TV Guided: Spring Holiday Programming!

Martinex1:  The Christmas holiday season is stock full of movies, specials, and programs on the TV schedule.   In the Spring, however, with the Easter and Passover holidays, the programming is a little more sparse.   I always found it curious that the networks did not capitalize on these springtime holidays as much, but I still have some enjoyable childhood memories of TV viewing at the time typically at my grandparent's house where we would gather in the evenings.

Rankin-Bass, the stop motion puppet masters of animated classics like Rudolph, The Red-Nosed Reindeer and Santa Claus is Coming to Town, had a few offerings for Easter. 

The first, and perhaps the most well known, was 1971's Here Comes Peter Cottontail.  It tells the tale of a lazy rabbit who is destined to inherit the mantle of the Easter Bunny, but he is challenged to a contest for the post by his nemesis Irontail.   Irontail lost his fluffy tail  when a child ran over it with roller skates and he is bent on making Easter miserable.  I particularly like that Irontail delivers grey and brown dull eggs while riding on the back of a bat.  Peter parties and oversleeps and loses the initial egg delivery contest to the villain.   The story is fun and includes a time machine called a Yestermorrowmobile in which Peter travels to other holidays and tries to deliver eggs during the Fourth of July, Halloween, and St. Patrick's day.   In the Rankin-Bass tradition, Santa Claus gets involved and everything works out in the end. Voice talent includes the work of Danny Kaye, Casey Kasem, Vincent Price, and Paul Frees.

In 1977, Rankin-Bass brought back the narrator S. D. Kluger (Fred Astaire) from the Santa Claus classic to tell the story of The Easter Bunny is Comin' to Town.  It follows a similar and familiar story vein, as an orphaned rabbit Sunny is taken in and raised by a happy group.  In an effort to deliver his chicken friends' eggs he paints them different colors.  He runs into Gadzooks, a ferocious bear, who learns the true meaning of friendship.  This special mines much familiar Rankin-Bass territory and feels redundant despite the good animation and technique.

There didn't seem to be too many traditionally animated shows for the season.  Rankin-Bass had one with The First Easter Bunny in 1976 about a stuffed toy brought to life to help a sick girl and bring joy to everybody.  Bugs Bunny and Fat Albert also had Easter specials.    The Peanuts returned in It's the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown which had a wonderful sequence with Snoopy imagining the dancing Easter bunnies.

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Another tradition over the holiday weekend was watching Cecil B. Demille's The Ten Commandments.  What can I say except to rattle off a litany of details about the classic:  Charlton Heston, Yul Brynner, Anne Baxter, Yvonne De Carlo, 1957, seven Academy Award nominations, most expensive film ever made at the time of its release, sixth on all-time gross equivalent adjusted for inflation (~2 billion dollars), 3 hours and 39 minutes, Moses, Rameses, Nefretiri, the Red Sea, over-acting, special effects, the plagues, the burning bush, VistaVision, Technicolor,  "Let my people go!"

I still watch it almost every year.  It is a true Hollywood classic.  It is campy and overwrought but sometimes particularly moving.   They sure don't make them like that any more. 

So what did I miss?  And what were your favorites?   Were you a fan of the animation or did you prefer the extravaganza from DeMille?  Share your thoughts and enjoy the weekend.

Rank and File: Christmas Shows, Movies, and Specials!

Martinex1: Well it is December and it seems like the whole month is full of good tidings and cheer.   The Christmas decorations are going up in the neighborhood and the children are getting antsy with anticipation of a jolly old elf's arrival.   And as I hang lights and stockings I am awash with nostalgia.  I am reminded of how our family would gather in my grandparent's living room throughout the season and tune their large TV console onto various holiday specials and old movies.

Unlike today when I can find almost anything through DVDs or DVR, four decades ago we were committed to a handful of channels and a tight schedule.   We had to coordinate carefully but there were some shows that we could never miss. There are a few that still seem as fresh to me as they ever did; there are a handful that still bring a lump to my throat or a tear to my eye.   I will share my top three holiday must-sees... what are yours?

1) It's a Wonderful Life.  Frank Capra's 1946 classic follows George Bailey's trials and tribulations through the prism of life-affirming hope, respect, friendship, and grace.  Jimmy Stewart at his "aw-shucks" best.   Lionel Barrymore as the Scrooge-like Mr. Potter.   Donna Reed long before starring in her own iconic TV show.  Zuzu's petals.  Befuddled Uncle Billy.   The distraught pharmacist Mr. Gower.    Ernie and Bert.   The old Savings and Loan.  And Clarence, the angel trying to earn his wings.   Using an almost Twilight Zone-like trope, George gets to see his life if he was never born at all.  I still marvel at the dance on the edge of the pool under the gym floor.  I still chuckle at the scene when Mary hides in the bushes.   And I cannot help but sniffle when George's friends gather in support.   For me, this movie captures much of the season's spirit in a deceptively simple approach.

2) The Year Without a Santa Claus. The 1974 animated special from the holiday powerhouse Rankin-Bass Productions, shares the story of the year that Santa Claus wasn't feeling well after Thanksgiving.  He was discouraged by the thought that nobody cared about Christmas anymore so he decided to take a break.  Jingle and Jangle, his hapless elves, take a young reindeer Vixen to prove to Santa that there is still holiday cheer in the world.  With characters like Heat Miser and Snow Miser, wonderful musical interludes,  the style of animation at its peak, and the vocal talents of Mickey Rooney, Shirley Booth and Dick Shawn this is my favorite of the Rankin-Bass pack.

3) A Charlie Brown Christmas.  The first and the best of the Peanuts special pulls all of the right elements together in a peaceful explanation of the meaning of the holiday.   With incredibly beautiful music from jazz great, the Vince Guaraldi Trio, the cartoon has a feel like no other.  Even the annually presented commercials from Dolly Madison and Coca-Cola seemed special.  And who can ever forget that Charlie Brown Christmas tree or the iconic dance scene with the whole gang.

So those are my top three but there are many more... so if you are a fan of Rudolph, Frosty, White Christmas, Nestor the Long-Eared Donkey, Home Alone, Planes, Trains, and Automobiles, Elf or even Die-Hard  let us know what you think and share your memories.