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Mr. C has decided to grace us with 30 festive frames per second of animated (and puppetized) Christmas cheer.

One of the prime franchises in Christmas specialdom is the animation outfit heralded by Arthur Rankin and Jules Bass. Produced in Japan, these animations have lasted through year after year, airing in broadcast, then licensed to cable networks, and are now on DVD and appearing online.

This will be a quick-and-dirty naive analysis of the political leanings of many of Rankin-Bass Christmas specials from the 1960s through the 1980s.

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1964)

We start with one of the biggest classics in the Rankin-Bass oeuvre. Based on the Gene Autry song, our theme is “nonconformity saves the day”: Rudolph is shunned by his peers, loved ones, and Santa himself because of a physical “deformity” – a glowing red nose. In Santa’s Workshop, Hermey is rejected by his elf coworkers and bosses because he’d rather study dentistry than toymaking. They run away and form a friendship on the road, run into gold-and-silver (well, really, peppermint) prospecter Yukon Cornelius, and end up on the Island of Misfit Toys.

“One of us! One of us!”

The narrator of this piece is none other than folkie Burl Ives, who chose to work with the House Unamerican Activities Committee to be removed from the blacklist. Perhaps accepting a gig where the red-nosed outcast is proven right was an apology to Pete Seeger?

“Pete, I didn’t mean any harm! Oh god, put down that ax!”

The Little Drummer Boy (1968)

The introduction of Rankin/Bass’ Christmas specials into religious material, and, again, based on a song, turns our little drummer boy into a raging child misanthrope who is kidnapped, his camel sold, and his lamb run over by a speeding chariot. He is motivated by King Token to give “the babe” a gift, of drumming. Because there’s nothing that a 2-hour-old wants than someone drumming right next to him. Apparently, the drumming is so awesome that Baby J heals the lamb, and the LDB gives up his hatred of humanity. Bah.

Geez, a long time ago, this was enough to turn you into Darth Vader. Now Jesus just gets in the way.

Frosty the Snowman (1969)

What, more animation based on song? Sure, why not.

Oatmeal?

Magic may bring Frosty to life, but magicians reject the will of the people. Thankfully, love (in this form, Santa Claus, directed by the magician’s turncoat rabbit) saves the day. Convinced to forgo the hat in exchange for his Christmas gifts, the magician relents, and our resurrected heat-sensitive homunculus survives to flee to the North.

Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town (1970)
Surprise, it’s another song-based story. The Burgomeister bans toys for being frivolous; toymakers and play are criminalized. Kris Kringle wanders into town, ready to do no good – he’s giving people fun things! Toy fascism is overthrown. A communist plot? Always with the red suits.

“Gee, that’s kind of a silly law.”

The evil mayor has an exaggerated German accent. Nah, they can’t possibly be referencing anything here.

“Toys are frivolous, impractical, unproductive…”

Kris Kringle is hot for teacher, which leads to marriage, and years later…

The Year Without a Santa Claus (1974)

Then 1974 happened. On the secular side, we slap the feminists – they can’t handle things on their own.

We know it’s a sequel because Mickey Rooney and Shirley Booth reprise the voices of the Clauses. We finally move off of basing 30-60 minute specials on holiday songs, and work from a female children’s writer this time. Mrs. Claus decides that, since Santa is too sick, lazy, and frustrated with the apparent lack of Christmas spirit in the world to continue with Christmas this year, that she can take over for him.

Good for her, except that she’s incompetent about it, gets a baby reindeer sick from the heat in Southtown, U.S.A., almost strands two stupid elves in the American South after Santa’s canceled Christmas, and eventually has to call in Santa to take care of some things, while Mother Nature (!) gets her kids Heat Miser and Snow Miser to manage the rest.

On the religious side this year, we slap the intellectuals.

‘Twas The Night Before Christmas (1974)

“Even a Miracle Needs a Hand”, or “Faith Without Good Works is Nothing”. Young nerd mouse alienates Santa, so he won’t come to Junctionville. (What happened in 1974 to make Santa hate Christmas so much?!) Young nerd mouse eventually learns the error of his ways, and apologizes by fixing a clock he’s broken via his out-of-control curiosity. In the end, Santa comes after all. Again.

Did we mention that the human father in this one is a clockmaker? And the mouse father helps him out? And the kid’s name is Albert?

“You don’t know as much as you think because you only think with your head.”

This one still frustrates me about as much as that damned football and the parable of the Prodigal Son. I know, I know, I just don’t quite know how to

Let up a little on the 'wonder why'
And give your heart a try.

“I’m so sorry, I’ll never think and doubt again, Father! Where’s my Wal-Mart credit card? I need to buy presents for everyone!”

Later on, we’ll hit the later period Rankin-Bass specials, which just get weirder. Islands of Old Years, Pinocchio, leprechauns, Christmas in July, and a baby Claus suckled by an immortal lioness. To come.