Santa and the Three Bears

Every Christmas for I don't know how long, the local TV station in our area would run this cartoon, and it became a family favorite amongst my counsins and I. I don't know maybe I still love it, because it reminds me of better times, or maybe because it makes me remember what Christmas meant to me when I was a kid. Whatever it might be, it still makes me feel nostalgic when I watch it on video and I hope one day to share it with my children.

I remember watching this film as a child and thinking that it moved a bit slow, especially when compared to the Rankin & Bass Christmas specials. Unlike R & B specials it has no evil villain to fear or hero to cheer for. The songs were not as catchy either.

However, now as an adult I seem to enjoy the laid back simple story. The songs are good and I like the introduction and ending with live actors. I think what makes me appreciate this special even more are the so called Christmas specials that are produced today. I have children of my own now and neither they or I like what we see today. Thankfully they too like the Christmas specials I remember from my childhood.

This Christmas special is not aired that often anymore and it seems to drift in and out of availability for DVD and VHS purchase. If you see that it is airing on television you may want to record it as it hard to come by these days.

"Santa and the Three Bears" certainly lacks the flashier artwork, pace, and musical scores of other Christmas specials, before, during, and after its production. But, the tale told in "Santa and the Three Bears" is simply told, an almost-buried virtue in television programming which, wrongfully, believes it has to be flashy and quick in order to maintain a child's attention. In that, it remains a much more timeless and welcome work that only reveals its specialness as the years go by.

I saw "Santa and the Three Bears" when I was 10 years old. I loved it then and I love it now. The musical score is humble yet haunting, particularly the scenes in which the cubs prepare for Christmas and the hibernation of the bears just before Santa arrives. Again, a simple, simply-told, "bare bones" approach to storytelling that has the vastly-underrated Hal Smith playing a live-action and the animated Santa Claus (along with Mr. Ranger). I never tire of watching this because, unlike so many of its kind that hammer home the accepted notion of Christmas as a time of love, togetherness, and wishes fulfilled, "Santa and the Three Bears" stresses the importance of magic and wonder that come from belief in something unseen. Could it be God :-)? What a wonderful message to impart on people who cultivate cynicism as a badge of honor and do not see the impact that belief, magic, and wonder can play and produce in our lives. No other animated cartoon, in my memory, ever presented that message so gracefully, artfully, charmingly,and, for the third time (like the special itself), simply told.

I'm glad "Santa and the Three Bears" is out on DVD. Also, Nana is another example of the completely overlooked vocal proficiency of the fine character actress, Jean Van Der Pyl (also the voice of Wilma Flintstone).

This holiday special seems to have people split down the middle with loving it and hating it. Chalk me up as one who adores this holiday special. I'm not even sure I can put in words why I enjoy this classic as much as I do, but here goes...

When I was a kid, the holiday season brought nothing but wonderful memories and this classic from Hanna-Barbera fits right in with those memories. I've never completely matured as some in my family hoped I might have, so revisiting this holiday classic is something I do every holiday season and often! I enjoy the story, sing along with the tunes and it gives me that all around happy and warm holiday feeling!

One of the best memories I have of my childhood is watching this movie every year with my Mom. A tradition in my house, this innocent tale about Santa made me a true believer. I got the DVD and watched it for the first time with my 3-year-old this Christmas, and at one point had to leave the room I got so choked up. It is so rare to find anything written for kids that is this innocent and clever anymore. No off-color potty humor jokes, or awkward moments of adult content hidden under the guides of child entertainment. Watching this movie today makes you very aware of an innocence lost among today's youth. Seeing my child react the same way I did at her age to this movie reminded me of the sense of wonder I had every year after watching this film. I was saddened to see it is no longer shown on TV. It figures. Get yourself a copy before it is too late and this film is lost forever! The film quality has really degraded over the years. I was really sort of shocked and saddened when I saw it, but it made me cherish the copy I have even more. I feel like I need to take extra care of it before this movie becomes extinct!