This is a type of TV show that was fairly common and generally liked by audiences in the 1950s and 1960s. A popular entertainer would host a special program that would include a number of performers. They might sing, dance, and act out short skits. Occasionally, someone would host a show with an animated story in which he or she and other performers would be the voices.
"Cricket on the Hearth" is such a film. What makes this somewhat special is that it is based on a children's fairy tale written by Charles Dickens. Dickens wrote "The Cricket on the Hearth" and it was first published Dec. 20, 1845. It was one of more than two-dozen Christmas stories he wrote.
The story is pleasant but not as engaging as are most Christmas tales. Danny Thomas hosts the show and produced it. He and daughter Margo are voices and sing a couple songs. Other characters are voiced by Hans Conreid, Ed Ames, and Roddy McDowell. The role of the cricket isn't very substantial except that he appears as the narrator within the animated story.
Young audiences of the 1960s generally enjoyed this and similar films and programs. Modern audiences decades later have much more variety at hand for entertainment, so even young ones might find this too slow or boring.
