A research blog on the history of radio, film, television and classroom media geared towards children and young audiences through most of the 20th century.
Castle Films released two dozen live action and animated Christmas shorts to the home movie market from 1939 to 1959. This video combines four of those classic films.
The First Christmas (1957) - The Nativity enacted by puppets.
Merry Christmas
The Night Before Christmas (1945)
The Little Match Girl (1954), was originally a French short film from 1952. The child actress playing the lead role is unknown.
TV listing from the Brooklyn Daily Eagle, December 23, 1939 about the Cinderella broadcast for Christmas Eve.
Cinderella "A Christmas pantomime"
W2XBS (now WNBC New York). 8:30pm EST
Cast: Ireene Wicker and "Jolly Bill" Steinke
Play or script(?): Madge Tucker
Publicity photo of Ireene Wicker. From Wikimedia Commons
Very little is known about this early broadcast of the famous fairy tale from 80 years ago. Ireene Wicker was radio's famous "Singing Lady" and Bill Steinke was the long-time host of the popular children's radio program "Jolly Bill and Jane". Madge Tucker who was credited as the writer was NBC's famous "Lady Next Door" and like Wicker a household name as a quality entertainer of children.
Along with Cinderella, Ireene Wicker has a number of forgotten landmark early Christmas specials. She would return to television nearly a decade later in 1947 to narrate "Santa and the Angel", and again in 1949 for the A&S Christmas Party.
Like most early television broadcasts, "Cinderella" was most likely never recorded in any format, but hopefully a script or behind the scenes images may still exist.
Newspaper Ad from the New York Daily News, December 23, 1949
A&S Gala Christmas Day Television Party
December 25, 1949
WNBT New York, 3:00pm EST
The "A&S Gala Christmas Day Television Party" was one of television's first big Christmas spectaculars, with two hours of broadcast time. The program reportedly featured "20 stupendous acts" which included most prominent children's entertainers like Clarabell the Clown from "Howdy Doody", Irene Wicker "The Singing Lady" of radio and TV fame, Paul Winchell and his dummy Jerry Mahoney. The line-up also included Popeye and Olive Oyl, but it is not clear if they were featured as broadcast cartoons or live performer portraying them. A large ad for the special appearing in local papers claimed that the special would feature the debut of Woody Woodpecker & Andy Panda cartoons in New York. Of course Mr. and Mrs. Santa Claus were also part of the broadcast.
A&S was Abraham & Straus, was a long running department store company that later became a part of Macy's.
It is not clear if this gala was broadcast to a national audience.
Like most broadcast from 1949, the A&S Christmas special was most likely never recorded, or kinescope were destroyed and are long since lost.
Santa and the Fairy Snow Queen was a famous (infamous?) live action short made for children that has been seen for decades on home media, television and now YouTube. A production of Sid Davis, famous for decades of classroom films, more information is still needed about this film. For now here are 5 facts, not generally known about this short.
1) It is based on a Christmas play.
The short film is based on a play by Robert Niel Porter, who also arranged the choreography. It is unknown to this writer how close the original play was to Sid Davis's film production. Porter's play was enacted in Los Angeles, California area as early as December 1948, and given a copyright date of 1949.
2) The film was made in 1950, not 1951.
Santa and the Fairy Snow Queen was announced as part of a package of newly completed films in the fall of 1950. It was promoted for a Hollywood, California area PTA gathering in December of 1950. However the widely used copyright date is 1951.
Snippet from the Birmingham News, December 24, 1951.
"Santa and the Fairy Snow Queen" is listed for a 12:30pm broadcast.
3) It was a TV special as early as 1951. Listings for this film a TV Christmas special have been found in an number of TV markets during December 1951. These stations include WBRC-TV Birmingham and WATV New York.
Rochelle "Rocky" Stanton as "Snoopy"
4) Rochelle Stanton "Snoopy" was a stage & TV actress and visual artist. Rochelle Stanton was born in 1925 in Los Angeles, but grew up in Phoenix, Arizona. She was listed in stage and TV roles in the Los Angeles area as early as 1948 including a short lived sitcom. Often billed as "Rocky" Stanton she appeared in episodes of the "Gene Autry Show" and the "Roy Rogers Show". After she married Rochelle became "Rocky Stanton Rau", a Los Angeles kids TV host and visual artist. She passed away in 2003.
A November 1950 newspaper ad for "John Wayne Productions" with "Santa and the Fairy Snow Queen" on the list.
5) John Wayne was a producer. Yes, that John Wayne!
In fact, Sid Davis (at 6 feet, 4 inches) was Wayne's double before producing educational films. "Santa and the Fairy Snow Queen" is listed in 1950 newspapers press ads as a new "John Wayne Production".
Illustration frame from "Santa and the Angel", the lost Christmas special that aired December 24, 1947.
From the cover of Radio Daily, December 24, 1947. Image scan from americanradiohistory.com
Santa and the Angel [Santa and the Little Angel]
Based on a story by Oskar Lebeck
Cast: Ireene Wicker (narrator)
Premiered: Wednesday, December 24, 1947, WCBS-TV New York. Repeated Dec. 25, 1947.
Gingerbread Man
Telecomics Inc, produced Christmas special
Premiered: Sunday, December 21, 1947, WCBS-TV New York
Newspaper Ad for the premieres of "Gingerbread Man" and "Santa and the Angel" produced by Telecomics, Inc.
From the Brooklyn Daily Eagle, Saturday, December 20, 1947.
For full page view go to - https://bklyn.newspapers.com/image/52874851/
The "Gingerbread Man" and "Santa and the Angel" were a pair of "Telecomics" TV specials from the earliest days of network television. In one since of the term "cartoon", they may have been TV's first animated Christmas specials.
Newspaper ad for the premiere of "Santa and the Angel", Brooklyn Daily Eagle, Wednesday, December 24, 1947. Note that this feature was produced by "Telecomics, Inc." With Stephen Slesinger as president.
For full page view - https://bklyn.newspapers.com/image/52877207/
Telecomics were literally illustrated comic strip stories for television with very, very, limited camera movement. This was pioneered by former Disney animators Dick Moores and Jack Boyd, and media legend Stephen Slesinger who demonstrated this process as early as 1944. Moores and Boyd had a syndicated Telecomics series in 1949. The NBC Telecomics series from 1950 was the most successful example of this storytelling method. Please view this 1950 NBC Telecomics episode of "Speed Barton" a sci-fi serial, posted below for an idea of what the 1947 special may have been like.
While a few examples of that series have survived, both "Gingerbread Man" and "Santa and the Angel" are forgotten Telecomics. They aired on WCBS-TV in New York and could be view by TV audiences in Chicago and Washington, D.C. Both specials were promoted in New York area newspapers as a "Television Christmas Fantasy".
No detailed information could be found for the Gingerbread Man special. "Santa and the Angel" was based on a children's story by Oskar Lebeck and was narrated by Ireene Wicker (1905-1987) radio's famous "Singing Lady" [Yes, her first name was spelled with 3 "e"s]. Wicker was already a veteran in hosting TV Christmas specials, which I will detail in another "Lost Christmas Special" article. Oscar Lebeck (1903-1966) was the author of numerous children's stories, some published by Dell Comics of which he was a co-founder. "Santa and the Angel" was published as a one-shot comic by Dell in 1950, and this comic book is in the public domain.
As a common practice of the time these TV specials were most likely never recorded and if they were the films are long lost. Hopefully some film elements, illustrations, behind the scenes photos, or a script of the "Gingerbread Man" and "Santa and the Angel" specials will resurface someday. If you were part of that rare 1947 TV audience and can recall this special, or have any information about these specials please write to archivebuilder@gmail.com.
BONUS: Ireene Wicker narrated many Christmas albums and a few films for children. Please checkout these videos from the Children's Media Archive channel for her legendary voice talent.
Ireene Wicker narrates "Madeline's Christmas" for Science Pictures c. 1956
Ireene Wicker tells Dicken's "A Christmas Carol" ...in 3 minutes!
Christmas Day 1932 movie matinee newspaper ad for "Little Orphan Annie" starring Mitzi Green.
Little Orphan Annie
Released November 4, 1932 by RKO Pictures.
With Mitzi Green (as Annie), Buster Phelps, Matt Moore, Edgar Kennedy (as Daddy Warbucks), and May Robeson
Based on "Little Orphan Annie" comic strip by Harold Gray.
From 1932, "Little Orphan Annie" the first big screen adaptation of Harold Gray's little comic strip heroine, isn't "lost" in a traditional sense. A print of this RKO Radio Studios release exists in the UCLA Film and Television Archives. It was released on Betamax and VHS as early as 1983 by Blackhawk Films, again by Critic's Choice Video in 1996, and a few other possibly unauthorized releases on DVD. It has however, never had an official home video release from a clean restored print, and can only be seen today by rare copies of those 1980s and 1990s VHS releases or a random website that may upload it, usually in poor quality. Asides from a few broadcasts on local stations in California in the early 1990s, "Annie" has never been featured on a classic movie channel.
Contemporary reviews were mixed, favoring "Little Orphan Annie" as a good film for children. In my one viewing of the complete film, I found it to be enjoyable. Mitzi Green (1920-1969), a versatile child actress was well cast as Annie. Green was 12 at the time, although she appeared to be a little older, and the comic character was supposed to 10. Her natural Bronx accent added a nice touch for Harold Gray's street tough orphan. The plot mostly concerned Annie's efforts to help a help little orphan boy (Buster Phelps) while Daddy Warbucks (comedian Edgar Kennedy, who should have had more scenes) is away seeking work.
What makes the film a Christmas flick is the ending, (which I will completely not spoil), that takes place at a Christmas party and the film's release timing. "Annie" was made available to theaters in November just before the holidays and was viewed as appropriate for children. Also there was the crossover appeal of the famous "Little Orphan Annie" radio program on the air at that time. Many movie theater owners took advantage of all this by promoting special Christmas Day screenings of "Annie". Marquee billings and other promotions for those Christmas matiness can easily be found in newspaper databases.
It is hoped that one day a restored version of this film could be re-released on blu-ray or streaming media. When and if that happens, "Little Orphan Annie" could take it's place as a 1930s family classic for the Christmas season along with "Babes In Toyland" (1934), "Scrooge" (1935), and many other films.
"Island of Lost Christmas Specials"
"Island of Lost Christmas Specials", a mythical place where many film reels and audio recordings could be found.
Newspaper ad for "Babes In Toyland " [March of the Wooden Soldiers] on KSL-TV Salt Lake City, Utah. for December 1952. This was one of several stations to present this Christmas classic on television that year.
After 85 years, the fantasy classic Babes In Toyland (1934) starring the comedy team of Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy still commands a viewing audience (especially in New York) every Thanksgiving and Christmas. Other than Shirley Temple films it is perhaps to only sound film older than Disney's "Snow White" that is still recommended for children and families.
Babes In Toyland received great reviews after it's November 1934 release and was praised as the film that was “Okay for All -- From Six To Sixty”. Like The Wizard of Oz, it really became even more of a praised classic of childhood after annual showings on television. This articles attempts to shed light on how this classic, also known as "March of the Wooden Soldiers" began on TV.
In 1949, 15 years after it's initial release, Babes In Toyland was re-released under the new title "March of The Wooden Soldiers". The film would show up repeatedly at matinees (not just at Christmas time) around the country over the next 3 years.
It was announced in the October 13, 1952 edition of Broadcasting Telecasting magazine that a company called "Peerless Television Production, Inc" had sold "March of the Wooden Soldiers" to at least 11 television market cities. These markets included Atlanta, Chicago, and Milwaukee. A week later this press release was shortened to say that it was being offered on an “exclusive” basis to select markets for Thanksgiving and Christmas. "Wooden Soldiers" was one of 26 features films made available to the television market that fall winter season. In fall/winter of 1952, the film was still available in some areas at the local movies theaters, so some audiences may have seen it both in a Christmas matinee or on television within a few months.
Newspaper ad for "Babes In Toyland" [March of the Wooden Soldiers] airing on WXYZ-TV from the Detroit Free Press, November 27, 1952. Detroit was one of several cities where this film became established as a Thanksgiving tradition.
The exact number of stations that played this film that year would take a while to count, but other stations recruited by Peerless included KPHO-TV in Phoenix, and KING-TV San Diego. KRC-TV Channel 12 in Cincinnati, and WXYZ Detroit were among several stations that aired the film Thanksgiving Day (November 27). The film premiered Christmas Day on WENR-TV in Chicago, and most significantly today, on WPIX-TV New York on December 24 at 7:30pm EST. To this day WPIX plays "March of the Wooden Soldiers" at least once during the Thanksgiving and Christmas seasons
