The Christmas That Almost Wasn't

Santa says... (from the film)"Christmas isn't coming this year". I heard this line over and over in the endless commercials promoting it back when this film was released in the 60s. Of course back then I had to see it and I did in the cinema. Back in the day when going to the movies was an event. Remember no video or dvd back then! I just ordered it on dvd. I am sure I will not be disappointed I don't remember much about it but it should at least be interesting,taking yet another trip down nostalgia lane

Santa Claus is about to be evicted by his landlord (played by an uncredited Rossanno Brazzi), but his lawyer, Paul Tripp, negotiates a deal to either pay his rent or stop giving presents to children.

I don't know when the 'Christmas is cancelled!' trope originated (TVtropes has a new format that makes it impossible for me to use that once-valuable resource), but this weird little movie, directed and written by Brazzi, is an early example. It's also a bit creepy. Its erratic pacing and clearly stagebound set gives it a Caligariesque feel, and bits that seem intended to be gags, like a bunch of little people walking under chief Elf Mischa Auer's crotch, seem bizarre.

Santa has to get a job as Santa to earn money to pay his overdue rent bill.

The usual problems of an Italian film are present here, most notably the bad dubbing. But actually the dubbing could be far worse. And the picture quality is surprisingly good for the era.

One could say the film lacks originally. There are obvious nods to "A Christmas Carol", for example. But it does have its own special appeal. The elves are interesting and their head bookkeeper happens to be a very well-known American actor... how he ended up in this mess is probably a story in itself.

I vividly remember going to see this in the movies when I was 5 Years old. The commercials promoting it on TV stick in my head also. As another reviewer said, going to the movies was a big deal then. Now that I am 43 I have been getting very nostalgic. I was very happy to see that this movie was available on DVD. When I watched the movie I was really surprised at how bad it was, as Billy Joel says in one of his songs "The good old days weren't always good" To start with the opening song "A Christmas that almost wasn't" sounds more like a halloween song, a little haunting. The colors in the movie were also very dark and drab. As for Santa "my God" what a depressing Santa he was a little whiner, I wanted to grab him ala the Godfather and say "You can act like a man" The whole movie is just cheaply done, songs and everything. This is a case of my childhood memories playing tricks on me. Oh well there's always Rudolph.

I have wonderful memories of viewing this film. One of the staples of the Christmas season was the weekend matinées of "The Christmas That Almost Wasn't." I remember seeing it with my mother and brothers; I suspect I have the same nostalgia for it that Whittier expressed for his youth in "Snow-Bound." However, we have to be real: after a 35 year absence, I noticed the film in the TV listings and I practically forced my kids to watch it. It was only then I realized with some disappointment how...well...imperfect...the film was. Part of this was due to a rather awful print and the choppy way the station presented it (the startlingly touching finale involving Prune had been butchered out.) It is a part of our youth; it is probably best it remain there. I still love the film and my memories of the time in which it appeared and the big deal we made out of it; sadly, it just doesn't translate today.