The Little Drummer Boy, Book II
Encyclopedia
The Little Drummer Boy is a 1968 Christmas television special
produced by Rankin/Bass
, based on the famous Christmas song of that name. It was followed by a sequel in 1976.
animated
film produced by Rankin/Bass
. Originally sponsored by the American Gas Association
, the film premiered on 19 December 1968 on NBC
, where it aired for many years before entering syndication. It currently airs in the U.S. on the ABC Family
cable channel.
The story, written by Romeo Muller
, is based on the famous Christmas song of that name, but expands it to include events before the birth of Jesus
. The title character, here given the name Aaron, is a misanthropic orphan who finds his life changed forever when he meets the Three Wise Men on their way to Bethlehem.
The film features the Vienna Boys' Choir
singing the title song.
. It premiered on 13 December 1976 on NBC
. Like its predecessor, it currently airs in the U.S. on the ABC Family
cable channel.
In this sequel, written by Julian P. Gardner, Aaron teams up with Melchior, one of the Three Wise Men, to regain a couple of silver bells made to ring for Christ's arrival from a band of greedy Roman soldiers.
Christmas in the media
Christmas themes have long been an inspiration to artists, writers, and weavers of folklore. Moviemakers have picked up on this wealth of material, with both adaptations of literary classics and new stories.-Films:...
produced by Rankin/Bass
Rankin/Bass
Rankin/Bass Productions, Inc. , also known as Rankin/Bass Animated Entertainment, was an American production company, known for its seasonal television specials, particularly its work in stop-motion animation. The pre-1974 library is currently owned by Classic Media,while the post-1974 library is...
, based on the famous Christmas song of that name. It was followed by a sequel in 1976.
1968 television special
The 1968 television special is a stop motionStop motion
Stop motion is an animation technique to make a physically manipulated object appear to move on its own. The object is moved in small increments between individually photographed frames, creating the illusion of movement when the series of frames is played as a continuous sequence...
animated
Animation
Animation is the rapid display of a sequence of images of 2-D or 3-D artwork or model positions in order to create an illusion of movement. The effect is an optical illusion of motion due to the phenomenon of persistence of vision, and can be created and demonstrated in several ways...
film produced by Rankin/Bass
Rankin/Bass
Rankin/Bass Productions, Inc. , also known as Rankin/Bass Animated Entertainment, was an American production company, known for its seasonal television specials, particularly its work in stop-motion animation. The pre-1974 library is currently owned by Classic Media,while the post-1974 library is...
. Originally sponsored by the American Gas Association
American Gas Association
The American Gas Association , founded in 1918, is an American trade organization representing natural gas supply companies and others with an interest in the manufacturing of gas appliances as well as the production of gas...
, the film premiered on 19 December 1968 on 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...
, where it aired for many years before entering syndication. It currently airs in the U.S. on the ABC Family
ABC Family
ABC Family, stylized as abc family, is an American television network, owned by ABC Family Worldwide Inc., a subsidiary of the Disney-ABC Television Group division of The Walt Disney Company...
cable channel.
The story, written by Romeo Muller
Romeo Muller
Romeo Muller, Jr. was an American screenwriter and actor most remembered for his screenplays such as for the 1964 TV special Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.-Early years:...
, is based on the famous Christmas song of that name, but expands it to include events before the birth of Jesus
Nativity of Jesus
The Nativity of Jesus, or simply The Nativity, refers to the accounts of the birth of Jesus in two of the Canonical gospels and in various apocryphal texts....
. The title character, here given the name Aaron, is a misanthropic orphan who finds his life changed forever when he meets the Three Wise Men on their way to Bethlehem.
Voice cast
- Greer GarsonGreer GarsonGreer Garson, CBE was a British-born actress who was very popular during World War II, being listed by the Motion Picture Herald as one of America's top ten box office draws in 1942, 1943, 1944, 1945, and 1946. As one of MGM's major stars of the 1940s, Garson received seven Academy Award...
as Our Storyteller - Ted Eccles as Aaron
- Jose FerrerJosé FerrerJosé Vicente Ferrer de Otero y Cintrón , best known as José Ferrer, was a Puerto Rican actor, as well as a theater and film director...
as Ben Haramad - Paul FreesPaul FreesPaul Frees was an American voice actor and character actor.-Biography:He was born Solomon Hersh Frees in Chicago...
as Aaron's father/the Three Wise Men - June ForayJune ForayJune Foray is an American voice actress, best known as the voice of many animated characters...
as Aaron's mother
The film features the Vienna Boys' Choir
Vienna Boys' Choir
The Vienna Boys' Choir is a choir of trebles and altos based in Vienna. It is one of the best known boys' choirs in the world. The boys are selected mainly from Austria, but also from many other countries....
singing the title song.
1976 sequel
In 1976, Rankin/Bass produced a sequel, titled The Little Drummer Boy, Book II, again sponsored by the American Gas AssociationAmerican Gas Association
The American Gas Association , founded in 1918, is an American trade organization representing natural gas supply companies and others with an interest in the manufacturing of gas appliances as well as the production of gas...
. It premiered on 13 December 1976 on 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...
. Like its predecessor, it currently airs in the U.S. on the ABC Family
ABC Family
ABC Family, stylized as abc family, is an American television network, owned by ABC Family Worldwide Inc., a subsidiary of the Disney-ABC Television Group division of The Walt Disney Company...
cable channel.
In this sequel, written by Julian P. Gardner, Aaron teams up with Melchior, one of the Three Wise Men, to regain a couple of silver bells made to ring for Christ's arrival from a band of greedy Roman soldiers.
Voice cast
- Greer GarsonGreer GarsonGreer Garson, CBE was a British-born actress who was very popular during World War II, being listed by the Motion Picture Herald as one of America's top ten box office draws in 1942, 1943, 1944, 1945, and 1946. As one of MGM's major stars of the 1940s, Garson received seven Academy Award...
as Our Storyteller - Zero MostelZero MostelSamuel Joel “Zero” Mostel was an American actor of stage and screen, best known for his portrayal of comic characters such as Tevye on stage in Fiddler on the Roof, Pseudolus on stage and on screen in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, and Max Bialystock in the original film version...
as Brutus - David JayDavid JayDavid Jay is an American asexual activist. Jay is the founder and webmaster of the Asexual Visibility and Education Network . While a student at Wesleyan University in Connecticut, Jay came out as asexual and launched AVEN's website...
- Bob McFaddenBob McFaddenRobert "Bob" McFadden was a singer and voiceover actor best known for his many contributions to animated cartoons. His best known characters were Milton the Monster, Cool McCool, and the ThunderCats' Snarf...
- Ray Owens
- Allen SwiftAllen SwiftIra Stadlen , known professionally as Allen Swift, was an American voice actor, known for playing characters including Simon Bar Sinister and Riff-Raff on the Underdog cartoon show...