Mailman Special Delivery Kluger (Fred Astaire) introduces the tale of Santa Claus. In the sad city of Sombertown ruled by the grumpy Burgermeister Meisterburger (Paul Frees), a baby named "Claus" is left to him to raise but he sends him to the Orphan Asylum. While transporting there, a wind blows the sled with the baby to the mountain of Whispering Winds. The forest creatures hide him from the Winter Warlock (Keenan Wynn) and bring him to the Kringle elf family. They name him Kris. He wants the Kringles to be the royal toy makers again but they can't get pass the Winter Warlock to bring the toys to Sombertown.The stop-motion animation is elementary which gives it a childish charm. They're almost like little toy figurines. Even the age adds to its charm. The story is a little weird but it's a good Santa Claus origin story. I'm not that impressed with most of the songs with the exception of the title song "Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town". It is one of the classic Christmas TV specials and it still holds up.

i think it's part the undeveloped infant in me and part a true appreciation for puppetry and animation that makes me so fond of the Television shows from Rankin/Bass.stop motion animation has been defined as a art form by Tim Burton, Henry Selick, and Wes Anderson, and their films are definitely the top of the form. but it is these original stop motion classics by Rankin/Bass that were the first and defined the craft. and when you watch them today in comparison with the new stop motion, they hold up surprisingly well. and it's somehow even more amazing when you realize how low the budgets were compared with the lavish budgets of 'Nightmare Before Christmas' and 'Fantastic Mr. Fox'.to this day Rankin/Bass remains as some of the cutest and most darling stuff the media in America has ever produced. i could hardly imagine the holidays without their festive charm.

Well you better not pout or cry cause Santa Claus is coming to town...This animated classic that chronicles the birth and life of Santa Claus as he fights conformity in order to deliver toys to the children of the world. So will Santa overcome the dreaded Burgermiester or the Evil Warlock? Well now you should check it out.This movie is really corny and the voice acting is pretty bad but at the same time this movie actually has a plot to it and entertaining sing along songs for the children. As movies go this belongs as a Christmas classic and therefore though my least favorite of the classic animated films I have to give it props and it is a million times the quality of some of the ones I've viewed. So if you have a family to watch this with you should definitely enjoy this film.

Enjoyable holiday special from Rankin/Bass that was out of the public eye for a decade or so. ABC and ABC family run this on a continual basis throughout the holiday season. However, The Family Channel cuts Jessica's song "My World is Beginning Today" and Kris' song "If You Sit on My Lap Today." Also, when Kris and Jessica get married in the forest, that song is edited as well. Buy the DVD version which has restored all the songs in its glory. It has to been seen and appreciated for the time it was made (1970)and hopefully children of a new generation will find it amusing. I remember a long time ago that kids would leave the theater when a song came on to grab some popcorn. Truly sad.