Il Natale che quasi non fu

This Italian film, "Il Natale che quasi non fu" ("The Christmas That Almost Wasn't") isn't a very good movie. However, at least it's not at the bottom with such godawful films as "Magic Christmas Tree", "Santa and the Ice Cream Bunny" or "Santa Claus" (1959)! In its own way, it's not entirely terrible.

The film was made in Italy with mostly Italian actors and was directed by Rossano Brazzi and also stars Brazzi as the villain, Phineas T. Prune. Most of them are dubbed by American actors and they seem to have spoken their lines in English, as their lips are in sync with their voices. But only a few of them really are using their own voices, such as Brazzi and Paul Tripp.

The plot is pretty simple. Mr. Prune hates Christmas and has managed to buy the North Pole. He wants rent from Santa...and if St. Nick cannot pay, he wants all of Santa's toys. Why? Well, Prune hates children and wants to make them miserable. Can Santa and his friend, Mr. Whipple, manage to earn the money needed to keep Prune away and save Christmas? And, can they do this even with Prune and his evil butler doing their best to stop them?

While the film is in color and looks good, the story is strongly hindered by too many songs...and not very good ones at that. The story also isn't particularly good nor enjoyable.

Overall, this is the perfect film to show bad children as punishment for all their misdeeds. For the exceptionally bad kids, I'd recommend instead that they see the films in my first paragraph...those are best shown to especially evil children!

In all fairness this is your quintessential movie from the 60s. The plot is loose, the acting is dry, and the budget is low. However, I can see the charm it had in its time, especially to children. My first time seeing it was tonight with the Mystery Science Theatre however and that was absolutely more enjoyable than the original would have been.

I have wonderful memories of viewing this film. One of the staples of the Christmas season was the weekend matinées of "The Christmas That Almost Wasn't." I remember seeing it with my mother and brothers; I suspect I have the same nostalgia for it that Whittier expressed for his youth in "Snow-Bound." However, we have to be real: after a 35 year absence, I noticed the film in the TV listings and I practically forced my kids to watch it. It was only then I realized with some disappointment how...well...imperfect...the film was. Part of this was due to a rather awful print and the choppy way the station presented it (the startlingly touching finale involving Prune had been butchered out.) It is a part of our youth; it is probably best it remain there. I still love the film and my memories of the time in which it appeared and the big deal we made out of it; sadly, it just doesn't translate today.

Santa Claus is about to be evicted by his landlord (played by an uncredited Rossanno Brazzi), but his lawyer, Paul Tripp, negotiates a deal to either pay his rent or stop giving presents to children.

I don't know when the 'Christmas is cancelled!' trope originated (TVtropes has a new format that makes it impossible for me to use that once-valuable resource), but this weird little movie, directed and written by Brazzi, is an early example. It's also a bit creepy. Its erratic pacing and clearly stagebound set gives it a Caligariesque feel, and bits that seem intended to be gags, like a bunch of little people walking under chief Elf Mischa Auer's crotch, seem bizarre.

For those who love this film, it's now available on DVD, which I just got through watching. I guess I discovered it much too late in life. The review accessible via the "external reviews" link here pretty much sums it up for me. I found Alberto Rabagliati to be a rather drab and depressive, even depressing, Santa, and in 1966 veteran character actor Mischa Auer was as frightening to behold as the Crypt Keeper himself. Also, Paul Tripp's portrayal of the lawyer Mr. Whipple reminded me that I never wanted to see another singing attorney since the cancellation of "Cop Rock."

Oh well, maybe I shouldn't sneer at this film. I did appreciate it as an interesting relic of the 60s, and I can see it's well-loved by people on whom it was imprinted when they were young. After all, that's the very reason I still get misty over "Mister Magoo's Christmas Carol." Merry Christmas!