The Year Without a Santa Claus

"No fighting, you two."

"Well, if I can't have any fun I might as well leave."

Santa Claus (Rooney) has a bad cold in the weeks leading up to Christmas.  He thinks no one believes in him or cares, and decides to cancel Christmas. Mrs. Claus (Booth) enlists the help of elves Jingle Bells (McFadden) and Jangle Bells (Bolke) to change his mind.  They take young reindeer Vixen and try to find proof that people believe in Santa Claus.  Along the way they are caught in the crosshairs of the Miser brothers latest fight, and end up stranded in Southtown.  The town is in the south and too warm for Vixen, so they leave her in the shade and begin their search.  They meet young Iggy Thistlewhite (Duffy), who doesn't believe in Santa Claus.

They talk to the Mayor (Marshall), who agrees to give Santa a holiday if it snows in Southtown.  Mrs. Claus takes them to meet with Snow Miser (Shawn), who is in charge of snow and cold.  They also meet with his brother Heat Miser (Irving), who controls heat and the south.  Meanwhile, Santa discovers their plan and heads to Southtown to fix things.  Can the elves and Mrs. Claus help Santa see that he is loved and needed so Christmas is back on?


This was the fourth Christmas special made by Rankin/Bass Productions.  The company was founded in the 1960s by Arthur Rankin Jr. and Jules Bass.  They specialized in stop-motion animation, but later they also made traditional animated films and some live-action films.  In 1970, they introduced Santa Claus (voiced by Mickey Rooney) in the film Santa Claus is Coming to Town.

The story of this film is based on the book "The Year Without a Santa Claus" by Phyllis McGinley and illustrated by Kurt Werth.  They brought Rooney back as Santa Claus and cast Shirley Booth as Mrs. Claus.  Like it's predecessor, this is a musical featuring Christmas songs.  The film was popular and is part of the yearly Christmas movies that airs on television.  It was popular enough to get a live-action remake in 2006 with John Goodman as Santa Claus.  And in 2008, they made a sequel A Miser Brothers' Christmas, introducing the third brother North Wind.

It is a Christmas classic, especially when paired with Santa Claus is Coming to Town.  And that pairing made my Top 10 Christmas Movie List.  It is different from other Christmas films, memorable and heartfelt.

The Year Without a Santa Claus (1974) 48 minutes
Director: Jules Bass & Arthur Rankin Jr.
Starring: Shirley Booth as Mrs. Claus
Mickey Rooney as Santa Claus
Dick Shawn as Snow Miser
George S. Irving as Heat Miser
Bob McFadden as Jingle Bells
Bradley Bolke as Jangle Bells
Rhoda Mann as Mother Nature
Ron Marshall as Mr. Thistlewhite / Mayor
Colin Duffy as Ignatius "Iggy" Thistlewhite