Nestor the Long-Eared Christmas Donkey

Whenever people think about a Christmas Donkey, the first thing comes to mind is...

(Dominick the Donkey.)

I meant in film.

(Sony’s The Star)

Respectfully better!

(Don Bluth’s Small One.)

I will mention you later in criticism part of this actual film. It’s Nector the Long-Eared Christmas Donkey!

Speiltoe the Donkey tells the story of his ancestor donkey in Bethlehem. (He’s voiced by Roger Miller. You may know his voices as a Rooster in Robin Hood.) Nestor was born with big ears and everyone laughs at him at the farm. (Sounds familiar?)   

A Roman Army soldier drafted the farmer’s donkeys, but Nestor reveals had his ears that cost the farmers all of his donkeys except for his mother, thus the farmer threw him out into the winter. Nestor’s Mom rescued her son as they spent the night, until she died.

For a short while, Nestor encounter a Cherub named Tilly (voiced by Johnny Bravo's Mom, Brenda Vaccaro), as she guides him to Bethlehem throughout the months. Tilly left Nestor at a merchant; until he was picked up by certain couples that contain someone may already know if you see Little Drummer Boy films already.  

So now I must address the other donkey film, Don Bluth’s Small One. Technically Nestor came first in 1977, while Small One came out the next year. You could declare rip-off, but usually rip-off has less to no thought and emotions. While it’s sad to see Nestor’s mom died, it’s slightly sadder when they showed her in the light above. Small One is REALLY emotional from the opening theme, to the story of boy trying hopefully to sell his old donkey he loved, or to be killed, to the ending that pays off. Don Bluth’s 80’s work is one of the rarest things in my life to give me a tear-jerking with the story that’s timeless and moments that we had or will deal with. The saddest being the Death of Littlefoot’s Mom. In Nestor, there can be some emotion, but not much as it’s the Rudolph Story that’s been told already before with the Baby New Year with his big ears. You can even go far back with Dumbo with his ears, or earlier with Elmer the Elephant with his big nose. The point is certain features to be born with are becoming less emotional the more you use them.   

The reason to even review this film while not the others now is a combination of my time crunch at my time in North Carolina, my volunteer at the Salvation Army, and it’s closer to what matter in continuity wise. In the opening and closing of Nestor, they showed The Year Without Santa Claus cast (though Santa’s face is different only here.) and Rudolph.

Nestor the Long Eared Christmas Donkey is a short little film to conclude the Bethlehem trilogy. If your eyes need a break from crying at Small One or cringing from twerking doves at Sony’s The Star, then Nestor is decent enough for you. Now with the time to combine three different films together, we’ll finally to replace one of those films, as we bring Frosty along to be in Rudolph and Frosty in Christmas In July. 

Rudolph's Shiny New Year

After Santa and Frosty made their sequels, Rudolph has to have a sequel. This is where Rudolph’s Shiny New Year is made. 

If you’re wondering, “Why don’t you review this on New Year Eve or Day?” It’s a sequel after the original, and I’m not waiting at the end of the month to review and even make it the last thing. You’re either getting this or Island of Misfit Toys?

Rudolph (reprised by Billie Mae Richard) was assigned by Santa to see Father Time, as he was assigned by Father Time (voiced by Red Skeleton) to find the baby New Year. The Baby New Year ran away from the caretaker because of his big ears. The Baby New Year is made to start a new year to age quicker into the new Father Time the next year as tradition. Baby New Year is being eyed on by a giant vulture named Eon, because doesn’t want to turn into ice and snow since his eon time is up.

Rudolph rides on a mini Time Bandit boat to the Archipelago of Last Years find the Baby New Year back in time.

*Shark jump over Rudolph in a boat.*

A giant whale with a clock on its tail named Big Ben saves Rudolph from Eon, as Ben became Rudolph’s ride. Rudolph came across a caveman named OM or One Million

Rudolph: Anyone’s home?

OM: Willy McBean, you’re back! Did you bring back Rasputin Von Rotten? I want to show him how much we evolve…wait, you’re not him! Sorry, you did sound similar.

, a knight named Sir 1024 (voiced by The Riddler’s Frank Gorshin), and 1776 aka Benjamin Franklin.

First I’ll address the Elephant in the room, there’s a real reason why Rudolph looks different; after the original Rudolph ended, Rankin Bass donated 8 of the main models to the executives as gifts. 1/3 of them survived to be displayed at the Antique Roadshow recently, as Rudolph is missing his red nose, and Santa missing eyebrows and one of his mustaches that you swear went to the barber from Frosty. Thus this is the main reason why you’ll never see Hermy and Yukon in any of the sequels by Rankin Bass. Sorry if you’ll be eternally disappointed. They can try to recreate them, but it’s time consuming and these Christmas films come out usually one or more a year. So they have a new model for Rudolph, but deage him and give him white cheeks. We’ll assume he was hugged by the Spotted Elephant, who was secretly a pink elephant that was mostly bleached. You can argue Rudolph shave part of antlers off for the elves’ tools. The deaging I’m partly assuming is the Bambi effect that people love the young deer than when they do grow up.

“The older they get, the cuter they ain’t!”

-Patty Bouvior from the Simpsons.

Speaking of which, Santa is voiced by Paul Frees, yet it’s The Year Without Santa Claus’ film model. It’s made confusing that Frosty is in their world as Santa as voiced by Frees, until Christmas in July is he voiced by Rooney. In fact, Peter Cottontail has the Santa Claus’ Coming To Town model and voiced by Frees, and he reprise his role in The First Easter Bunny. Oh god I’ve gone cross-eyes! Maybe Santa has selective voice, as Ms. Claus may do Doctor Who regeneration. You can argue that Mick Rooney was busy when he was in Pete’s Dragon in the making before release in 1977 while Shiny New Year was 1976, but what Red Skeleton’s excuse is since he’s in the same film. Maybe since Red is the villain’s sidekick, he gets less screen time enough to lend his voice here.  

Now let’s address the shark in the room. Rudolph uses a boat to time travel to the past. Surprisingly he didn’t have a thought of going back to his past. Even though he went to 1965.

Rudolph: Father Time, if I can travel back in time, can I-

Father Time: Rudolph, whatever questions involve you meeting yourself in time traveling, doesn’t go to the North Pole during your time or your parents’ time. The less you go to that time, the better. Now if you excuse me, I got to check up on April Valley.

Here’s a weird fact. I own the VHS of the entire Rudolph trilogy, but Shiny New Year was shown last, while Christmas In July was the second film. I almost had confusion why Rudolph doesn’t know Big Ben.

When Rudolph goes to the island of 1023 AD, they showed most of the Fairy Tales characters. Odd enough, some of the characters and setting looked almost exactly like the designs in Festival of Family Classic. Prince Charming finally looks different than looking like Gulliver’s Travel’s prince to be recycled thrice.

Towards the end of the film, Rudolph had a recap of the previous version assuming animated by Mushi Studio. It’s a nice design as I do want to see this Rudolph animated more often. I was going to think Twas the Night Before Christmas was in continuity, but the Reindeers were tiny and Santa didn’t have a mustache. So that film is off my mind for me to think they’re involved. Now why not recap it with the original footage and showed how Rudolph changed from the first film to this film is assuming they don’t have VHS tapes of them since they didn’t exist much back then.

This is a decent continuation of Rudolph I do like. It expands the world Rudolph is in that you may question a lot the possibility and easy access to the magical setting.

We can complete this trilogy with the next film, but there’s one more film that Rudolph and Ms. Claus from Year Without Santa Claus made their silent cameo when we pull out an ice block and lend an ear with Nester, the Long Eared Donkey.

The Year Without A Santa Claus

 How can you top Santa Claus Comin’ To Town? Make a sequel that’s written by a different writer, yet connect it to the first film with the same lead actor of Mick Rooney, the same painting of that Christmas Sky, and you get The Year Without A Santa Claus.

Santa Claus got sick, and grows doubts that kids don’t believe in him anymore. So Santa decided to cancel Christmas. Ms. Claus (voiced and narrated by Hazel’s Shirley Booth.) had a plan B to send Jingle and Jangle down to America to check on the kids if they believe in him. Her Plan A was Ms. Claus to be Santa Claus, but she’s couldn’t be convincing.

Getting through the mischief Miser Brothers, Jingle and Jangle riding on a young Vixen (don’t read that too deep) to South Town, USA. After Jingle disguise Vixen as a dog through hi-jinx, Jingle and Jangle got to the kids nearby with Iggy (as the focus kid of the film) to check if they believe in Santa, and they don’t. Vixen got captured by a Dog Catcher, as Jingle and Jangle tries to save her. Santa got up to wonder what’s going on, but after hearing about Jingle, Jangle, and Vixen’s whereabouts, he decided to go to South Town himself to find them and may hope there’s someone to believe in him in disguise.

The characters had a redesign, as assuming the models in Santa Claus Coming to Town was either unappealing to some, or Rankin Bass sold the models as gifts again, or the models didn’t survive in 4 years. Most of the characters got a rounder design, while someone such as Snow Miser is blocky to fit the ice motive. The elves got a uniform change to go from blue, pink, or green uniform to Santa’s suit to dark red suits with bells. It would be less confusing to have the elves to look like Santa since most of the Kringle Elves are bearded. I prefer the elves’ suits in Rudolph as it’s simple and unique that the Will Farrel film, Elf would use the updated design with some extra colors. Now where the Kringles went isn’t much for debate.

Everyone remembers the Miser Bros; Snow Miser and Heat Miser, voiced by Dick Shawn (best known as Sylvester in It’s a Mad Mad Mad Mad World) and George S. Irving (who would later be the Captain in Raggedy Ann and Andy: A Musical Adventure). They’re literally polar opposite of each other being a fat tempered hothead and a slim joyful iceman. No one can forget their theme song. Even Schumacher like it enough for Mr. Freeze to compose his henchmen.

All the music is as memorable. The song “It’s going to Snow in Dixie” is a perfect song whenever it snows in the south, and fittingly in North Carolina it did snow and I pass by a location named Dixie.

I was hoping that Ms. Claus was going to disguise herself as Santa Claus. That’s pretty bad when a witch in Gumby get to be Santa Claus, even if she scared her first two kids. Ms. Claus does make herself useful by getting to the Miser Bros.. It’s not much, but it’s more than I say about the live action version. If you’re going to watch the live-action version, don’t watch or else you’ll get a blue Christmas from it. Just like Frosty Return and Legend of Frosty the Snowman, I’ll save them at the end.

The other thing I’m starting to realize. What’s the age limit for a reindeer to pull Santa’s sleigh. Vixen is the youngest of the group, almost as young as or younger than Rudolph. Speaking of which, how does none of the reindeers speak in this film? It’s now established in next film review that reindeers can speak, and only Donner can speak in Christmas in July. That’s even stranger that Vixen is male in Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer and Santa Claus’ Comin To Town. We’ll assume there’s more than one reindeer named the same. Then is there only 10-15 reindeer names in the entire North Pole?

This is a joyful sequel to watch, as it might be my favorite of the entire Christmas sequel unintentionally, but definitely one of my favorite. While Santa and his family get redesigned, we’ll get to see his very special member at a Shiny New Year with Rudolph.

Santa Claus Comin' To Town

One of the weakest parts of Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer is Santa Claus. We can do a film to focus on him particular, but Stan Francis died in 1966, thus there were delays in any plan for Santa Claus. Best option was to kinda reboot their Santa to be played by a different actor. Paul Frees is the right part for Santa as he first starts in Frosty, but they needed to focus on Santa when he was young, and it’ll save me from mentioning his name when he plays the villains instead. So who would be the voice of Santa and happened to be around the same age as Frees? Fortunately, there’s a perfect Santa Claus right here.

“Jiminy Jillikers, Jiminy Jillikers, Jiminy Jillikers!”

-Mick Rooney as Fallout Boy in the Simpsons.

Yes he’ll do. This is Santa Claus Comin To Town.

Postman Fred Astaire tells the Life and Adventure of Santa Claus. (Not to be confused by the story of the same name of L. Frank Baum and we’ll get there close to the end.)

Baby Claus was founded by to bring to the Burgermeister, but was rejected to be put into the orphanage, but lost the baby to the storm. The animals protect Baby Claus from the dread Winter Warlock (voiced by Keenan Wynn), as they took the baby was adapted by the Kringles Elves, with their elf queen, Tanta Kringle and she named him Kris Kringle. They raised him through the essential requirement, including being a toymaker. Kris grew up to be a man, as he sets out to deliver the toys to Somber Town with a lost penguin named Topper. However, Burgermeister had an accident from a toy that has him to outlaw toys in Somber Town, or else the owner will be thrown to the dungeon. Kris has won the heart of the children of Somber Town (assuming Germany) and their teacher, Jessica (voiced by Robie Lester).

After Kris escaped from Burgermeister, he got captured by the Winter Warlock, but with his kindness and a toy warms Mr. Warlock’s heart to become Winter. Later, Jessica warned Kris that the Burgermeister has made the laws stricter for the toys that Kris has found many ways to give toys to the children in Somber Town.

Fred Astaire is an interesting choice as a narrator. He’s mostly famous as a tap dancing actor, but it’s done under stop-motion animation and he’s not the focus, so the tap dancing isn’t as good as his films prior. You can argue they could have him dance for reference as Danny Kaye’s acting was captured to be animated. However, as we seen him in Finian’s Rainbow and That’ Entertainment part 2 in his age, he can’t do much dancing anymore. So having him speak and sing is the best they can work with.

Mick Rooney is one of the perfect Santa Claus, and the rare times we see him as a young man. Energized, positive, and wise enough work out any situations. His kindness is as contagious as Santa’s should, as he cemented Santa Claus for Rankin Bass. Burgermeister is a funny stick in the mud that we enjoy his misery, and I like it when Paul Frees voices two different range of voices are together, as he had experiences in a Universal cartoon before. Jessica is the best yet probably the only young Ms. Claus. She has a trippy music number that probably paint the image to be expected in 1970, and that beautiful voice. A singing voice so good, she had to sing for Ava Gabor, twice in films you may know. Speaking of which, the music is mostly memorable. The song "One Foot and than the Other" isn't much to some, but I'll take this than the Randy Newman version.

"Left foot, Right foot! Left foot, Right foot! Left foot, Right Fo-"

- Randy Newman singing in Family Guy, until he was knocked out by an apple from Lois. 

Somber Town is a bleak big town that’s perfect enough to be reused twice in Peter Cottontail and Emperor’s New Clothing, even some of the instrumental music. The town can work as a Hammer Film with Kris being the only Red and Jessica in blue that pop out. 

This is one of my favorite Christmas films on par with Rudolph and Frosty. Rooney became the best Santa Rankin Bass ever made, and his story will continue with Santa in bed half of the time.

Frosty's Winter Wonderland

 So Rankin Bass was starting to run out of ideas for new contents and angles for Christmas for a while. So what better to make more films for TV is to do a continuation with what they made earlier? What unintentionally works for A Year Without Santa Claus can work intentionally with one of them being Frosty the Snowman. This is the sequel as Frosty’s Winter Wonderland. 

It’s the first snowy day in “Whatever City the first film takes place”, Andy Griffith took over Jimmy Durante’s role after he died, and Frosty is getting lonely at the North Pole. Frosty went on his word that he returns again someday. Frosty came back to his “friends”, when they’re inside for the day, Frosty is still lonely. So his “friends” made Frosty a wife for him, by building her the same way “they” made him.

Meanwhile, there’s an icy artist that made winter (sorta) named Jack Frost. He has grown jealous of Frosty, because they kids loves and praise him more.

Frosty brings Crystal to life with ice flowers to have fun together, but Jack Frost got revenge to take his Hat of Life away, but Crystal brought him back to life with the power of love. After assuming 10 minutes of snow sledding, they decided to get  married with a help from Parson Brown after he made a Snow Parson (both voiced by Dennis Day. Yes, Disney’s Johnny Appleseed, Dennis Day.)

I do enjoy this as much as the original. The designs of Frosty are different from the first one. Reason is Mushi Production closed down after Festival of Family Classics ended. The series isn’t the blame; the actual reason was the many animes bombed that cost Mushi Production. The production is unknown, but it was said it was done entirely by Rankin Bass, and it’s the only one done by them before they switch to Topcraft. I may believe it’s the very last thing done by Mushi Production, and the rest had to be complete their own. While Frosty kept the hat, he gained a yellow with red pattern dots, and his proportion is become almost even. Weird enough, Marketers use this Frosty design at blow-ups and ornaments. No scarf equals nude?

I like the new characters of Jack Frost, played by Paul Frees (who also reprised his role as traffic cop from the first film). Before this version of Jack Frost was made, the only one some knows is Jack Frost done by Ub Iwerk; who isn’t the focus yet is the titled character to be one up by a bear cub, and was more on warm colors in order to be different from Olde Man Winter. Having the Rankin Bass version have the cold colors fits him better. Nowadays when I hear the name Jack Frost, I think of the Icy Artist, not the warm seasonal artist, a snowman (the kinda nice Micheal Keaten that doesn’t approve of this film, or killer one), and frozen Justin Bieber of the Shire. Crystal is a nice love interest to Frosty. While she’s literally made to be marriage just like the Bride of Frankenstein in Mad, Mad, Mad Monster, she has a mind enough to put some brains and heart to Frosty and Jack Frosty than to be an ice brick. The song, “Winter Wonderland” is a nice song, and their wedding is decent to go with the lyric.

You may notice the air quotes I put on the friends. Simply put they’re not the same kids from the original, unless there’s the exception the boy that chooses food as the name with Oatmeal and this time with Corn Flakes. I miss Karen, and her replacement, Ethyl, who I swear is the same girl from The First Easter Bunny isn’t much of a replacement. Maybe Karen dyed her hair red or grew up as a blonde and moved to Transylvania in Mad, Mad, Mad Monster.

It’s a nice of an ice sequel, and I mostly watch it almost every year. It would be better if it was longer to give the relation more time than few minutes or “We shall be married in the morning!”, but with the production problems and time limit, its fine for what it’s worth. I’ll get to Christmas in July, but I need Rudolph and Year Without Santa Claus in order to get that far. Instead, we’ll go to an alternate universe to the Peanut Universe with Frosty Returns, at least I could if time wasn't so strict for me at this time in North Carolina. Instead, we'll go to the big red man himself, Santa Claus.

Frosty the Snowman

Who doesn’t like Frosty the Snowman? Aside from Heat Miser, Moltar, a cranky Human Torch, etc. with the fire based characters along with those who have a prejudice on 2D animation. I haven’t heard anyone nearby who hated Frosty the Snowman. He just became an animated icon for Rankin Bass.

Just like Rudolph, the story is simple that expands a little from the song, and narrated by Jimmy Durante. Karen and her friends found a magic hat to bring Frosty the Snowman to life. The magic hat belongs to Professor Hingle, who wants it back to make him a millionaire. Suddenly it became hot one day (and I mean suddenly after Frosty relived.), so Karen took Frosty on a train to the North Pole by stowaway.   

There have been Snowmen in the past, first brought to you creepily by Van Buren in 1933, and others afterwards were mostly simply nice and always melt at the end. Despite this film has a narrator, Jackie Vernon as Frosty is probably the first snowman to have a personality that he’s simple and caring. OK, so was the other, but he at least has more than two facial expressions and face magically better drawn.

Now it’s the best time to talk yet the worst time for me and this year. Karen was voiced by the late June Foray. What an incredible voice actress she is. Recently it was discovered that June Foray did voice all the kids than just the teacher, but they didn’t sound right. The worst of the characters June Foray voiced is Karen, who sounds as bad as a Little Girl in Manos, the Hand of Fate.

It’s strange in How the Grinch Stole Christmas; she voiced Cindy Lou Who, who was no more than two. She did sound young in that film, unless Warner Bros and MGM has the audio sped up, and Rankin Bass didn’t. Maybe they lost it after they recorded dialogue for the Muchkins in Tales of the Wizard of Oz. She briefly voiced Aaron’s mom in the Little Drummer Boy, who could be around 20-35, and she voiced the old lady in Mouse of Mayflower, who she mostly uses with Granny of the Looney Tunes.

The recasting for the kids is voiced by mostly unknown children actors after the first airing. I did look up who voiced Karen and earlier it was Suzanne Davidson (at least that’s what Google said earlier) and she sounds perfect as an 8-10 years girl. It helps to go with a cute little design of a girl.

I love June Foray, but not every actor’s role is gold. She’ll be missed, and watching movies with her in it will be heart wrenching.

Unlike the music in past Rankin Bass, they stick to one and played part of the Frosty the Snowman song to be sung by the kids or Jimmy Durante one last time to flow well than have more than one just for padding. Granted, the sequels will play more than one, as long they have purpose.  

This is the first time the animation for Rankin Bass by the Mushi Studio. It may look awkward at times, but it can work with the design to a likable life.

Frosty the Snowman is a nice animated Christmas special. If you’re not interested, there’s always The Snowman, the original, not the David Bowie narration. Just like the ending, Frosty will be back again someday, about 3 and half times. Yes, I’m going through that many sequels, with Christmas in July after I review Rudolph's.

The Little Drummer Boy, Book II

I was kind of surprised that there was a sequel to the Little Drummer Boy as The Little Drummer Boy, Book II. I’ve first watched it on Fox Family, and might remember to be disappointed, but I’m getting ahead of the pages. What’s the story?

Milkier and Aaron is finding an important man named Simian, who made big silver bells to be played when the New Born King arrive to be heard throughout Bethlehem. The Silver Bells was relinquished by the Roman Tax Collectors, with Plato the second in-command and led by Brutus (voiced by Zero Monstel).  

Aaron plan on distracting the Roman Tax Collectors by performance he may learn back in Jerusalem. Will the distraction work before Brutus melt the Silver Bells into Silver Bricks? The answer is no to Aaron, but distraction did work without him.  

Apparently when Aaron played his drum to new born king, not only his hatred for mankind is gone, but his hair is well showered, his mouth becomes close to the same color as his skin to the point if he has a mouth at all, and whatever personality he did have is gone. Then again, that’s what usually happens when a character goes from stubborn or negative to positive, positive makes your presence invisible, as seen with characters such as Linus from Sharkboy and Lavagirl, Karone in Power Rangers Lost Galaxy after her two first appearance, and maybe Gru from Despicable Me. This is the worst of the soft phase of a redesign of an early character I’ve seen yet. The film could have been just the Wise King, more preferably on Casper than others. Maybe this is the reason why in the next Nativity setting Rankin Bass film they would not include Aaron and focus on another point of view. The accurate title should be “Book 2: Silver Bells” and it involves a Little Boy somewhere.

Much like the first film, the protagonist and music would save the film. Zero Monstel as Brutus is the best part of the film. He’s a strong yet cynical leader. He and Plato are a likable duo of a villain. The songs “Money, Money, Money” by the villains and “Do you hear what I hear” sung by the choir is a nice song.

To me this might be as par with the first Little Drummer Boy, if not better. Sorry there’s not much to say for a 21 minute sequel. It’s not that great as the title character would drag it down. If you want to watch it for the villain and the songs, this is worth the price of a view. You want to see a continuation of the original to see character development, then this book or part of the bible to close.