After a rude letter in the paper angers Santa Claus, a clockmaker (voice: Joel Grey) suggests to the mayor (voice: John McGiver) and town council that they build a giant clock in honor of Santa. Meanwhile a father mouse (voice: George Gobel) attempts to find out who wrote the letter. 22 min.
Tripe for uneducated children, ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas is another dose of unwatchable gibberish from producers Jules Bass and Arthur Rankin Jr. Already responsible for Frosty the Snowman, I’d have thought the duo would have the good graces to hide away from society, perhaps in some fanatical monastery, and carry out a daily ritual of self flagellation until that sin had been worked off by suffering.
Sadly, they didn’t.
Instead they made ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas, with simple, unattractive animation and a ludicrous script (Santa’s mad so the town decides to construct a giant clock… A giant clock! Wouldn’t an apology be a better plan?). Added to the unimpressive dialog are bland, poorly performed songs (Even a Miracle Needs a Hand was put to more suitable use and actually sounded better in South Park: A Very Crappy Christmas.) To top it off, this entertainment for the young has a strong anti-intellectual, anti-education bent. Thinking and reading are the flaws that cause all the problems. Swell. There’s a message we need to get out to the kids.