The Little Drummer Boy (1968)
A tale of an ancestor to Johnny Shiloh.
Brief Backstory
In 1964, Rankin/Bass amazed audiences with Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. Using the very same techniques including a narrator and their famous toy-animated style of animation (Animagic), they would continue to create more holiday adaptations, with one of their next projects being the Little Drummer Boy in 1968 – continuing the tradition of adapting Christmas carols into short subject cartoons. While not as popular as some of their other cartoons, the Little Drummer Boy is often considered one of the more emotional and darker works done by Rankin/Bass.
Story
Aaron, a boy prejudiced toward man, due to being orphaned from murderers, ends up on a quest to reclaim his sold animal from the three wise men after a greedy showman named Ben Haramed and his bumbling right hand man sell it. On the way, Baba, his lamb, is near death due to an accident. Using his drum to create music, the newborn baby heals Baba and makes Aaron see the errors of his ways.
Narrated by Greer Garson (1904-1996).
Random Facts
The sound effects are all screwed up on anything that isn’t a copy from the late 90s. Unless you have a recorded copy prior to around 1996 or 1997 or a copy from Family Home Entertainment, you will not hear the sound effects that were included originally (you don’t hear Aaron’s drum when he plays it during the “why can’t the animals smile” song number). This was likely due to a restoration error (been 25 years and they haven’t fixed it…). Simply put you either have to watch a filthy film print (out of the Christmas cartoons that F.H.E. sold, this had the dirtiest film print) of this classic with all the sound effects included or you watch it some of the sound effects missing yet the film print is cleaned up nicely. However if you happen to actually have an 8mm/16mm/35mm print…
Also even the most recent Blu-Ray release (on the one that has all 18 shorts by R/B) still doesn’t look as good as say Rudolph or Santa Claus is Comin to Town. Normally I’d go off on restoration, but this was one of those that was seriously in dire need of a really good deep cleaning especially since copies from F.H.E. were nasty. Still much far better than the majority of Disney restoration hack jobs that were done in the 90s. Nevertheless, major heads up if you plan to order the Rankin/Bass complete collection on Blu-Ray.
Apparently this has gotten under fire for “racism” (everything’s fucking racist thanks society) because I have no idea. No seriously it has. Presumably this is why you can’t find this on television as easily as say Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town or Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer.
Aaron plays with a matched grip – pay close attention to his hands as he plays for the baby.
According to my brother, this was one of dad’s favorite Christmas cartoons from his youth (the Grinch overthrew this).
Unlike other R/B villains (excluding the Bumble since he really wasn’t a villain), Ben Haramed doesn’t get what’s coming to him though his antics aren’t any worse than Hinkle in Frosty.
Actual fire was used in the scene where Aaron’s parents and the majority of their livestock were murdered.
Jose Ferrer, father of the late Miguel Ferrer (voice of Shan Yu in Mulan and the Heretic leader from Halo 2), voices Ben Haramed.
Random Opinions
Ben Haramed reminds me of Honest John, which no surprise is also a huge inspiration for numerous animated villains; Warren T. Rat and Cat R. Waul from the An American Tail franchise come to mind.
Of the four major holiday cartoons released by Family Home Entertainment, the Little Drummer Boy is likely the 2nd most seen by myself as a child, passing Rudolph by I think a moderate margin and beaten by Frosty the Snowman. Unlike something from around 2006, my memory’s very fuzzy, but presumably I saw this a lot back in the first half of the 1990s in my parental grandparents house in De Soto/Festus Missouri.
One of the earliest exposures to death that I can think of next to Little Mermaid’s Ursula and Bambi’s mother however not as shocking as Ursula’s.
Doesn’t Aaron somewhat look like Mowgli from the Jungle Book? I could’ve sworn his hair looked pretty similar – if not than his attitude sure as hell would given his animosity toward the man-village for 3/4 of the film.
One of dad’s little brothers was in drumline or something in the 70s and I think this might’ve inspired him. That or Ringo Starr.
Probably my favorite version of the birth of Jesus. Family Guy failed miserably with telling the tale, though that brutal attack against a defunct airline was good. Airlines nowadays just get away with too much shit (unfortunately this has been going on even in the 90s).
Pros
- The ending is one of the most memorable Rankin/Bass scenes in history, not counting when Rudolph agreed to get Santa in the air safely.
- Greer Garson’s narration fits the film well.
Cons
- Restoration jobs are awful on this. The film quality is relatively mediocre for the most recent releases and a lot of the sound effects are missing. Give credit to Disney – least they didn’t remove sound effects.
- Somewhat short. You’re not given enough time to know about a lot of the other characters besides Aaron and Ben Haramed.
Rating: 9.5/10 – Amazing
Landmark classic for Christmas cartoons. Not as great as Rudolph despite the rating being identical but my favorite adaptation of the birth of Jesus.
This along with the Little Mermaid was a huge part of my toddler days especially during the yuletide season.
As a 30+ year old, I find this just as vital to see a few times in December as Batman Returns or Rudolph.
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