The Christmas Visitor

The Christmas Visitor (1959)

** 1/2 (out of 4)

This animated short starts off with a reading of 'Twas The Night Before Christmas and then we see Santa as he goes to deliver a few gifts. Overall this is a decent short to watch around Christmas time but there's still a good reason why it's not considered a classic or a film that is better known. I think those people who enjoy going through as many Christmas shorts as they can are going to be the main audience for this thing as it certainly has some mild charm but little else. I think the biggest problem with the picture is that none of the actual action is all that entertaining. I will say that the reading of the poem is quite good but outside of this there's just not much going on. The animation is decent at best and none of the characters are all that memorable. Seeing Santa smoking is certainly something that wouldn't go over well today but it makes for a quick laugh.

. . . English cuisine: Crude, bland, unappetizing and boring. America was forced to secede from King George the Third because that so-called monarch had less brain power than a typical butterfly. The latter creatures are known to navigate thousands of miles, on journeys lasting several generations. George III, on the other hand, was hard put to find his royal chamber pot. The crew behind THE CHRISTMAS VISITOR probably could not find the porcelain throne to save their lives, either. Imagine trying to foist off on impressionable tykes a cigar-chomping Santa Hell-bent upon adorning strangers' Yule trees with toxic smoke rings! Yuk!!

Just found on YouTube this British Christmas cartoon produced by John Halas and Joy Batchelor. They also wrote this with Halas directing. We hear the beginning narration of "Twas the Night Before Christmas" up to the reindeer names before Santa goes down the chimney and eats the food left for him while the toys comes to life while he's not watching. Among them are a sailor, a female doll dressed in Victorian dress, and a "Snidley Whiplash" Jack-in-the-box villain. There's also some toy wooden soldiers who help along in defeating Jack. Halas is quite creative in getting the sailor come to save his love who's tied on the railroad tracks. And wait till you hear some of the changed words in the final verses of the famous poem. So for all that, I highly recommend The Christmas Visitor.

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This cartoon is fun. Santa Claus brings the toys but some of them are very bad. All the fun begins when Santa is at a house eating the gifted cookies. When the toys get out of line of site the toys start behaving badly.

Again this cartoon is fun. It has some very clever moments. You can stream for free

Everyone should love this. Family safe

'The Christmas Visitor' may not be one of my favourite Christmas cartoons, speaking as someone who has been a lifelong fan of animation and who has always loved Christmas, but it is still a lovely cartoon and well worth tracking down (which you can, on Youtube).

It's only real fault really, and this is more personal preference rather than objective criticism, is that the story is one that has been seen many times in cartoons and not an awful lot new is done with it, so the toys' antics are not that surprising. It also maybe takes a touch too long to set up, albeit it is still set up absolutely beautifully, finding more energy when the toys come to life.

On the other hand, the animation is very nice and often beautiful. It's rich, vibrant and colourful in colour, the backgrounds while not rich in detail is hardly sparse or simplistic either and while the character designs are somewhat "abstract" they have an appealing charm, not a hint of ugliness at all. Some of the visuals once the toys come to life are very creative as well. The music sparkles with festive spirit, and while it has a lot of wit and character it mostly has a most elegant lushness and used appropriately understatedly.

'The Christmas Visitor's' narration, which is basically a recitation of the famous "Twas the Night Before Christmas" poem brought a real smile to my face remembering all the times of reading it (privately and aloud) as a child, and the twist on the final verse evoked a good chuckle. It is narrated with calming sincerity as well. The story, despite it being very standard, is also very charming and entertaining and the inventive visuals help to make the action engaging, which it certainly does in the quite exciting rescue. The characters are similarly sweet and engaging.

Santa is suitably jovial, the sailor and the shepherdess are attractive and not too pallid and Black-jack the Snidley Whiplash-like Jack-in-the-box villain is deliciously smarmy and perhaps the most colourful personality of the toys. The voice work for the narrator and Santa is solid.

In conclusion, very nicely animated, fun and charming. 9/10 Bethany Cox