As a child--a "baby boomer"--coming up in Chicago in the 1950s and '60s, some local TV stations took great pride in presenting wholesome, meaningful entertainment.
"Suzy Snowflake" is a vestige of that era and of those times, when the world was not such a cold place because of the warmth and caring of the times. This stop-action animated short clearly was not "made for television", but most likely was made as a trailer to be shown in movie theaters during the yuletide season. It is credited to "Centaur Productions". Where they were--and who--merits research, but I suspect it was possibly made in NYC.
The Singers on this very, very short "3 minute drill" were--to my ear--The Norman Luboff Choir, one of the premier studio groups of that day. On records, they backed everyone from Sinatra to Belafonte. Here they give a lilting, haunting "A Capella" performance that instantly brings to mind all of the elements of Christmases of days gone by; home and hearth, family and friends, good times and pleasant memories.
There were a number of shorts such as this that were typical Christmas season fare...two others stand out as worthwhile watches... "Frosty The Snowman", a product of UPA studios and also made for theatrical release, featured a hip,"Be-Boppish" performance--also A Capella-- by the 'Starlighters'--who were then very busy west coast studio singers, and who were mainstays of the "Chesterfield Supper Club" radio program with Jo Stafford and Paul Weston... and then, possibly the most popular of the three, "Hardrock & Coco & Joe". This one ,too, might have featured the Luboff singers and was a "Centaur Production".
My personal favorite was "Frosty", but the women and girls may over-rule us guys in favor of the gentle qualities of "Suzy Snowflake". This is a part of TV and the past that never should have changed, and these should be staples on some TV station somewhere every Christmas.
"Suzy Snowflake" is a vestige of that era and of those times, when the world was not such a cold place because of the warmth and caring of the times. This stop-action animated short clearly was not "made for television", but most likely was made as a trailer to be shown in movie theaters during the yuletide season. It is credited to "Centaur Productions". Where they were--and who--merits research, but I suspect it was possibly made in NYC.
The Singers on this very, very short "3 minute drill" were--to my ear--The Norman Luboff Choir, one of the premier studio groups of that day. On records, they backed everyone from Sinatra to Belafonte. Here they give a lilting, haunting "A Capella" performance that instantly brings to mind all of the elements of Christmases of days gone by; home and hearth, family and friends, good times and pleasant memories.
There were a number of shorts such as this that were typical Christmas season fare...two others stand out as worthwhile watches... "Frosty The Snowman", a product of UPA studios and also made for theatrical release, featured a hip,"Be-Boppish" performance--also A Capella-- by the 'Starlighters'--who were then very busy west coast studio singers, and who were mainstays of the "Chesterfield Supper Club" radio program with Jo Stafford and Paul Weston... and then, possibly the most popular of the three, "Hardrock & Coco & Joe". This one ,too, might have featured the Luboff singers and was a "Centaur Production".
My personal favorite was "Frosty", but the women and girls may over-rule us guys in favor of the gentle qualities of "Suzy Snowflake". This is a part of TV and the past that never should have changed, and these should be staples on some TV station somewhere every Christmas.