Linbeymusol
Wonderful character development!
Lovesusti
The Worst Film Ever
ReaderKenka
Let's be realistic.
Janae Milner
Easily the biggest piece of Right wing non sense propaganda I ever saw.
angelafranklin-27341
This Christmas program is not going to please many people because it lacks a huge WOW FACTOR in terms of visuals. What it does so wonderfully is that it lets you use your imagination. Mabel Beaton uses puppets in this program to great effect. The story is pace beautifully. The film is made "WITH GREAT LOVE" which is apparent.The way this program was made and produced I am sure was the inspiration for the well know "Rankin-Bass" Christmas Specials. If you have kids watch this with them during the holidays. It may play on some PBS stations but it is however worth buying. Trust me it is GREAT.
buxom_blonde57
I grew up near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Each year from 1960 to 1968, I remember all of the elementary classes being herded to the movie room in the basement of the school and watching The Spirit of Christmas. The clatter of the reel to reel projector and the slightly skipping film didn't interfere with the entertainment set before us, We all sat there silent and wide eyed as the puppets paraded before us on the screen. Amazed as the marionettes moved so smoothly, as if they had a life of their own. I knew Christmas was fast approaching when we got to see these films. Memories I will never forget. I plan on buying a copy and even though half of my children are grown, we will all watch it together. And my 2 grand-kids can see though their eyes, what I saw, as a child.
picard47at
I remember seeing this show in the 1950's when I was a child in Lancaster Pennsylvania,brought to us by the "Bell Telephone Company."When my family moved to New Jersey in 1961 my beloved Christmas Show was not broadcast by New York stations.When I would visit friends in PA I would mention the show and anyone raised in PA remembered it,and hoped it would be available on tape or DVD,SO FAR NO LUCK!I mentioned it to a friend and he sent me a tape of "The Spirit of Christmas" and I was elated,it even included the commercials.Despite the grainy tape quality I was able to make a DVD.Hopefully it is made for wide release soon,it's a treasure.
Tom Holland
Growing up in Philadelphia in the '50s this was on TV every night for at least a week prior to Christmas. Somehow my sister and brothers and I never got tired of it. Even back then we could see that it was pretty primitive - you could almost see the hand making the camels 'walk' as they carried the Wise Men to Bethlehem. That was part of the charm, I think.For the longest time it disappeared from the screen, and as I married and had children of my own I regretted that they would not be able to see it and enjoy it as I had. Then somehow our local PBS affiliate got ahold of it and started playing it during pledge drives at Christmas and offering it as an incentive to contribute a donation. That's how I got my copy. My kids were all under ten at the time and I showed it to them. After viewing it a time or two they labeled it as old fashioned and weren't interested in seeing it after that. I was somewhat disappointed, but came to the conclusion that the MTV / Nintendo generation couldn't appreciate it for what it was.The funny thing is, last evening I was watching TV with my middle daughter - now 19 - and a notorious channel changer, and SHE had the remote. This usually means seeing maybe 5% of 20 programs instead of one whole one. Well, she switched and found The Spirit of Christmas during the Nativity segment, stopped, and we both watched it to the end - no interruptions! I didn't say anything to her about it, but it made me happy to think that maybe it reminded her of when SHE was little. I hope so.The last thing that gets me is the unnamed host of the show with his inch wide necktie and dark suit saying that this was a gift from 'your phone company'. Pray, whatever phone company is that? Have you seen anything from MCI, Sprint, or Verizon that doesn't have an underlying "buy from me" subliminal message? No? Didn't think so! Don't hold your breath! I should know - I work for one of these guys.
