A Chipmunk Christmas
Encyclopedia
A Chipmunk Christmas is an animated christmas television special based on characters from Alvin and the Chipmunks
. It aired on the NBC
television network in 1981, nine years after the death of Alvin and the Chipmunks creator Ross Bagdasarian, Sr. (also known as David Seville). This was the first time that Alvin, Simon and David Seville were voiced by Ross Bagdasarian, Jr.
and the first time that Theodore was voiced by Janice Karman
.
album and their twelfth album overall.
The album managed to peak at #72 on Billboard's Pop Albums Chart and was certified Gold by RIAA, becoming the group's third and final gold album.
Between 1992-2001, the album, which was originally released on LP
, was re-released on cassette
and compact disc
formats.
Meanwhile, the Chipmunks have a recording session. Alvin is not very happy about having to work on Christmas, but after Dave tells him that he can play his prized Golden Echo harmonica
, he suggests that Dave can get everything set up in the studio while he and his brothers go window shopping. Dave agrees to this, and tells them not to be late.
At the music store, Alvin sees another Golden Echo harmonica, and tells his own harmonica that it's the best harmonica in the world. At that moment, Tommy's mother and sister arrive at the store, and he overhears Tommy's sister tell her mother that if Tommy had the Golden Echo harmonica, it would make him feel better. Alvin feels bad about Tommy's illness, so much so that during the recording session, he can't sing in tune with the others. Dave gives the Chipmunks a break, so
Alvin goes to Tommy's house and presents him with his (Alvin's) own harmonica, returning in time to finish the session.
Unfortunately, later, while the Chipmunks are decorating the tree, Dave gets a phonecall from Carnegie Hall
- they want Alvin to play his harmonica on Christmas Eve. Alvin reveals what he did to Simon and Theodore, and makes a plan to get enough money for a new harmonica.
The Chipmunks gather up all the dogs in the neighborhood, and set up a photo booth, where children can have their photo taken with Santa (Alvin). Unfortunately, the presence of a cat ruins the whole thing, and draws Dave's attention. Although he wants to know what happened, Alvin tells Simon and Theodore that they can't tell Dave about the harmonica, as Dave gave it to Alvin long ago, and Alvin is worried that Dave's feelings would be hurt if he learned what happened. As a result, Dave mistakes Alvin's actions for greed, and sends him to his room. This leads to a dream sequence
involving Clyde Crashcup
, who says that he has invented Christmas (which is now February 12) and Santa (Abraham Lincoln
in a sleigh consisting of a hollowed-out pumpkin pulled by 4 elephants). Alvin tells him he needs money, and when Dave comes to check up on him, he is saying "money" in his sleep, causing Dave to give up.
On Christmas Eve, 2 hours before the concert, Theodore and Simon give Alvin the money they have saved up, and wish him luck on buying the harmonica. When asked where Alvin went, they lie and say they don't know. Luckily, just as Dave is complaining, he gets a phonecall from Tommy's mother, who tells him about Alvin's harmonica and the wonders it worked for Tommy.
At the music store, Alvin is depressed, as he still doesn't have enough money for a new harmonica. Just then, a strange old woman appears, and buys it for him, only asking for a song in return, but disappearing by the end.
Dave, Simon, and Theodore arrive, and Dave apologizes to Alvin and tells him they have a surprise for him. At the concert, Alvin learns that Tommy has fully recovered, and he joins the Chipmunks on stage.
At the end, Santa Claus
returns to the North Pole, where he is greeted by his wife
- the same old woman who bought Alvin the harmonica. As Santa flies over the city before returning home, we hear the Chipmunks singing "We Wish You A Merry Christmas".
(Dave's Wonderful Life and Merry Christmas, Mr. Carroll).
Alvin and the Chipmunks
Alvin and the Chipmunks is an American animated music group created by Ross Bagdasarian, Sr. in 1958. The group consists of three singing animated anthropomorphic chipmunks: Alvin, the mischievous troublemaker, who quickly became the star of the group; Simon, the tall, bespectacled intellectual;...
. It aired on the NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
television network in 1981, nine years after the death of Alvin and the Chipmunks creator Ross Bagdasarian, Sr. (also known as David Seville). This was the first time that Alvin, Simon and David Seville were voiced by Ross Bagdasarian, Jr.
Ross Bagdasarian, Jr.
Ross Bagdasarian, Jr. is an Armenian-American film producer, record producer, singer, and voice artist and the son of the Alvin and the Chipmunks creator Ross Bagdasarian, Sr.-Life and career:...
and the first time that Theodore was voiced by Janice Karman
Janice Karman
Janice Felice Karman is an American film producer, record producer, singer, and voice artist. She is the co-owner of Bagdasarian Productions with her husband Ross Bagdasarian, Jr....
.
Soundtrack album release
A soundtrack album based on the television special was released in 1981. The album serves as the group's third ChristmasChristmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
album and their twelfth album overall.
The album managed to peak at #72 on Billboard's Pop Albums Chart and was certified Gold by RIAA, becoming the group's third and final gold album.
Between 1992-2001, the album, which was originally released on LP
LP album
The LP, or long-playing microgroove record, is a format for phonograph records, an analog sound storage medium. Introduced by Columbia Records in 1948, it was soon adopted as a new standard by the entire record industry...
, was re-released on cassette
Compact Cassette
The Compact Cassette, often referred to as audio cassette, cassette tape, cassette, or simply tape, is a magnetic tape sound recording format. It was designed originally for dictation, but improvements in fidelity led the Compact Cassette to supplant the Stereo 8-track cartridge and reel-to-reel...
and compact disc
Compact Disc
The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
formats.
Featured songs
- "It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like ChristmasIt's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas"It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas" is a classic Christmas song written in 1951 by Meredith Willson. The song was originally titled "It's Beginning to Look Like Christmas"...
" - "Chipmunk Jingle BellsJingle Bells"Jingle Bells" is one of the best-known and commonly sung winter songs in the world. It was written by James Lord Pierpont and published under the title "One Horse Open Sleigh" in the autumn of 1857...
" - "The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don't Be Late) Take 1"
- "The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don't Be Late)"
- "The Spirit of Christmas (Chipmunks song)|The Spirit of Christmas"
- "Have Yourself a Merry Little ChristmasHave Yourself a Merry Little Christmas"Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" is a song introduced by Judy Garland in the 1944 MGM musical Meet Me in St. Louis. Frank Sinatra later recorded a version with modified lyrics, which has become more common than the original. The song was written by Hugh Martin and Ralph Blane...
" - "Crashcup Invents Christmas"
- "Here Comes Santa ClausHere Comes Santa Claus"Here Comes Santa Claus " is a Christmas song written by Gene Autry and Oakley Haldeman.Autry got the idea for the song after riding his horse in the 1946 Santa Claus Lane Parade in Los Angeles, during which crowds of spectators chanted, "Here comes Santa Claus". This inspired him to write a song...
(Right Down Santa Claus Lane)" - "Silent NightSilent Night"Silent Night" is a popular Christmas carol. The original lyrics of the song "Stille Nacht" were written in Oberndorf bei Salzburg, Austria, by the priest Father Joseph Mohr and the melody was composed by the Austrian headmaster Franz Xaver Gruber...
" - "Sleigh RideSleigh Ride"Sleigh Ride" is a popular light orchestral piece composed by Leroy Anderson. The composer had the original idea for the piece during a heat wave in July 1946; he finished the work in February 1948. Lyrics, about a person who would like to ride in a sleigh on a winter's day with another person,...
" - "Deck the Halls"
- "We Wish You a Merry ChristmasWe Wish You a Merry Christmas"We Wish You a Merry Christmas" is a popular secular sixteenth-century English carol from the West Country of England. The origin of this Christmas carol lies in the English tradition where wealthy people of the community gave Christmas treats to the carolers on Christmas Eve such as 'figgy...
"
Animated special
The special starts out with a doctor visiting the family of a sick boy named Tommy. He admits that the chance of Tommy recovering before Christmas is bleak.Meanwhile, the Chipmunks have a recording session. Alvin is not very happy about having to work on Christmas, but after Dave tells him that he can play his prized Golden Echo harmonica
Harmonica
The harmonica, also called harp, French harp, blues harp, and mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used primarily in blues and American folk music, jazz, country, and rock and roll. It is played by blowing air into it or drawing air out by placing lips over individual holes or multiple holes...
, he suggests that Dave can get everything set up in the studio while he and his brothers go window shopping. Dave agrees to this, and tells them not to be late.
At the music store, Alvin sees another Golden Echo harmonica, and tells his own harmonica that it's the best harmonica in the world. At that moment, Tommy's mother and sister arrive at the store, and he overhears Tommy's sister tell her mother that if Tommy had the Golden Echo harmonica, it would make him feel better. Alvin feels bad about Tommy's illness, so much so that during the recording session, he can't sing in tune with the others. Dave gives the Chipmunks a break, so
Alvin goes to Tommy's house and presents him with his (Alvin's) own harmonica, returning in time to finish the session.
Unfortunately, later, while the Chipmunks are decorating the tree, Dave gets a phonecall from Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States, located at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east stretch of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street and West 57th Street, two blocks south of Central Park....
- they want Alvin to play his harmonica on Christmas Eve. Alvin reveals what he did to Simon and Theodore, and makes a plan to get enough money for a new harmonica.
The Chipmunks gather up all the dogs in the neighborhood, and set up a photo booth, where children can have their photo taken with Santa (Alvin). Unfortunately, the presence of a cat ruins the whole thing, and draws Dave's attention. Although he wants to know what happened, Alvin tells Simon and Theodore that they can't tell Dave about the harmonica, as Dave gave it to Alvin long ago, and Alvin is worried that Dave's feelings would be hurt if he learned what happened. As a result, Dave mistakes Alvin's actions for greed, and sends him to his room. This leads to a dream sequence
Dream sequence
A dream sequence is a technique used in storytelling, particularly in television and film, to set apart a brief interlude from the main story. The interlude may consist of a flashback, a flashforward, a fantasy, a vision, a dream, or some other element. Commonly, dream sequences appear in many...
involving Clyde Crashcup
Clyde Crashcup
Clyde Crashcup is a fictional character from the early-1960s animated television series The Alvin Show.-Fictional character biography:Clyde Crashcup is a scientist in a white coat whose experiments invariably failed...
, who says that he has invented Christmas (which is now February 12) and Santa (Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...
in a sleigh consisting of a hollowed-out pumpkin pulled by 4 elephants). Alvin tells him he needs money, and when Dave comes to check up on him, he is saying "money" in his sleep, causing Dave to give up.
On Christmas Eve, 2 hours before the concert, Theodore and Simon give Alvin the money they have saved up, and wish him luck on buying the harmonica. When asked where Alvin went, they lie and say they don't know. Luckily, just as Dave is complaining, he gets a phonecall from Tommy's mother, who tells him about Alvin's harmonica and the wonders it worked for Tommy.
At the music store, Alvin is depressed, as he still doesn't have enough money for a new harmonica. Just then, a strange old woman appears, and buys it for him, only asking for a song in return, but disappearing by the end.
Dave, Simon, and Theodore arrive, and Dave apologizes to Alvin and tells him they have a surprise for him. At the concert, Alvin learns that Tommy has fully recovered, and he joins the Chipmunks on stage.
At the end, Santa Claus
Santa Claus
Santa Claus is a folklore figure in various cultures who distributes gifts to children, normally on Christmas Eve. Each name is a variation of Saint Nicholas, but refers to Santa Claus...
returns to the North Pole, where he is greeted by his wife
Mrs. Claus
Mrs. Claus is the wife of Santa Claus, the Christmas gift-bringer in North American Christmas tradition.While Santa Claus himself emerged from the 1820s from a number of traditions of European folklore, Mrs...
- the same old woman who bought Alvin the harmonica. As Santa flies over the city before returning home, we hear the Chipmunks singing "We Wish You A Merry Christmas".
25th Anniversary Special Collector's Edition
A 25th Anniversary Special Edition was released on September 26, 2006 from Bagdasarian Productions and Paramount Home Entertainment. The release featured a 2-disc set including A Chipmunk Christmas plus the soundtrack on CD. In addition, the DVD contains two episodes from the 1983-1991 television show Alvin and the ChipmunksAlvin and the Chipmunks (TV series)
Alvin and the Chipmunks is an American animated television series featuring The Chipmunks, produced by Bagdasarian Productions in association with Ruby-Spears Enterprises from 1983–87, and DIC Entertainment from 1988-90....
(Dave's Wonderful Life and Merry Christmas, Mr. Carroll).
Voice actors and their characters
- Ross Bagdasarian, Jr.Ross Bagdasarian, Jr.Ross Bagdasarian, Jr. is an Armenian-American film producer, record producer, singer, and voice artist and the son of the Alvin and the Chipmunks creator Ross Bagdasarian, Sr.-Life and career:...
– Alvin, Simon, David Seville - Janice KarmanJanice KarmanJanice Felice Karman is an American film producer, record producer, singer, and voice artist. She is the co-owner of Bagdasarian Productions with her husband Ross Bagdasarian, Jr....
– Theodore, Angela Waterford, Cindy Lou - June ForayJune ForayJune Foray is an American voice actress, best known as the voice of many animated characters...
– Mrs. Claus, Mrs. Waterford - Frank WelkerFrank WelkerFranklin Wendell "Frank" Welker is an American actor who specializes in voice acting and has contributed character voices and other vocal effects to American television and motion pictures.-Acting career:...
– Santa Claus, Doctor - Charles Berendt – Clyde Crashcup
- R. J. WilliamsR. J. WilliamsR. J. Williams or Robert Jackson Williams is an actor, television host, and producer but is best known as the Founder and CEO of Young Hollywood LLC-Acting:...
– Tommy Waterford