The Christmas
That Almost Wasn't
(aka IL NATALE CHE QUASI NON FU)
With: Rosanno Brazzi (Phineas T. Prune), Paul Tripp (Sam Whipple), Mischa Auer (Jonathan), Lydia Brazzi (Mrs. Claus), Alberto Rabagliati (Santa Claus), Sonny Fox (Mr. Prim), John Karlsen (Blossom)
Plot Outline: It is the week before Christmas, and Santa Claus visits attorney Sam Whipple, asking for his help. It turns out that the evil businessman Phineas T. Prune holds the lease on the North Pole, and is about to kick Santa out for nonpayment of rent! As such, there will be no more Christmas! Santa and Sam try various means to placate Prune, first by reasoning with him, then by attempting to earn money at a local department store. All their plans fail, and it appears that all hope is lost. But a small boy hears of Santa's dilemma, and rallies all the village children to come forth with their savings. At the last minute, Santa hands over the rent in full to Prune. Also, Santa gives Prune a toy sailboat, which is all he ever wanted since he was a small, lonely child, and Prune turns into the philanthropist he was always meant to be.
***
One of the great Christmas films, and a Kiddie Matinee legend to boot, THE CHRISTMAS THAT ALMOST WASN'T is a joyous and enchanting musical fantasy which holds up well almost forty years after its initial release.
Produced and filmed in Italy, THE CHRISTMAS THAT ALMOST WASN'T was the first and only "original" production made by Kiddie Matinee giants Childhood Productions. Based loosely on the Ogden Nash poem, the screenplay for THE CHRISTMAS THAT ALMOST WASN'T was first produced by Paul Tripp as a half-hour story on his successful TV program, MR. I. MAGINATION. The film fared extremely well at the boxoffice, and was shown at both matinee and evening playdates, on over 400 screens.
A cute animated prolog opens the film, while RCA singing star Glenn Yarborough sings the title song, a catchy little pop tune that hints of a folk ballad. Soon, Kid-TV icon Paul Tripp is singing "Why Can't Every Day Be Christmas?", and we are off on a trip through Holiday Nostalgia-land. (Tripp's character, Sam Whipple, may be the only instance in screen history where the protagonist is an attorney at law!)
The scenario takes place in a generic, early 20th-century metropolis, and borrows plot points from several holiday classics of film and literature, including Dicken's "A Christmas Carol", and MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET.
Popular Italian actor Rosanno Brazzi, who also directed, is delightfully overwrought as Phineas T. Prune, "the multi-zillionaire with the pickle face." His lunatic misanthropic mumblings, spoken in broken English, make him a truly unique depiction of a contemporary entrepreneurial Scrooge.
Popular TV icon Paul Tripp (MR. IMAGINATION, BIRTHDAY HOUSE), with his WASPy "everyman" quality, comes across as pure and childlike, easily identifiable to most kids.
Alberto Rabagliati is fairly non-descript as Santa (but then again, he is supposed to be seriously depressed in the story). Lydia Brazzi shines as Mrs. Claus, a jolly old soul who embodies the spirit of joyful giving even more than her paramour. Mischa Auer is hyper-tense as Jonathan, the Claus' VP of Toys. Santa's helpers are played by adult dwarfs, ultra-realistic to be sure, but also somewhat creepy.
Prune's servant, Blossom (John Karlsen), is a ghoulish thing (possibly modeled after Ted Cassidy's grotesque butler "Lurch" in the TV series THE ADDAMS FAMILY).
Another New York TV Host, Sonny Fox (WONDERAMA, JUST FOR FUN), is restrained but effective as uptight store owner Prim. (In a sly, amusing aside aimed at his competition, Prim mutters, "I'll show that Macy's!")
The film boasts some wonderful sets, especially the North Pole and the picturesque village, which is quite sublime at night. There are also some primitive but charming miniatures, including a table-top set of the village, and a mechanical model of Santa and his reindeer. When Sam and Santa succumb to the urge to play with the toys for sale, we are witness to some amazing period toys, including tin, motorized covered wagons, stagecoaches and trolley cars. There are several nice montages, including Santa and Sam going down chimneys, and the children's financial rescue of Santa.
The songs by Ray Carter range from the predictable ("Kids Get All The Breaks", "I'm Bad", "Children") to the truly memorable, with the title song, and the glorious "Why Can't Every Day Be Christmas" by far the winners. (An original soundtrack album, now a collector's item, was issued on RCA records.) The excellent score was also nominated for a Grammy award.
Mark Suggs informs us that the newly-remastered soundtrack has been released on CD!
In a touching moment, Santa reveals that out of all the children who wrote to Santa asking for toys, Sam was the only little boy in history who wrote Santa a thank-you note! This pivotal revelation echoes through the film, in Sam's tireless efforts to help the icon who brought so much joy to the world, and in the climax where the children of the world give back to Santa some small part of the bounty he has bestowed on them.
The psychological underpinnings of misanthropy are contemplated when it is discovered that Prune was forgotten at Christmastime as a child. Thus rejected by society, he became antisocial, and self-engrossed. (This is curiously, if crudely, illustrated by a portrait of Prune, which changes from scowling to grinning, reflecting the subject's spiritual transformation ala Oscar Wilde's "The Picture of Dorian Gray".)
In the touching coda, Prune finally realizes that all he ever wanted was not riches, but to be recognized as a human being worthy of love. Additionally, Sam's personal crusade for Santa illustrates that sustained, focused effort cannot fail to achieve the desired results.
As Santa is hopelessly old-fashioned, and powerless in the face of modern economic reality, some have seen this film as being essentially anti-capitalistic, but it is no moreso than "A Christmas Carol". (In fact, with its musical emphasis, and its studio-bound settings, could this film have been the inspiration for the 1970 musical adaptation SCROOGE, with Albert Finney? There are surely a great number of similarities.)
The new Hen's Tooth DVD of THE CHRISTMAS THAT ALMOST WASN'T is a no-frills affair, with not even a theatrical trailer as a bonus, yet offers a full-frame presentation of the original feature from an excellent print (although we were surprised to see that the title and production credits were in Italian!). This DVD is highly recommended at any rate, as it brings back to us one of the great Kiddie Matinee features of all time.
BUON NATALE!
(The National Theatre of the Deaf has recently resurrected a live version of this as an annual holiday offering.)
Video/DVD availability: VHS (HBO, out of print), DVD (Hen's Tooth)
Links of related interest:
Rossano Brazzi comments on the film
Santa Claus arrives at the North Pole.
Santa Claus and Sam Whipple plead with Mr. Prim to give them a job in his department store.
Santa's dwarfs are depressed over the thought of no Christmas.
Santa and Sam spend more time playing with the toys than working!
Santa contemplates his good fortune as the children offer their honeypots of treasure.
Phineas T. Prune contemplates the meaning of Christmas with his new-found friends.
(1966 U.S./Italy) color 94 minutes
Childhood Productions / Bambi Productions (November release)
National Screen Service #66-385
Story: Paul Tripp (based on a poem by Ogden Nash)
Screenplay: Paul Tripp
Music: Ray Carter, Bruno Nicolai
Lyrics: Paul Tripp
Cinematography: Alvaro Mancori
Produced by: Barry B. Yellen, A.J. Piccolo
Directed by Rosanno Brazzi
a review
