20 essential classic holiday films to watch this year

Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town (1970)

It’s just not Christmas-time without including one of the Rankin-Bass movies. Rankin-Bass was the go-to studio for holiday short films, all of which had an emphasis on puppetry. Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town is one of the more well-known features, alongside other holiday works like Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Nestor the Long-Eared Donkey, and The Little Drummer Boy.

Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town tells the story of Kris Kringle (voiced by Mickey Rooney). Little Kris has been adopted by elves and raised as a toymaker. When he grows up he’s determined to send his family’s toys to the children in the local village, only to find out that the cold-hearted Burgermeister (voiced by Paul Frees) has banned toys.

The limitations of puppets are evident in all these shorts. In fact, some of the fun is watching the weird facial expressions the characters make. But what makes Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town stand out is the songs. “First Toymaker to the King,” “Put One Foot in Front of the Other” and the title song are instantly hummable. In fact, the title song is sung by legendary song and dance man, Fred Astaire, who also acts as the film’s narrator. The story of how certain Santa Claus traits came into being — from his red outfit to the giving of toys — are pretty inventive, though this movie really makes a stretch on why Christmas Day is Dec. 25. It’s a fun story that, much like Rudolph, has been passed down to children through the generations since its release.

Rent on Amazon.