Like Christmas at its best: wholesome, heartwarming, and giving. Time for this boomer's annual rewatch of a childhood classic... No tie-ins, no marketing partnerships, no product placement: simply pure, unadulterated (emphasis on un-adult!) Christmas Spirit. Christmas wouldn't mean what it does to me without this show.

Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town stands as the best of the stop-motion animated Christmas classics. Featuring the talents of Fred Astaire, Mickey Rooney, and the Westminster Children’s Choir, the casting is quite extraordinary. While delivering bags of letters to Santa to the North Pole a postman recount the story of how Santa Claus became the renowned figure he is. The storytelling is especially clever and does a good job at interweaving various pieces of Santa Claus lore (the red suit, flying reindeer, Christmas stockings, etc.) into the plot. Also, the animation is remarkably well-done and is charming in an old-fashioned way. Additionally, the music is used to great effect and includes such catchy songs as “First Toy Maker to the King” and “Put One Foot In Front of the Other.” Whimsical and fun, Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town is an enjoyable tale that taps into the magic of childhood.

The movie where Santa forces children into a transactional relationship with him. Children have to sit on his lap and give him a kiss, and in return, they receive a toy, sounds suspicious.

Love this Christmas classic. Love this version of the story of Santa Claus and how it gives origin stories of a lot of Santa’s characteristics like why he’s called Santa Claus, why he has a beard and Christmas traditions like Christmas trees and hanging socks.