The Night Before Christmas (1933)

Truly Dreadful Film

In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.

This film is so real. It treats its characters with so much care and sensitivity.

One of the worst ways to make a cult movie is to set out to make a cult movie.

"The Night Before Christmas" is an 8.5-minute cartoon from 1933, so this one will have its 85th anniversary next year already and to show you how old this is: It was released in America back in the year when Hitler came into power in Germany. You know Christmas is approaching when these holiday-themed cartoons shoot up the Starmeter here on IMDb. This is just one example. IIt is in color and we should not take that for granted, but it means it is from pretty early from the Golden Age of Animation. Director Wilfred Jackson can be considered one of the most successful cartoon filmmakers from Disney back in the day. Kenny Baker is probably not too known to most, but that's also because he is singing and not voice acting. The thing that defines this little movie is maybe the innocence of it all. And the animation is of course brilliant for its time. A lot of heart in there. It is no really a film that scores through comedy at all unlike many other Disney cartoons. You will not burst into laughter on any occasion here. But this approach would not have fit the tone either, so it's all good. The emphasis on the spirit of Christmas, together with harmlessness, cuteness and just the longing for happiness are what makes this little movie. As a consequence, I think that this is a film that should not be checked out in the first 10 months of the year because you somehow need to be in the mood for that, but afterward it is a very rewarding watch and I certainly recommend the watch here. A definite thumbs-up for the holidays! Oh yeah, the music is of course pretty good too and the title is no unfulfilled bait.

The Night Before Christmas is a sweet Silly Symphony based on the humorous, charming poem that has amused my family for as long as I can remember. True, some of the animation is a bit dated, but that is forgivable as it was made in 1933. We still have the Santa we know and love from Santa's Workshop, which is really delightful. I loved the soundtrack, and the toys even do a toy march before decorating the room. Seeing those children enjoying themselves with those toys, especially that sweet baby, brought tears of joy into my eyes. it actually reminded me of a Mickey Mouse cartoon called Mickey's Good Deed, where Mickey sacrifices his Christmas to make it enjoyable for a poor family, it is a forgotten treasure that broke my heart. Anyway, back to Night Before Christmas, I also liked the song at the beginning, and refrains at the end. Overall, delightful! 9/10 Bethany Cox.

"The Night Before Christmas" continues the story of "Santa's Workshop", but this time «jolly old Saint Nicholas» is leaving the presents. In this case, in a house with lots of children, while they are sleeping.This is pure Christmas magic and childhood memories: a classic story with Santa Claus, his sleigh and his reindeers. He comes down the chimney to let presents for children, bringing joy and happiness for them. This Christmas spirit feeling already makes this a wonderful animated short, but that's not all.The designs, sceneries and picture quality are pretty good (an improvement over "Santa's Workshop"). The Christmas decorations are beautiful and this cartoon is also full of creativity and imagination: the toys marching (which includes two Mickey Mouse dolls) and decorating the Christmas tree with Santa's help, as well as the moon smiling at the end.Again, Santa Claus makes his funny laughters. The ending is one of the best parts: the children wake up but Santa escapes before they come in. The children open their presents and the youngest one (named Junior) gets a Scottish Terrier puppy as a Christmas present. So sweet! Yet, the children still see Santa from the window. A perfect ending.I consider this even better than "Santa's Workshop", despite being a sequel to that one. Without a doubt, this is one of Disney's finest animated shorts and it doesn't even look that dated."The Night Before Christmas" is one of Walt Disney's Silly Symphonies and the best of that collection.Curiously, this isn't the only animated short with this title. There's also a wonderful Tom & Jerry cartoon with exactly the same title.

'Twas THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS, and Santa arrives at a home with nine little children. Quickly he sets up a Christmas tree and takes a few moments to enjoy the toys' tiny celebration upon the placing of the star. But now the noise has awakened the children...This follow-up to SANTA'S WORKSHOP (1932) is a very enjoyable cartoon. As in its predecessor, the March of the Toys is both colorful & fun to watch - although the playthings coming out of the bag are completely different from those we previously saw marching into it. (Notice the Mickey Mouse toy which Disney cannily included.) Query: do bad little kiddies live in all the many houses which Santa flies past & ignores?The SILLY SYMPHONIES, which Walt Disney produced for a ten year period beginning in 1929, are among the most fascinating of all animated series. Unlike the Mickey Mouse cartoons in which action was paramount, with the Symphonies the action was made to fit the music. There was little plot in the early Symphonies, which featured lively inanimate objects and anthropomorphic plants & animals, all moving frantically to the soundtrack. Gradually, however, the Symphonies became the school where Walt's animators learned to work with color and began to experiment with plot, characterization & photographic special effects. The pages of Fable & Fairy Tale, Myth & Mother Goose were all mined to provide story lines and even Hollywood's musicals & celebrities were effectively spoofed. It was from this rich soil that Disney's feature-length animation was to spring. In 1939, with SNOW WHITE successfully behind him and PINOCCHIO & FANTASIA on the near horizon, Walt phased out the SILLY SYMPHONIES; they had run their course & served their purpose.