin & Bass Classic!
Review: I was a bit stunned to see that this first appeard on TV in 1970. I could have sworn I watched it in the 1960's alongside Rudolph and Charlie Brown.
In anycase this is one of those great Rankin & Bass stop motion animated films detailing the life of Santa Claus from the time he was just a baby. The story is told by a friendly postman voiced by Fred Astaire.
Santa is taken in by the Kringles a family of toymakers and once he grows into a young man he begins delivering the toys to the children of Sombertown.
This earns him the status of public enemy #1 from the towns Burgomeister who has outlawed all toys and Kris must think of more secret methods to get the toys to the children.
Along the way we see how Kris gets the name Santa clause, his red suit, flying reindeer, and how the night for delivering toys was chosen.
Mickey rooney voices Kris/Santa and does so with gusto. But Keenan Wynn is the standout as his gruff, but sweet portrayal of the Winter Warlock.
The film also features some great songs such as the title sung by Astaire and "Put one foot in front of the Other".
Over 30 years later I now watch this one with my kids and still enjoy it. But get it on DVD since so much is cut out today to make room for commercials.
Rating:
Summary: wonderful!
Review: I watched these Rankin and Bass Christmas productions on TV when I was a child and I loved them, I especially like The Little Drummer Boy which is narrated by Greer Garson and is a beautiful heart-stirring story about the true meaning of Christmas! Santa Claus is Coming to Town is good too about how this boy grew up to became Santa Claus and I highly recommend this DVD set!
Rating:
Summary: More than Santa
Review: I watched this with my son's and now they have sons. I especially appreciated that there were CHRIST-mas references in this video, such as the wedding with the cross on the holiest night of the year and reference to the Lord. It still could be fun, moving and include the real meaning of Christmas.
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