Santa Claus llega a la ciudad

This is my favorite of all the Rankin/Bass specials (and they are all excellent). Many people get all the "Animagic" cartoons confused...so I'll try to pinpoint this one. This is not the one with Rudolph ("...the Red-Nosed Reindeer") and not the one with the Heat Miser and Snow Miser ("Year Without A Santa Claus"). This is the one with the toy-hating Burgermeister Meisterburger and.....the Winter Warlock!!

We get to see Santa Claus go from an orphaned baby raised by elves to a groovy, red-haired hip young adult who is outlawed for delivering toys to finally becoming the toy making/giving king of Christmas! We also get to see Mrs Claus as a groovilicious babe in her own right and she finally gets a name, Jessica.

Some charmingly dated scenes only add to the warm innocence of this show: like when Jessica realizes "her own town has turned against her" and begins singing of her love for and desire to be with Kris Kringle....transcending into a cornucopia of hippy-trippy flowers, swirls and polka-dots and finally catching a glimpse of her paper cutout reflection in the water fountain in the center of town. Remarkable!!

But, the show's main message is one of love and the courage to follow your heart and do what you know is right regardless of the obstacles that come in your way. A wonderful Christmas special that no holiday season is complete without.

Great show. I loved it as a kid and my kids love it too. It's VERY early 70's from Santa's (or Kris Kringle's)Bobby Sherman-like haircut to the psychedelic song sung by Jessica (aka the future Mrs. Claus). I just saw it again last night and it was a trip. It's very cute and very innocent and I absolutely agree with the other posters here that this is from another time. I'm cynical also but I appreciate something that is done with the best intentions and with heart. Today's "holiday" fare has to be hip with lots of pop references and such. Nothing like that here. The animation here appears ancient by today's standards but the show believes in itself and it's overall very charming. But that song that Jessica sings. Whoo boy...right back to '70 alright.

Mailman Special Delivery Kluger (Fred Astaire) introduces the tale of Santa Claus. In the sad city of Sombertown ruled by the grumpy Burgermeister Meisterburger (Paul Frees), a baby named "Claus" is left to him to raise but he sends him to the Orphan Asylum. While transporting there, a wind blows the sled with the baby to the mountain of Whispering Winds. The forest creatures hide him from the Winter Warlock (Keenan Wynn) and bring him to the Kringle elf family. They name him Kris. He wants the Kringles to be the royal toy makers again but they can't get pass the Winter Warlock to bring the toys to Sombertown.

The stop-motion animation is elementary which gives it a childish charm. They're almost like little toy figurines. Even the age adds to its charm. The story is a little weird but it's a good Santa Claus origin story. I'm not that impressed with most of the songs with the exception of the title song "Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town". It is one of the classic Christmas TV specials and it still holds up.

Why have so many of the best and special Xmas cartoons been discarded for Xmas shows that are non existent.We couldn't wait when Xmas came around to watch this show, I feel so sad for kids today, who grow up with no real Xmas shows, like the ones of the 60's and 70's!Why can't our TV stations make a special Xmas night, where all the great Xmas shows are on TV.Xmas Eve is a special night, and so many stupid and meaningless program's are displayed. Santa Claus is coming to town should be brought back. along with the little drummer boy, frosty the snow man, and any other Xmas cartoon of that time.

I really hope someone does read this, and gives me some info on where I could buy all the good old Xmas cartoons.I ALSO hope someone out there feels like I do.How great Fred Astaire was as the postman, and MICKY ROONEY as Santa. You can't beat these or this show. please!!! won't someone bring them back? It's not too much to ask really!

thank you.

I will be 33 in January 2002. I only mention this so that readers will be able to gauge my review of this classic based on my age. While I was growing up, prior vcr tapes and dvd players, I and my friends would wait all year to view the various Christmas specials that aired each year. I remember sitting glued to the tv taking in every second of the shows. Back then if you missed part of the show or even the whole show you were border line depressed because you knew you couldn't see it again for a whole year. In some ways anticipation made the viewing of Christmas specials that much better.

SANTA CLAUS IS COMIN' TO TOWN(SCICTT) is in my top five Rankin/Bass specials. Right along with RUDOLPH, FROSTY and The Year WITHOUT SANTA CLAUS. I enjoy the 1970's feel this classic has. The flowers that appear when Jessica sings, the simple toys the kids play with and the songs that are sung throughout this show. I can only imagine what a modern version of this show would sound like with its boy band sounding songs and electric toys and video games. Instead of watching Kris and Jessica court each other and wed we would probably see them live together while they consider marriage. This was a scary classic. The Winter Warlock was very scary when I viewed this as a kid. No matter how many times I saw this as a kid I would always wonder if Kris would make it past the warlock.

I suppose the best thing about this type of Christmas classic is that when people my age view it they can escape back to their innocent youth for a short while. Even though I now own the vhs of SCICTT and soon hope to purchase the DVD I make myself and my kids wait until Christmas season to watch it. It's not quite the same as when I was a kid but anticipation still increases the viewing pleasure once we do watch it.