The Little Drummer Boy

Christmas special based on the song of the same name. Narrated by the great Greer Garson, it tells the story of an orphan boy named Aaron. Aaron has had a tough life and is resentful towards humanity. His only friends are animals and his only joy in life comes from playing his drum. Through a series of events he finds himself at the birth of baby Jesus. As in the song, he has no gift for the baby so he plays his drum instead. I love Rankin/Bass Christmas specials. The stop-motion animation, great voice work, memorable music, and beautiful stories make them timeless classics that I can watch year after year. The Little Drummer Boy is a moving, sincere story and I would recommend everybody check it out.

Little Drummer Boy, The (1968)

*** 1/2 (out of 4)

Greer Garson narrates this Bass-Rankin stop-motion production telling the story of a troubled boy who follows three wise men to Bethlehem where his life is changed forever. Watching this film in 2011 it's quite obvious that something like this would never get made today, which is rather sad when you sit back and think about it. The one objectable thing is the way Arabs are shown but outside of this there's a terrific story being told here and there's no doubt that the message will shine loud and clear. With that said, thankfully the film never becomes too preachy to where you really don't care what the message is. The story itself is such a strong one and Bass and Rankin tell it in such a way that you'd have to be made of stone if you weren't touched at the end. The stop-motion effects are extremely effective here and especially the stuff towards the end when the little boy is asked to play the drums. The song is played throughout the film and it's so effective each time it comes up. Garson does a very good job reading the story and we get strong vocal work from Paul Frees, June Foray and Jose Ferrer.

Each year as the Christmas season unfolds I look forward to the showing of The Little Drummer Boy. Aaron, along with his drumming of the movie's title music always brings tears to my eyes, but they are happy tears because of the love and compassion that fills this little child. It is a wonderful story that I believe everyone should do themselves a favor and watch at least once. I find myself humming the title song for days after seeing the film.

Although less highly regarded by many than the masterful "animagic" hour of "Rudolph", this 27-minute gem throbs with the joy and heartache of living that is timelessly captured by Rankin/Bass and the brilliant detail of the Dentsu Company miniature sets and artistic direction (so often overlooked in these productions). A hearty and rich score, especially the underscoring of the tragic death of the boy's parents, is unforgettable. Ferrer, Frees, and Eccles are delightful and the often cloying "Miss" Greer Garson delivers the narration with a gentle stroke that is soothing and sincere. The nativity scene is overwhelmingly moving and the film ends on a perfect note. There was a pointless and meandering sequel years later,"Little Drummer Boy-Book II" which is best left unopened- a lifeless and repetitive tale justly obscure. The original, common on video but shown infrequently now during the Christmas season, showcases that deep color film tone that NBC employed so effectively in the mid-60's, which today adds to the nostalgia. Children's prime-time specials once heralded a great era in the success of the medium. All that remains are these video souvenirs.

****out of ****

I remember seeing this for the first time in the late 60s when I was a child. A timeless message that I still enjoy 31 years later. It's a shame that the true message of Christmas has been lost on a generation and this, and other, religious Christmas programming can only be found on the "family" stations. Time was, this was shown on the networks.