For those who took courses in music appreciation, put that knowledge behind you if you watch this 1960's children's classic for holiday joy. Poot Santa Claus (Alberto Rabagliati) is forced to sing in a tone so low that even his ho ho ho would seem off key. It's obvious got this was rushed out for children the Saturday matinees, and it does not stand the test of time unless it has crawled into your memory and not been able to be erased.
This was a first time viewing for me, and what results is a juvenile attempt at musical melodrama that has a mustached villain (Rossano Brazzi) demanding that Santa no longer deliver toys because of his lifelong hatred of children.
It is very obvious to me that little time was taken in creating presentable story, even though it does have an interesting art and set decoration. All of the performances are completely overplayed, with the villains so clearly one-dimensional that obvious that they will be laughed at more than feared. Brazzi is a poor combination of Barnaby in "Babes in Toyland" and the child catcher in "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang", a Scrooge rip-off that even Ebeneezer would say humbug to. He's closer to Snidely Whiplash and Dick Dastardly than any of the characters I mention above.
Then there's the songs, starting off with a title song so bad that it distracts from the clever drawings over the opening credits. Throughout the film, play began to dread every time a character would think, because it seemed like the music was nothing but ghastly scales and no real rhythm, and lyrics that really have no rhymes. At least the musicians are on key. I am not surprised to learn that Mystery Science Theater had this as one of their targets, because to try to find something decent to say about it really beguiles me. Well, other than the yard Direction, the costumes. But who goes out of a theater humming what the characters are wearing?
This was a first time viewing for me, and what results is a juvenile attempt at musical melodrama that has a mustached villain (Rossano Brazzi) demanding that Santa no longer deliver toys because of his lifelong hatred of children.
It is very obvious to me that little time was taken in creating presentable story, even though it does have an interesting art and set decoration. All of the performances are completely overplayed, with the villains so clearly one-dimensional that obvious that they will be laughed at more than feared. Brazzi is a poor combination of Barnaby in "Babes in Toyland" and the child catcher in "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang", a Scrooge rip-off that even Ebeneezer would say humbug to. He's closer to Snidely Whiplash and Dick Dastardly than any of the characters I mention above.
Then there's the songs, starting off with a title song so bad that it distracts from the clever drawings over the opening credits. Throughout the film, play began to dread every time a character would think, because it seemed like the music was nothing but ghastly scales and no real rhythm, and lyrics that really have no rhymes. At least the musicians are on key. I am not surprised to learn that Mystery Science Theater had this as one of their targets, because to try to find something decent to say about it really beguiles me. Well, other than the yard Direction, the costumes. But who goes out of a theater humming what the characters are wearing?