Mouse on the Mayflower

I was looking for other good Thanksgiving specials to make favorites. I came across this one from none other than Rankin/Bass. I manage to order a copy (on VHS, that is), and after I've watched it, I know it is another must-see and favorite from Rankin/Bass.

There is not much to tell about the story except that it is the story of the Mayflower voyage from the point of view of a church mouse, Willum. I love that there are traces of Longfellow's "The Courtship of Miles Standish"; that's one of my favorite poems. Another thing I love about this special is that one of my favorite anime studios, Toei Animation, helped out with the animation. Believe it or not, the key animation was done by the great Hayao Miyazaki, who started out at Toei; I looked it up on Wikipedia.

So overall, "Mouse on the Mayflower" is another Thanksgiving favorite and must-see for other Rankin/Bass fans.

I am fortunate to have this movie on a 16mm print in good condition. i play it every year. Last time was yesterday.

A movie I am beginning to like, The Mouse In The Mayflower is a lost gem. Made by Rankin/Bass, the same company behind the timeless Christmas Specials (as well as TV shows like Thundercats and Silverhawks), this special has William The Churchmouse (voiced by singer and television host Tennessee Ernie Ford) narrating the story of the Mayflower's trip and the first Thanksgiving, as recorded by his ancestor, Willum.

While historical accuracy can be questionable, one can agree this was made for kids. In the same style as Rankin/Bass's Christmas specials, it has a lot of humor and a good selection of songs. Plus, other than Tennessee, the special has voice acting legends like Eddie Albert. Paul Frees, and June Foray. This is one Thanksgiving special to show the kids if you can find it.

We recorded the Mouse on the Mayflower in the 80's and have watched it almost every Thanksgiving since. It is very informative and entertaining. It is a good was to teach children the Thanksgiving story. In my opinion it was a great film, I recommend it to families with small children, and grandparents to show to their grandchildren.

I really enjoyed this movie. As a child I looked forward to the Thanksgiving holiday when this movie would be played on t.v. We had it on tape at one point, but over the years the tape has been lost. I haven't seen it for quite some time and would love to see it on t.v. again. It had a lot of really great information on how the holiday came to be. I would recommend this movie to all those interested in animated shows as well as anyone who would like to watch a great movie on Thanksgiving. I hope they will start playing this show on t.v. again. Every kid should get the chance to watch a fun spirited cartoon on our history.