The Captain's Christmas

The family is celebrating Christmas in their cozy home. The Captain is playing Santa. While he's trying to pull the cow and sleigh up the roof to play the part, John Silver and his gang stick him up. John Silver ends up on the roof dressed as Santa Claus. He falls down the chimney and loses his memory. He thinks that he is the real Santa Claus.

Bah humbug. I don't know why the Rate is so low for this "The Captain and the Kids" cartoon. This is the 12th of 15 cartoons before the series was canceled. It's never been my favorite franchise. I don't really like the Captain or his family. This one has to be one of the best of the series. It's chaotic. It's fun. It's mostly John Silver going out of his mind. The Christmas spirit turns him to the good side. It doesn't get more Christmas. On the technical side, the colors look bright. The motions are smooth. There is a lot going on and it all looks good. People need more of the Christmas spirit.

This is just about the only genuinely funny Captain and the Kids cartoon they made. A few were reasonably good, if not terribly memorable. But this one deserves to be seen and remembered. I suspect that the fact that, despite the title, The Captain makes but a cameo appearance has something to do with its success. The focus here is on the pirate John, a much more interesting character. John's attempts to make amends for his thoughtless actions are the bulk of the cartoon. The caroling scene is beautiful!!! Suffice it to say that I've never quite heard "Hang Up the Holly in the Window" in the same way before and it will always remind me of this cartoon whenever I hear it in the future! Painful, but effective! Well worth tracking down. Most recommended.

Love animation, it was a big part of my life as a child, particularly Disney, Looney Tunes and Tom and Jerry, and still love it whether it's film, television or cartoons. Actually appreciate it even more through young adults eyes, due to having more knowledge of it, various animation styles, studios, directors and how it all works.

'The Captain's Christmas' is not one of Friz Freleng's best cartoons by any stretch, in an uneven "still evolving" period of his long career, and he was yet to be in his full prime and not yet found his style properly. For a relatively early effort, 'The Captain's Christmas', one of a short-lived series of cartoons and easily the best of them, is well above average but not great or a Freleng classic. He would do much better later when there would be more freshness and wit, more laugh a minute material, an even livelier pace and more confidence.

It is fairly predictable story-wise and the Captain could have had more to. do

However, the titular character and especially John are fun characters and the chemistry between the characters elevates 'The Captain's Christmas'. John is in it more and he is more interesting and funnier.

The cartoon is very amusing, actually hilarious in particularly the final carolling scene, and it goes at a lively and energetic pace. It is a Christmas cartoon but it never gets too sappy.. The dialogue is witty and clever.

Animation is excellent, it's fluid in movement, crisp in shading and very meticulous in detail. It's also pretty witty. The music is lovely on the ears, lushly orchestrated, full of lively energy and characterful in rhythm, adding to the action and even enhancing.

Voice acting from Mel Blanc and Billy Bletcher, Blanc especially with more to do, is terrific and full of character.

Although, above average and hugely entertaining but nothing mind-blowing. 7/10 Bethany Cox

Mama, Hans, and Fritz are decorating the hearth with stockings, and the Captain is heading in on a sleigh, dressed as Santa Claus. But John Silver sees no reason why he shouldn't get all the goodies, at least until he falls down the chimney, bumps his head, and thinks he is Santa Claus.

Fred Quimby had a good thing going in this series, with Joe Barbera writing, and Friz Freleng directing. Unfortunately, this was not the sort of cartoon Freleng wanted to make, especially when the contract with Rudolph Dirks meant he got all the credit, and Quimby was not interested in cartoons, and allowed Dirks to interfere. So Freleng would soon head back to Leon Schlesinger, who also wasn't interested in cartoons, but had no problem with giving credit to his artists rather than paying them more money.

Long John Silver and his henchmen, the Herring Boys, dress up as St. Nick and ruin Christmas Eve for the Captain and the Kids. John feels an unusual sting of remorse and is briefly haunted by a vision of himself as a child. (He looks a lot like Buster Brown!!) Lively and amusing, even though the kids aren't allowed to be their traditionally diabolical selves. Silver's unorthodox method of fund-raising is a highlight. I'm not sure who to credit for this since Graham Webb's "Animated Film Encyclopedia" lists Milt Gross as the director, while other sources give the honors to Friz Freleng.