'Twas the Night Before Christmas (TV Movie 1974)

‘Twas the Night Before Christmas: Directed by Jules Bass, Arthur Rankin Jr.. With Joel Grey, Tammy Grimes, John McGiver, George Gobel. When a town learns that Santa Claus has struck it off his delivery schedule due to an insulting letter, a way must be found to change his mind.

“I agree that this is a classic. I was born shortly before this cartoon was made, so it was a big part of my Christmas ritual growing up. The morale is great (u0026quot;even a miracle needs a handu0026quot;) and the songs are GOOD. They crept in my head at an early age and stayed there u0026#39;til this day. I see a lot of my adolescent, atheist, Ivy League self in the defiant Albert, who derides Santa as a myth, but also in Mr. Trundle, who works devotedly for something he believes in. Iu0026#39;m not talking literals here, people, but thereu0026#39;s something nice about believing in something greater than yourself, or your known quantities.”