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Rankin/Bass Studios was once the most prolific American-based producers of quality television animation. Today, their films and TV specials have become cult classics, appreciated by offbeat talents like Tim Burton and diehard animation fans, but largely forgotten save for nostalgia. Most of their output is still entertaining when viewed with fresh, unprejudiced eyes – if you are lucky enough to find their work. Rankin/Bass productions, as a rule, were for the whole family to enjoy and unlike many of their competitors (such as Hanna-Barbera), they never included characters that would be overly annoying to adults.
Christmas in July was a late-1970s "crossover" of sorts featuring two of Rankin/Bass’ most beloved mid 1960s holiday characters. Both Frosty the Snowman and Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer starred separately in holiday specials based upon the songs of the same names, so teaming them up seemed foolproof. Specials like these, most often aired on network television, were perennial favorites until the late 1980s, and were eagerly anticipated holiday highlights for many American children. Unfortunately, Christmas in July, like so many non-Disney-animated movies of the era, was poorly distributed to a spotty kiddy matinee audience. Many children who would have enjoyed the film were probably unaware of it, and the film’s very status as a "children’s" movie probably hurts its status among more serious-minded animation fans.
In Christmas in July, like virtually all the Rankin/Bass holiday specials, the Christian underpinnings of Christmas are totally absent. These specials were (and are) mildly controversial among certain Christian groups for that reason. Christmas in July goes a step or two further by instituting a pseudo-pagan backstory in which an evil northern wizard named Thunderbolt is subdued by a goddess called Aurora and unknowingly usurped by Santa Claus. (Yes, this is all as bizarre as it sounds). Furthermore, we’re told that Santa’s power derives from the love he receives from children, and that Rudolph’s magic nose was a gift from Aurora. While Rankin/Bass deserve credit for not simply plopping characters into plot situations without explanations, the logic behind Christmas in July is needlessly complex for its target audience of young children.
The rest of the film is an absolute delight. The voice cast consists of solid Hollywood veterans like Mickey Rooney and second stringers like Jackie Vernon and Alan Sues. None of the cast were A-list talent in the late 1970s and that doesn’t matter because they give good performances and seem to be genuinely enjoying themselves. The musical score is enchanting, consisting of both new material and arrangements of older songs. Once we get past the backstory, we’re treated to a cleanly designed plot full of childlike imagination. While this is by no means a film targeted to adults, many adults would enjoy watching this film with their children. Adults of a certain age might even find the film attractive for nostalgic reasons. While essentially a holiday picture, Christmas in July can be enjoyed almost any time of the year.
Christmas in July contains some of the best stop-motion animation in any Rankin/Bass movie or special. Fans are usually divided on the merits of stop-motion or "tabletop" animation, and the entire process is obsolete in the light of Pixar’s computer animated Toy Story and A Bug’s Life. I, for one, enjoy good stop-motion animation. In a way, the doll-like appearance of the figures is entirely appropriate. Rankin/Bass’ characters look toy-like, partly because they are mannequins; I don’t have a problem with this because so most of our modern holiday apparatus are plastic and artificial (such as holiday lights and decorations). And, ironically, this is a comment on what the holiday season turned into by the 1970s.
Good triumphs over evil, catchy tunes are sung every few minutes, and cute characters abound. What more could anyone want from a Rankin/Bass holiday film? This is what holiday entertainment was like before television animation became hip, irreverent and edgy. Given the current plethora of South Park wannabes, Christmas in July seems better than ever.
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