Alpha-Film (II), Lanterna Magica, Monipoly Productions,
Mary Tyler Moore, Tony Randall, Sonja Ball, Thor Bishopric, Michael Caloz, Mark Camacho, Maggie Castle, Lella Costa, Bruce Dinsmore, Richard Dumont
This charming animated adventure introduces the idea that Santa can’t do all the work of delivering all those toys in one night, so he recruits helpers to assist. Granny Rose (Mary Tyler Moore) is one such helper, but this year she’s feeling ill, so she enlists Mr. Grimm (Tony Randall) to take her place. But Mr. Grimm has an ulterior motive. He’s a stingy old man who believes that toys should belong only to those who can pay for them, and only for the children of rich people who can afford them. When they toys find out, they determine that he’s very wrong, and they put together a plan to find a way to deliver themselves to the children who need them. The adventure starts as the toys set out to find the right place for each of them, but they have to avoid Mr. Grimm.
This is a very cute little animated film with a very cute little story that kids will love. It’s a shame this one is not better known, as it’s a very well done story. It is a foreign film with English dubbed soundtrack, so some of it is a bit weird by American Christmas story standards. The idea of a Santa’s helper witch flying around on a broom delivering presents is a bit strange, but the whole thing is really cute. The challenge of the toys to find the right place where they are needed is really touching. The animation is very TV like, but it’s all in the story. It will remind you of the “misfit toys” from the island of misfit toys in the Rudolph story, and perhaps a little like the Toy Story films. This is a movie the family is sure to enjoy, especially the little ones. A bit on the unusual side, it’s a little known Christmas gem and one that’s well worth checking out. I caught it on NetFlix, but it’s around all over the place if you look for it. I recommend you check this out if you haven’t seen it before.
EdG – EdsReview Dot Com – A Movie Review Blog
** How the Toys Saved Christmas,
