The Spirit of Christmas (1950)

The Spirit of Christmas is a fairly well-done (for its day) marionette production from 1950 -- so it predates everything in the last decade by a good 50 years. That means nothing to nostalgics, of course, and I believe this show was traditional viewing on the east coast through the '50s and '60s. I liked this 27-minute show just fine -- the marionettes are artfully handled for the most part. (St. Nick's sleigh jigs and jogs quite a bit in the first half's presentation of Clement Moore's 'Twas the Night Before Christmas but the shepherds and three wise men seem especially expressive in the second half's presentation of the Nativity of Christ. Their faces and costumes are impressive, actually!) There's no Tim Allen in a fat suit, of course, or Dick Van Dyke as a stopmotion postman -- those shows are more modern and better produced -- but what's wrong with doing it (and watching it) old school? I'm not saying anyone or their kids will prefer this program to a given Rankin Bass Christmas special -- but as a slightly more rustic production than hard-to-find Nestor the Long-Eared Donkey, this one can be a pleasant viewing experience. It's peaceful, respectful, and reverent -- even the "advertising" consists only of a logo and captions that read "Your telephone company" with a corporate spokesman introducing and closing the show against a backdrop of telephone operators (with black headsets and patch panels such as accompanied Lily Tomlin's Ernestine with her "one ringy-dingy" 20 years later). Conservative families will love this shot from the '50s as will anyone who wants their kids to see what TV was like in its infancy. And I, for one, believe you can't argue with tradition. Keep it alive! IW. 3 stars.