Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town (1970) Review

Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town (1970) Review

First it was a Christmas carol, then it became a Christmas TV special. Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town is one of the earlier Rankin/Bass stop motion holiday specials, and for some reason, remains one of the most popular, though isn’t on the same level of recognition as Rudolph or Frosty.

Ever wonder how old Kris Kringle came to be? Well, this is his origin story, filled with musical numbers and explanations about where certain Santa traditions first came to be, like coming down the chimney, or enslaving elves—I mean, getting elves who are willing—to make the toys. 

I never liked this Christmas special all that much, though I think I’m probably in the minority here. I like many of the scenes and small moments throughout, especially the Claus-isms, such as the ones I mentioned above, but I find the story just a bit…dull. It clocks in at just under an hour—about the same runtime as Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, and yet in comparison to that TV movie, this one feels drawn out and tedious at times. Some of the plot points are extremely gimmicky, but hey, it’s for kids, so I won’t be too harsh on it. 

The character I always remember most strongly is the Winter Warlock. He’s honestly quite frightening in appearance, and the music is overbearing every time he appears. Kris gives him a toy train as a gift, which makes the Warlock into an ally. Kris himself is one of the main detractors for me. As a main character, he’s not that interesting. The side characters throughout are usually more amusing than he is; he always has that goofy look on his face, and is just so cheerful. Like, maybe too cheerful. 

The voice cast is talented, the stop motion is on-par with other Rankin/Bass Christmas shows, and it’s definitely packed full of Christmas spirit, but something about Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town hasn’t aged as well as some of the other Christmas specials of its time. Still, it’s worth watching at least once.