Rankin/Bass Animagic Holiday Special

I reccommend this half hour television special that was released in 1975, from the Rankin/Bass Studio who specialized in stop-motion Animagic wonders. By the way, this should not be confused with the claymation special of the same name released more recently. The voices of Angela Lansbury and David Kelly are featured. This story is similar to The Little Drummer Boy in that it has a religeous or spiritual theme to it, and it helps teach kids about kindness, gratitude, sharing, and other positive values. Three diferent original songs are included.

The story is: A shepherd boy named Lukas is struck by lightning and blinded, then taken in by some nuns at an abbey during the holidays. They cannot care for him forever, and he cannot tend sheep anymore so he is to go to an orphanage. He has to rescue his sheep from some wolves after some other boys let them run away. The boy gets to play the Angel in a leve re-enaction of the Nativity. After a Christmas miracle his sight is regained.

While this never seems to be broadcast anymore, this is a nice film from the holiday entertainers of Rankin/Bass Studio. Their studio has brought us such memorable holiday classics such as Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer, Year without a Santa Claus, Nestor the Long-Eared Christmas Donkey, Mad Monster Party, The Little Drummer Boy, Frosty the Snowman, Santa Claus is Coming to Town, Mouse on the Mayflower, Here Comes Peter Cottontail, Cricket on the Hearth, the Stingiest Man in Town, Jack Frost, Pinnochio's Christmas, Rudolph's Shiny New Year, the First Easter Bunny. They also made non-holiday films such as the Hobbit, Flight of Dragons, the Last Unicorn. It is incredible that one company is responsible for all those TV specials, 95% of the ones we see every year. Their work includes standard animation, stop-motion animagic, and live action.

I hope this comes out on a restored DVD soon, I have bought all the other Rankin/Bass that have been released on DVD.

Possibly the best of the Rankin & Bass Christmas specials!

This movie has all the feel good aspects of other Christmas classics but not the fantasy. A person could almost believe it is a story that could have really taken place. This is some of Angela Lansbury's greatest work. It is often over looked when compared with other Christmas classics but more than worth watching.