User reviews

I don't remember ever seeing this as a child and I grew up in that era. In fact, I was 6 years old. Yes, it's only 25 minutes long, but you think it would have came on during the Holidays every year. And back then, we didn't have the number of TV/Cable channels that we do now. It was only the major networks (ABC, NBC, CBS, PBS, etc). Still, I'm just now watching this. It's kind of cute for a 70's animation and it has a decent lesson in it, if you brake something, then you must try to find a way to fix it. This is a good one for young children. And who can forget the famous Christmas poem by Clement Moore? I used to know all the words, but I couldn't recite them as well last night when I watched it. Are you new to watching this one as well? See how well you remember the famous poem! Definitely a great CLASSIC for the Holidays!

Cynical mouse Albert writes an insulting letter to Santa, which ticks Santa off. Afraid Santa will pass them up this year, the town of Junctionville enlists clockmaker Joshua Trundle to build a clock that will play a special song for Santa on Christmas Eve. But Albert, curious about how the clock works, breaks it. Now there will be no Christmas for Junctionville unless Albert can somehow fix the mess he created.

Charming Rankin-Bass Christmas special. This one has more traditional animation, like Frosty, instead of the stop-motion animation we all know & love from other specials. But it's still very good animation with wonderfully expressive faces on the humans and the mice. It's full of beautiful sentiment, lovely music, and great voicework. Joel Grey and Tammy Grimes were especially memorable. I remember as a little kid being fascinated with the way Albert the mouse spoke. This was one of the constants from my childhood Christmases and holds a special place in my heart.

The program is set in the fictional town of Junctionville, New York around the turn of the 20th century. Santa Claus is offended by an anonymous letter printed in the town's newspaper (and signed "all of us") claiming that he doesn't exist. In response, Santa returns the entire town's letters to them unopened. Upon reading the anonymous letter printed in the newspaper, Father Mouse — a mouse assistant to the human clock maker Joshua Trundle — immediately suspects that his brainy son Albert is its author. Albert confirms his suspicions, repeating the letter verbatim to him.

Father Mouse and the Trundle Family devise a plan to appease Santa by building a singing clock tower for him, built with a special recording to play a song to coax him not to bypass Junctionville on Christmas Eve. Unfortunately, Albert enters the clock to explore it without permission, and inadvertently causes it to malfunction in front of the whole town, seriously damaging Trundle's professional reputation. Furthermore, the Mayor, publicly embarrassed at the clock tower's failure, refuses to give the Joshua access to it for repairs.

Confessing his mistake, Albert volunteers to repair it himself and Father Mouse tells Joshua of the situation before waiting at his bed with worry on Christmas Eve. Although Albert does not complete his task until about one minute after the midnight deadline, the clock does play its song within earshot of Santa which convinces him to turn around and come to town after all.

I just watched this again for the first time in 30 years. Funny thing is I remember most of this cartoon. Its not one of my favorites but its still enjoyable. I will watch it again. The best audience for this film is most likely small children but if you are a good parent you will watch this with them.

'Twas the Night Before Christmas has always been one of my favorites. The story about a clockmaker who creates a singing clock to help convince Santa that people still believe in him might seem a little odd now, but the message is still clear. The songs are fantastic in this special. "Even a Miracle Needs a Hand" is one that I am singing year-round. As a kid, I always looked forward to watching this every Christmas. It wasn't until recently that I found it on VHS.

South Park did a parody of this show a few years ago in an episode of "A Crappy Christmas." I'm sure that 90% of the South Park audience didn't even get the parody, and that's a real shame.

'Twas the Night before Christmas stands tall right along with all of the other Rankin/Bass holiday classics.

In the Golden Age of Network Television they gave us all sorts of programming around the holidays. We would get lots of Variety Television Specials with the A List Entertainers. Julie Andrews Johnny Cash Perry Como and more. We would also get BETTER television movies. "The Gathering" and "An American Christmas Carol" to name a few.

Every year we would also get some sort of new Animated Special. The good ones became television staples like "Rudolph" and "Charlie Brown". Some were good but never caught on as much as those two. That is the case in point of this cartoon. "Twas The Night Before Christmas".

'Twas the Night Before Christmas is a 1974 animated Christmas television special produced by Rankin/Bass Productions and based on the famous 1823 poem that opens with this line. The special first originally aired on CBS on December 8, 1974 where it aired annually until 1994, when The Family Channel (now Freeform) took over its syndication rights.

Although the opening credits mention "told and sung by Joel Grey", it is really narrated by George Gobel, as there is more emphasis on the point of view of Father Mouse, with Moore's poem read by Grey a secondary plot.

The program is set in the fictional town of Junctionville, New York around the turn of the 20th century. Santa Claus is offended by an anonymous letter printed in the town's newspaper (and signed "all of us") claiming that he doesn't exist. In response, Santa returns the entire town's letters to them unopened. Upon reading the anonymous letter printed in the newspaper, Father Mouse — a mouse assistant to the human clock maker Joshua Trundle — immediately suspects that his brainy son Albert is its author. Albert confirms his suspicions, repeating the letter verbatim to him.

Father Mouse and the Trundle Family devise a plan to appease Santa by building a singing clock tower for him, built with a special recording to play a song to coax him not to bypass Junctionville on Christmas Eve. Unfortunately, Albert enters the clock to explore it without permission, and inadvertently causes it to malfunction in front of the whole town, seriously damaging Trundle's professional reputation. Furthermore, the Mayor, publicly embarrassed at the clock tower's failure, refuses to give Joshua access to it for repairs.

Confessing his mistake, Albert volunteers to repair it himself and Father Mouse tells Joshua of the situation before waiting at his bed with worry on Christmas Eve. Although Albert does not complete his task until about one minute after the midnight deadline, the clock does play its song within earshot of Santa which convinces him to turn around and come to town after all.

There is many lessons in this little special. The hidden one I love the most is "Good and Bad Actions Have Consequences".

I look forward to seeing this when it pops on again!

This has got to be one of the most underrated, under-appreciated Christmas specials out there. Granted, the animation isn't fantastic, but the story and songs more than make up for that. I watch it every year and the songs "Give Your Heart a Try" and "Even a Miracle Needs a Hand" still make me tear up when I hear them. It's a simple message of following your heart instead of your head even when you should know better. It's not as well-known as Frosty or Rudolph (both of which I love, by the way), but given the choice among the three I'd watch "Twas the Night Before Christmas" every time. A great special not only for kids but for adults who want to feel like kids for 25 minutes or so.

I have always loved animation and Christmas specials. Rankin/Bass had already done some of my absolute favourites like Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer, Frosty The Snowman and Santa Claus is Comin' To Town, and I remembered Twas the Night Before Christmas from childhood. So I thought to myself, why not revisit it?

I am so glad I did. It really is a treasure. I personally would loved for it to be a tad longer, however the story still charms and the message still resonates. The animation perhaps is not the best I've seen from Rankin/Bass but it does have a certain warmth to it.

I just love the music. All the Rankin/Bass specials have great music, and Twas the Night Before Christmas is no exception. The incidental music sparkles and of the songs Even a Miracle needs a hand makes me sing along and I have to say I forgot how emotional Give your heart a try was.

Twas the Night Before Christmas has very good writing also, with the reciting of the poem Twas the Night Before Christmas bringing me back to my mum reading it at Christmas Eve to help us sleep and several parts coming across as touching. You really relate to the characters as well, even Albert, who wouldn't love talking mice though? The voice acting is very dynamic, with Joel Grey especially impressive. In conclusion, a Christmas treasure that brought all those memories back. 9/10 Bethany Cox

I have never seen a holiday special that I could sing along to as much as this. I literally grew up watching this this on a cruddy VHS from the 1980's, and when the UPS guy finally came with it today I nearly accidentally mauled him with excitement. The fact that this wonderful little treasure is finally on DVD format shows that there is indeed justice in the world. I won't have to worry about breaking down that trusty old video, I just break down this trusty old DVD! When I have children, I will force them to watch this everyday before Christmas (and learn the songs of course) so they can be dorks like me. There aren't enough stars to rate this, but I'll give it 10/10 anyway.

This film is just as good as any other Christmas film. This is a heart warming film that you can stand to watch a hundred times. One of the most rare underrated Rankin Bass films you will ever see. This portrays the story better than any other film ever!!!! When you watch this film you will feel better ;although, you can't put your finger on what you feel better about, you'll feel better. It's one of those films you'll see every once in a while that when you start to watch it you wait until its over much like "A Christmas Story". If you get your hands on this video you'll be glad you did you won't even want to return it. If it is a DVD format go and buy it, even though its kind of a kiddy movie, you'll love to watch it.

There were those Xmas classics that one watched as a child because I really enjoyed them. Then there were those that I watched mainly because there was nothing else on and it put me in the Xmas mood. I would have to say this one falls in the latter. Not that it is bad, but it just does not really hold up to others such as Frosty, Rudolph and the Grinch in terms of enjoyment, comedy and good animation. This one is a bit off looking and I did not care for the way Santa looked in this one as a kid. Still, I was a kid and presented with an image of Santa and this one looked different so as a kid you can understand why I felt it was not right. The story is a bit different as someone has written Santa a nasty letter, a letter so bad that he has decided he will not be delivering presents this Xmas. Which seems a bit rough punishing all for the letter of one, I mean he could simply give the perpetrator some coal as he sees all and knows all. Well a man tries to show Santa how much he is appreciated in the form of a song coming out of a clock, and some mice must help this endeavor work. Like I said, it is not necessarily bad, just not one of my holiday favorites.

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 ("even a miracle needs a hand") and the songs are GOOD. They crept in my head at an early age and stayed there '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. I'm not talking literals here, people, but there's something nice about believing in something greater than yourself, or your known quantities.

This may quite possibly be the best Christmas special out there. It is just like Braveheart, except minus the warriors and plus Christmas, Mice and a Clock Maker. My sister and I are in our mid-twenties and we watch this movie multiple times a year. Who doesn't love singing mice? It is a heartfelt tale that will encourage children of all ages to believe in Santa. Claymation is great, but few things are as Christmas-y as animated mice and humans co-habituating. You will laugh, you will cry, you will eat all three flavors out of the holiday popcorn tub that your mom bought you. Stay up late to catch it, or hunt online to buy it, it is a must have for every Holiday movie collection.

This is quite possibly the best Rankin/Bass Christmas movie ever! I am so upset that this is rarely on TV anymore and I have yet to find it on DVD or even VHS! Great songs, great characters, wonderful story....this has it all. The previous commenter was right when he said that this movie makes you feel good after you watch it. This should be a new TNT holiday classic! What's not to love? A smart alack mouse thinks he knows so much that he believes Santa does not exist. Unfortunately, he believes this so much that he writes a letter to a newspaper expressing such. This causes Santa to cross the whole town off his list. Enter Joshua Trundle, the local clockmaker. He builds a clock that, on the stoke on midnight, plays "Christmastime is Calling, Santa, Santa...."(great song, by the way). Well, the smart alack mouse breaks the clock so it won't work. Blah, blah, blah, mouse gets taught about Christmas and Santa, fixes the clock while singing "Even a miracle needs a hand"(another great song). Santa returns and all is well. They even end the movie with the cartoon animated to a reading of "T'was the night before Christmas" What a great Freakin' Christmas Movie!!!!

This Christmas cartoon is just one year younger than am i. I can remember watching this every year for my entire life, until in recent years where it has been excluded from the networks. This is the story of two families that dwell within the same house; the Trundles, a human family whose father is a great clock maker and a mouse family, whose son Albert is too smart for his own good. Doubting the existence of Santa, Albert sends a letter to the north pole saying as much, but he signs it all of us, meaning the entire town shares in his belief. Because of this, Santa let's it be known that he will not be visiting the town by rejecting all letters that originate there. Father mouse and Mr. Trundle create a clock that will go off as Santa flies over the town, it will play a song, begging forgiveness and rejoicing in the fact that there is a Santa. Albert, being who he is explores the clock and breaks it. Will it be fixed in time to save Christmas? This is a very heartwarming tale, and the songs are catchy and I find myself singing them for weeks after watching this. About the best family friendly Christmas cartoon there is out there.

This starts and ends with the famous poem. Both human and mice get their letters to Santa returned by sender. The mice discover that nerdy know-it-all Albert had sent a letter of disbelief to Santa. They assumed that it had angered Santa and plead for him to write an apology letter. Human Joshua Trundle builds a town clock to please Santa but it falls apart. The mayor refuses to allow Joshua into the town hall to fix the clock. Albert decides to fix the clock and save Christmas. I don't like the premise of this Christmas special portraying Santa as a vengeful deity. Despite its happy, cheerful tone, it's a rather dark idea of Santa. At the very least, Santa should make a statement of purpose and the joy of giving. I don't necessarily like the central message of this special.

I have always loved this cute little cartoon. So this isn't the best drawn cartoon, but it has a nice story and wonderful songs. Christmas is my favourite time of year. Full of giving, laughing, and seeing people acting kind to one another, even if it is just once a year. Rudolph and Frosty already had songs about them that really help build stories around their cartoons. This one was fresh and inventive. BELIEVING, even when common sense tells you not to. Closely tied to another classic at this time, Miracle On 34th Street. So pour a cup of nog, cuddle up under your blanket, and turn on the telly. Now all together...."Christmas bells are ringing Santa, Santa..Every heart repeating Santa, Santa...."

This is another Christmas special from Rankin/Bass that I grew up with, along with Rudolph and Frosty, of course; it is also another favorite. As previously stated, another aspect of Rankin/Bass that I enjoy is the memorable characters (such as The Trundles and the Little Mouse Family), as well as the music and songs. I love to sing the song "Christmas chimes are calling."

I also would like to point out that I recognize little Albert's voice as Molly Grue's from the film "The Last Unicorn" (Tammy Grimes). There is a lot of excellent casting in many Rankin/Bass specials and films.

UPDATE: Gentle readers, do not be fooled by the fact that this IMDb review has received so many negative (un-"useful" votes). ALL of those votes were cast by the same person, a very sad individual with too much free time on his hands ... who sends me emails at regular intervals, demanding that I change this review to make it more favourable. Now, here's my review:

Oh, what a piece of crap is this. Why do American television companies see Christmas as an opportunity to produce so many crap-awful specials? In Britain, Christmas is just an opportunity for the TV stations to show a James Bond movie.

I ought to have been warned off watching "'Twas the Night Before Christmas" when I saw that it was produced by Rankin/Bass, a production company that has churned out far too much unwatchable rubbish. But I'm a great fan of Tammy Grimes and Joel Grey, and John McGiver is very high on my list of all-time favourite character actors, so I sought out this animated film when I saw that they were listed in the cast.

This story is awful. It's intended for kids, but kids deserve something better than this. The animation is terrible: far below Rankin/Bass's usual wretched standard. Joel Grey and Tammy Grimes are wasted in badly-written roles. Tammy Grimes was a very sexy actress with a very distinctive voice (and a cod accent), so it's disturbing to hear her voice issuing from the badly-animated mouth of a badly-drawn MALE character.

Worst of all is the character written for poor John McGiver. He plays a blowhard mayor, and the scriptwriter has given McGiver a terrible gimmick which is difficult to perform and not funny at all. Every single time McGiver speaks, his character launches into a bombastic speech with lots of long complicated esoteric sesquipedalian words, but invariably he gives up the struggle halfway through the sentence, says 'Aw, heck!' and then uses plain speaking to say what he'd meant to say in the first place. I always considered McGiver a brilliant actor, but he can't transcend this terrible running gag which isn't funny.

I give somebody some credit for casting George Gobel in the lead role of a mouse. Gobel was a very self-effacing actor who deserved to be better known, and who was (elsewhere, not here) extremely funny in a soft-spoken and low-key way. His established persona fits perfectly with the mouse character he plays here. Too bad it's so terribly written.

This cartoon is ostensibly based on the famous poem "A Visit from St Nicholas", known incorrectly as "'Twas the Night Before Christmas" and traditionally credited to Clement Moore ... but the link is very tenuous indeed. (The poem mentions a mouse, and this cartoon is full of talking mice.) On top of everything else, we now have solid evidence that Clement Moore stole the credit for this poem, which was originally published anonymously. In the year 2001, a letter surfaced which Moore wrote to the editors of the newspaper that originally published this poem, asking whether any of the editors knew the name of the poem's author. When they replied that they did not, Moore waited until the death of the poem's true author, and then he took credit. None of Clement Moore's own poems show even a glimmer of the talent present in "'Twas the Night Before Christmas" ... by which I mean the poem, not this terrible animated cartoon. There is substantial forensic evidence that the true author of this beloved poem was Major Henry Livingston, Jnr, scion of a patriotic family that helped finance the American Revolution.

Parents, let your kids do anything at all on Christmas rather than letting them watch this horrible cartoon. It will turn their brains into figgy pudding. I'll rate "'Twas the Night Before Christmas" zero points out of 10. Bah, humbug!

This is one of my favorite Holiday cartoons. The music is catchy, the characters are involving, and the animation is fun. I find it a shame that this one isn't played much anymore as it tells a great story and is sure to be treasured by generations. I hope that this movie is brought back to holiday specials television, "cause even a miracle needs a hand."