ABC
December 14, 1970
Cartoon, TV-Movie
DVD
B-
This Rankin-Bass holiday special is of course one I grew up with, although for a long time my only copy was a syndication-hatcheted version on VHS. It does need to be watched in full: Rudolph joke, Jessica acid trip, and all. It's definitely a product of its time, with a sociopolitical subtext that can be read as a comment on everything from hippies to Nazis. The songs, especially "One Foot in Front of the Other," are pretty good and I'm generally happy with the character design, except for the little girl who smiles when she cries. I'd go with a B except that I don't think Mickey Rooney's line readings are very good. On the other hand, Fred Astaire is just right as the kind and patient narrator, and Keenan Wynn does well both as a menace and as a good guy.
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