Christmas TV History

Monday, July 5, 2021

Christmas in July 2021: Rudolph and Frosty’s Christmas in July

Happy Christmas in July! It's Day #5 of Christmas in July party. All month long I'll be celebrating Christmas TV episodes, specials, and movies with a FUN IN THE SUN attitude. Expect a run of Christmas in July stories, tropical yuletides, and island themes. Just a little something different and a way for me to show off the diversity of holiday stories I've collected in the encyclopedia Tis the Season TV (the updated and expanded 2nd edition being released later this year).

For the last couple days, I've been looking at Christmas stories from the Southern Hemisphere. The December holiday down under takes place during the summer. Then on the 4th, I shared a Christmas episode about a flag. Today I'd like to start a run of discussions with a Christmas in July theme. Here we go.

Winterbolt is a worthy villain.

In the summer of 1979, Rankin/Bass released the feature-length, stop-motion animated Rudolph and Frosty's Christmas in July into theaters overseas before airing on television in the United States. The movie brings together many of the favorite Rankin/Bass Christmas characters from previous TV specials. For the first time, we see Frosty the Snowman in stop motion and not traditional cel animation, like Rankin/Bass' 1969 TV special and the 1976 sequel. Although the story takes place over the Fourth of July holiday, this film now regularly airs on TV at Christmas time.

In this story, the wicked tyrant King Winterbolt has always had his magic power tempered by Lady Boreal, Queen of the Northern Lights. But Winterbolt is jealous of the popularity of Santa Claus and wants Santa’s admirers to be his own. Winterbolt moves to jeopardize Christmas by eliminating Rudolph’s glowing red nose which allows Santa to deliver his gifts in adverse weather conditions. Winterbolt decides to take advantage of a situation that Rudolph and Frosty are already involved in.

Rudolph, Frosty, his wife Crystal and their two children, as well as Santa and Mrs. Claus are all taking a summer vacation to visit the Circus By the Sea over the Fourth of July holiday. They are there to help their friend Milton the Ice Cream Man get married to high wire walker Lanie Loraine. But Lanie won’t marry Milton until the financial troubles of the circus are over. So Rudolph, Frosty and the gang offer to perform at the circus to help raise the required money. Unaware of his motives, the Frostys accept magical amulets from Winterbolt that will prevent them from melting in the July heat. However, they must return to the North Pole before the end of the fireworks display on the Fourth. Santa Claus promises to fly the Frosty family home before they melt so they too can enjoy a summer vacation.

However, Winterbolt has sabotaged their vacation from the start. He sends a tornado storm to drive Santa and Mrs. Claus’s sleigh out of the sky, forcing them to never arrive at the Circus By the Sea. Winterbolt also sends a devious reindeer named Scratcher to set up Rudolph to take the blame for stealing the circus’ profits. Rudolph loses the power of his glowing nose when he takes the blame for the wrongdoing--a sacrifice made to prevent the Frosty family from melting when Santa’s sleigh doesn’t arrive in time on the Fourth.

Ethel Merman's character Lilly Loraine.

This classic tale has a complicated story but iconic imagery as well. Both Rudolph and the Frosty family perform at the Circus By the Sea. This circus is run by Lanie’s mother, Ms. Lilly Loraine who dresses in a cowgirl outfit. This character is voiced by the unforgettable Ethel Merman. The role is certainly a nod to Merman’s outstanding Broadway role as Annie Oakley in the long-running show Annie Get Your Gun. King Winterbolt is also a major character in this story that makes a lasting impression. He rides atop a sleigh pulled by snakes and uses snow dragons to create his crippling winter storms.

But the one outstanding feature of this movie is the reunification of many of the TV characters from previous Rankin/Bass specials. This movie not only features Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer but also Frosty the Snowman, his wife Crystal, Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus, Jack Frost, and the giant whale Big Ben from Rudolph’s Shiny New Year. Making this reunion better is that the characters are all voiced by their original actors as well.

The voice cast includes Billie Richards as Rudolph, Jackie Vernon as Frosty, Mickey Rooney as Santa Claus, Shelley Winters as Crystal, Paul Frees as King Winterbolt, Red Buttons as Milton the Ice Cream Man, and Ethel Merman as Lilly Loraine.

The songs in this musical include “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” “Everything I’ve Always Wanted," “Christmas in July,” “Chicken Today and Feathers Tomorrow,” “I See Rainbows,” “Don’t Let The Parade Pass You By,” “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day,” “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree,” “No Bed of Roses,” “Frosty the Snowman,” “Now and Then,” and “We’re a Couple of Misfits.” Too bad there was never an official soundtrack release on vinyl (like several other Rankin/Bass programs).

Here's a substantial clip about the story of Winterbolt.

Thanks for reading along. More Christmas in July TV episodes, specials, and movies coming up.

Joanna Wilson is a TV researcher and book author specializing in Christmas entertainment. More about the TV programs mentioned on this website can be found in her book "Tis the Season TV: the Encyclopedia of Christmas-themed Episodes, Specials, and Made-for-TV Movies." Her latest book "Triple Dog Dare: Watching--& Surviving--the 24-Hour Marathon of A Christmas Story" was released in 2016. She is currently updating and expanding the encyclopedia for a 2021 release. Her books can be found at the publisher's website: 1701 press.com

*Support this website and its research by purchasing the books at 1701 press.com

Sunday, July 4, 2021

Christmas in July 2021: My World And Welcome To It

The short-lived sitcom My World and Welcome To It

Happy 4th of July! It's Day #4 of Christmas in July. All month long I'll be celebrating Christmas TV episodes, specials, and movies with a FUN IN THE SUN attitude. Expect a run of Christmas in July stories, tropical yuletides, and island themes. Just a little something different and a way for me to show off the diversity of holiday stories I've collected in the encyclopedia Tis the Season TV (the updated and expanded 2nd edition being released later this year).

The past three days I've shared brief discussions about Christmas programs made in the Southern Hemisphere where Christmas is celebrated in the summer. Because of the 4th of July holiday, today I'm sharing a yuletide story that centers on an American flag!

The short-lived series was inspired by the work of James Thurber, and lead character John Monroe had a wild imagination that was depicted with brief animated segments within the live action, comedy framework.

In the 1969 episode "Rally Round the Flag," cartoonist John Monroe is told by his wife to buy their daughter Lydia a Christmas present this year. Putting it off until late Christmas Eve, John finds himself unable to find the doll Lydia has asked for. So John buys the only other thing he can find: an American flag! Although Lydia is surprised by her gift, she pretends to like it, and the family proudly displays the flag on the front of their home. Unfortunately, the unusual Christmas display shocks the neighbors and raises suspicions in the local veterans group.

The cast includes William Windom as John Monroe, Joan Hotchkis as wife Ellen, and Lisa Gerritson as Lydia.

Thanks for reading along. Stop in again tomorrow and please have a happy and safe 4th of July holiday!

Saturday, July 3, 2021

Christmas in July 2021: The Monster's Christmas (1981)

It's Day #3 of Christmas in July. All month long I'll be celebrating Christmas TV episodes, specials, and movies with a FUN IN THE SUN attitude. Expect a run of Christmas in July stories, tropical yuletides, and island themes. Just a little something different and a way for me to show off the diversity of holiday stories I've collected in the encyclopedia Tis the Season TV (the updated and expanded 2nd edition being released later this year).

For the last couple days, I've been looking at Christmas stories from the Southern Hemisphere. The December holiday down under takes place during the summer. 1981's The Monster's Christmas was made for New Zealand TV and was shot there featuring a landscape that is uniquely New Zealand.

The Monster's Christmas (1981)

This is a one hour long, live-action TV special with imaginative, almost psychedelic characters and costumes, shot on location in Waiotapu Thermal Wonderland. It is a New Zealand park with rare, geologic features making the setting seem all the more visually otherworldly. In the story, a little girl reads a book on Christmas Eve about monsters losing their voices due to an evil witch’s spell. Upon meeting one of these voiceless monsters, the little girl is filled with compassion and sets out on a long journey to help recover the monsters’ voices to allow them to once again sing Christmas carols which they love to do. Actor Lucy McGrath plays the little girl. It is directed by Yvonne Mackay.

This is just as bonkers and outrageous as it sounds. This TV program was originally made for children’s television in New Zealand, aired in the United States on Showtime, and is now easily found on DVD.

Shot at Waiotapu Thermal Wonderland--these geologic features are a sight!

The same creative team made 1982's Nearly No Christmas, another live action, holiday special for New Zealand television. It's a story about Santa Claus who needs money so badly that he takes a job working as Father Christmas at a department store over the holidays. The depiction of Santa's workshop includes penguins, furthering the idea that Santa's home is actually the South Pole instead of the North Pole!? Only in a Down Under Christmas.

Thanks for reading along. Stop in again tomorrow because I've got a special Christmas episode to discuss for the 4th of July!

Friday, July 2, 2021

Christmas in July 2021: Bluey

Bluey (2018-present)

It's Day #2 of Christmas in July. All month long I'll be celebrating Christmas TV episodes, specials, and movies with a FUN IN THE SUN attitude. Expect a run of Christmas in July stories, tropical yuletides, and island themes. Just a little something different and a way for me to show off the diversity of holiday stories I've collected in the encyclopedia Tis the Season TV (the updated and expanded 2nd edition being released later this year).

For the next couple days, I'll be looking at Christmas stories from the Southern Hemisphere. The December holiday down under takes place during the summer. In 2020, the ADORABLE children's animated series Bluey released the holiday segment "Christmas Swim." This Australian-made series that airs on Disney Jr. draws upon the seasonal opportunity to spend Christmas day in the pool.

The above video isn't the series installment, but instead just a taste of the episode's animation.

In "Christmas Swim," the family opens gifts on Christmas morning together. Next, they all decide to go swimming in the pool in the backyard. Bluey’s new doll Bartleby endures some rough play.

This Australian cartoon depicts its dog family enjoying an appropriate holiday activity of swimming since Christmas takes place during the summer in the Southern Hemisphere.

In 2019, the series produced another holiday segment "Veranda Santa" with the youngsters anticipating Santa Claus' arrival through the veranda since their home doesn't include a chimney. If you've seen this children's series, you know how charming and warm it is. Do you have other Southern Hemisphere yuletide stories? Feel free to leave a comment below. More tomorrow.

Thanks for reading along. Stop in again tomorrow and each day this month to discover another Christmas in July episode, special or movie.

Wednesday, June 30, 2021

Christmas in July 2021: Bush Christmas

Merry Christmas in July! Today begins the month-long celebration of Christmas entertainment. As announced before, each day this month I will be sharing brief reminisces about Christmas TV episodes, specials, and movies with a FUN IN THE SUN attitude. Expect a run of Christmas in July stories, tropical yuletides, and island themes. Just a little something different and a way for me to show off the diversity of holiday stories I've collected in the encyclopedia Tis the Season TV (the updated and expanded 2nd edition being released later this year).

For the next couple days, let's look at Christmas stories from the Southern Hemisphere. The December holiday down under takes place during the summer. 1947's Bush Christmas is an Australian-made, theatrical release movie that reflects that seasonal difference to those expecting a wintry tale.

In Bush Christmas, a group of children and their native-Australian friend Neza spend Christmas break tracking thieves that stole the horses from their family’s ranch. Across the breath-taking wilderness landscape and the New South Wales mountains, the children play a cat-and-mouse game with the thieves until the police can come and arrest the wrong-doers. There’s a limited amount of Christmas content but in the end the children enjoy their favorite holiday meal and wear their paper crowns. The story is a Western-style adventure for children.

This Australian-made children’s movie was produced on behalf of J. Arthur Rank’s Children’s Cinema Club. It is also known under the title Christmas in the Outback. The cast includes Chips Rafferty as Long Bill, John Fernside as Jim, and Stan Tolshurst as Blue Kennedy. It is directed by Ralph Smart.

The movie is easy to find. For more than a decade, it aired on TCM (Turner Classic Movies) each holiday season and it can be found on DVD as well. Like most other movies, it comes and goes on different streaming services.

Bush Christmas (1983)

The Australian story was re-made in 1983 and once again released into theaters. Here, the Thompson family ranch is struggling financially and their mortgage is due on the first of the year. After the local Christmas dance, two thieves named Bill and Sly steal three of the Thompsons’ horses. Knowing their father is away tending to the cattle, young Helen and John Thompson, their cousin Michael from England, and their Aboriginal friend Malanpuy set off to follow the horse thieves. The children are determined to retrieve their stolen, prized horse Prince, the fastest horse in the community, in order to enter him in the New Year’s day race. The cash prize for the race will allow the Thompson family to pay off the mortgage and save the ranch. But first they must catch the thieves who have Prince!

The children’s adventure into the bush following the two horse thieves is more than they counted on. The youngsters encounter rugged conditions of steep mountains, stormy weather, wild animals, and they spend Christmas day on their own still following the thieves. The children eventually catch up to the thieves and raid their camp but the horses all run off. The young ones end up trapped in a well at an abandoned farm house, requiring a daring rescue. Although the thieves are not brought to justice, the children are glad to have Prince returned and entered in the race. After all this activity, the children question whether Prince will be able to win the race and save the family ranch on New Year’s day.

Some viewers may find this remake is even more adventurous and exciting than the original 1947 film. Perhaps even more entertaining is that it is a very early role for a teen-aged Nicole Kidman, years before her Academy Award-winning Hollywood film career. This once hard-to-find movie was released on VHS under the title Prince and the Great Race, but has since been released on DVD under the title Bush Christmas. It is currently available on Amazon Prime Video.

The cast includes John Ewart as the horse thief Bill, John Howard as the horse thief Sly, Mark Spain as young John, James Wingrove as cousin Michael, Peter Sumner as father Ben Thompson, Nicole Kidman as Helen, and Manalpuy as Manalpuy. The movie is directed by Henri Safran.

Thanks for reading along. Stop in again tomorrow and each day this month to discover another Christmas in July episode, special or movie.

Friday, June 18, 2021

Christmas in July 2021: ANNOUNCEMENT

Happy Summer! The annual Christmas in July party I host each year on this blog is happening again soon. If you've been around awhile, you may remember that the summer time party is a little different each year. I try to do something special in July because we all get very busy in December and it's fun to have a get-together when we aren't in the midst of the holiday season. This is the 7th year we've come together to do this--THANK YOU for joining in again!

I'm going to do Christmas in July a little different this year--we're all doing everything a little different these days, aren't we? I'm setting aside the format of having everyone send in responses to a mini-questionnaire. Perhaps I'll return to that format in the future. This year, I'll be sharing brief, daily reminisces about Christmas TV episodes, specials, and movies with a FUN IN THE SUN attitude. Yup--think: Christmas in July, tropical yuletides, and island themes. Just a little something different for Christmas in July, and a way for me to show off the diversity of holiday stories I've collected in the encyclopedia Tis the Season TV.

To participate, all you have to do is follow along. I'll be sharing a different Fun in the Sun TV program or movie everyday. Feel free to follow along daily or weekly. Maybe you're the type to check back on July 31st to see them all after the end of the party. It is all good! However you want to follow, I appreciate you. Everyone is welcome. I'll also be sharing the daily content through social media: on the Facebook page Christmas TV History and on twitter: @TistheSeasonTV.

The fun starts on July 1st and will continue through the last day of the month. Think you know what I'm going to talk about this July? You might--but I'm certain there will be some surprises too. I can't wait for July to begin!

Yes, I mentioned the encyclopedia Tis the Season TV above. The newly expanded and updated edition of the book is coming in November. I'll even debut the new book cover art during our Christmas in July. I can't wait for everyone to see the new book. More coming about that soon. See you in July!

Thursday, December 10, 2020

Christmas TV Variety: List of Favorites

Variety specials and episodes are some of the most popular Christmas programs each year on television. Every year new variety Christmas programs are made. 2020 will see the debut of a new CMA Country Christmas concert on ABC, Christmas in Rockefeller Center concert on NBC, another Mormon Tabernacle Choir performance on PBS, Dolly Parton's A Holly Dolly Christmas on CBS, Mariah Carey's Magical Christmas Special on Apple TV, Carrie Underwood's My Gift: A Christmas Special on HBO Max, Ella Wishes You a Swinging Christmas with Vanessa Williams on PBS, The Rockettes' Christmas Spectacular on NBC, Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas: The Musical on NBC, High School Musical: The Musical: The Holiday Special on Disney+, Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood's Garth and Trisha Live: A Holiday Concert on CBS, and The Wonderful World of Disney: Magical Holiday Celebration on ABC. This is not a complete list but just the highlights! And, this long list is just the NEW variety programs this year--there are MORE airing and streaming that made their debuts in previous years too. Whew! How many of these are you planning on watching?

I'll certainly be watching them all and adding their details to what will be the updated, expanded encyclopedia Tis the Season TV (scheduled to be released in 2021). But some of my favorite variety programs are ones from the past. Here's a quick list--with links--of discussions of some of my favorites from decades past.

The 1957 Christmas episode of The Frank Sinatra Show features special guest Bing Crosby. This episode has also become known by the title Happy Holidays from Bing and Frank. The two biggest pop singers of the 20th century entertain with Christmas songs and charm like no one else. Click HERE to read more about it.

The 1968 Christmas episode of The Dean Martin Show is another of the swinging good times captured for the cameras. This installment includes special guests actor Dennis Weaver, comedian Bob Newhart, and actor Dom DeLuise. There are a couple young visitors to the set that have also gone on to have their own long careers in Hollywood. Can you recognize them? Click HERE to read more about this episode.

Judy Garland had a Christmas episode of her short-lived variety series too. The 1963 installment features the singer and her three children: Lorna, Joe and Liza. She also welcomes singer Jack Jones and the series' music director Mel Tormé. Judy's struggles during the making of this series have been well documented but even when she's not at her best, she's still better than everyone else! Check out the song list and descriptions of performances by clicking HERE.

When Andy Williams died in 2012, I wrote up a description of the best of those 1960s Andy Williams Show Christmas episodes. The overview continues to be THE most popular post on my website. Maybe soon I'll write up a single Christmas episode, perhaps the 1965 or the 1966 one. Got a favorite? Let me know. Click HERE to see the overview again.

Let us not forget Perry Como! Click HERE to see my discussion on the 1978 Christmas TV special Perry Como's Early American Christmas filmed in historic Williamsburg, Virginia. Perry had been on TV at Christmas for thirty years at this point, and his annual Christmas specials in the second half of the 1970s through the 1980s saw him visiting exotic locations and landmarks around the globe. What American would join Perry in this historic location? John Wayne of course. And yes, Wayne sings.

Who can forget the 1960 Christmas episode of The Shirley Temple Show and their staging of the musical "Babes in Toyland?" The singing-and-dancing extravaganza features an amazing cast with young Angela Cartwright and Michel Petit, alongside show biz masters Jonathan Winters, Carl Ballantine, Joe Besser, and Jerry Colonna. An adult Shirley Temple introduces the story--accompanied by her own young children. And, Temple stars in the story too, donning ugly make-up to play the role of Floretta the gypsy witch. Click HERE to read more of my discussion.

And my favorite--a discussion on the 1956 TV musical The Stingiest Man in Town. The musical originally aired as an episode of The Alcoa Hour. A kinoscope turned up after decades of fans assuming any record of the lavish production had been lost forever. Basil Rathbone appears as a singing Ebenezer Scrooge, with Vic Dame as a young Ebenezer and opera star Patricia Munsel as his fiancé Belle. There is so much goodness in this original musical, it absolutely deserves the accolades given upon its original release. Read more about it by clicking HERE.

Kurt (Chris Colfer) and Blaine (Darren Criss) welcome TV viewers into the "home," just like Judy Garland does.

Younger TV viewers have laid their claim to the cultural history of Christmas variety as well. The 2011 Christmas installment "Extraordinary Merry Christmas" of the TV series Glee created a shot-by-shot remake of numerous key scenes from the 1963 Christmas episode of The Judy Garland Show. Taking it one step further, the show's characters acknowledge the dreadful 1978 Star Wars Holiday Special too. Christmas TV fans are frequently blown away by this pop culture holiday spectacle. Click HERE to read more about it.

Here's a little taste of Christmas variety from the website's archives to remind you about the history of the holidays on television. Let me know what you think. Please feel free to leave comments below.

#DVDdress

About Christmas TV History