Friday, December 18, 2015

Merry Christmas from 1950 - a look back...

If you enjoyed yesterday's post - here is a perfect follow up.




Merry Christmas (1950) Short Film, Black and White.

 We begin with a visit to the North Pole and as the camera zooms in the icy window, we see a great looking Santa Claus and his elves in the workshop making toys. There we meet Santa and his three elves Peppy, Zippo and Click. Were these poor elves named after cigarette lighters? It's possible since everyone were chain-smokers in 1950. The elves work at making and playing with toys as Santa reads the letters he's received from children around the world. The antique toys are amazing and I want them all! Cut to Christmas Eve, Santa says goodbye to his helpers and lugs his bag of toys to set out.

The scene jump-cuts to a nuclear bomb prepared family -- daddy, mommy, teenage girl, little girl, little boy -- decorating their Christmas tree. Dad sits at a piano and his elder daughter begins to sing "Oh Come All Ye Faithful" then there's a jump-cut to what I assume is the Vienna Boys Choir singing the same song, then back to the nuclear family. Martha finishes the song and mom tells her it was lovely and they all head off to bed. Santa meanwhile is flying above the village in his sleigh.

Fabulous special effects here with Santa's flight. Cut to Lorna, a little girl who sneaks out of bed to replace her small christmas stocking with a huge one, then slips back to bed. Santa lands on the roof and pops down the chimney, empties out his bag, then pops back up the chimney. The young Lorna and her Brother hurry to collect their toys at dawn. It concludes with pleasant living christmas card imagery and good wishes. A great fire hazard style tree, the way it should be. Playing with the toys, train, doll and more. And Santa giving a final "Merry Christmas" in his sleigh. Produced by educational short subject company Sterling Films for grade-schools and the home-projection market.


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