The Night the Animals Talked (1970)

As somebody who had not heard any of this before, it became a curious phenomenon to sit and watch a film and slowly have the realities begin to click into place.

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

It's a feast for the eyes. But what really makes this dramedy work is the acting.

There are moments in this movie where the great movie it could've been peek out... They're fleeting, here, but they're worth savoring, and they happen often enough to make it worth your while.

I thought I had already reviewed this childhood memory. Certain I had.Standout characters were the gentle dog, the wise ox and the discriminated pigs.Most of the animals, the cow, the goat, they were hateful and hostile, reflective of the times.They didn't want to share their manger with humans. They didn't want to share their manger with the pigs. Pigs were disgusting.It seems the pigs spent much of the cartoon trying to peer over the gate to see what was happening with the humans and the birth.After the birth, the animals opinions softened.The pigs, still struggling to see over the gate door, suddenly burst into the manger, afraid of how the other animals would react to them being there.The other animals turned to look at the pigs, then calmly stepped aside, so the pigs could see the baby Jesus as well. Slowly the pigs approached, and they too smiled happily.Now came the part where the animals decided they must tell humanity about the birth of Christ, and they took to the streets, yelling as loud as they could, and suddenly, one by one, each animal returned to his assuming voice.The dog began barking, the goat began baaing, the rooster began crowing.They all sadly made their way back to the manger.The ox, as quickly as possible with his lumbering self, sought to summarize the events, until he too began mooing.Effective cartoon. Deserving of the ten.

cant remember much about this cartoon but i know its stuck with me ever since i saw it in the seventies, every Christmas when the holiday TV books come out the first thing i do is to look to see if any of the channels are showing this, as usual there not, this should be shown every Christmas , like the wizard of oz is, the Christmas cartoons they show now are rubbish compared to the seventies ones, another great Christmas cartoon thats just recently come out on DVD is Santa clause and the bears anyone remember that, so there could be hope of getting the night the animals talked on DVD that would be one great Christmas present, anyone know what studio made this maybe if we all bombard them with messages they might have it released, would be worth a try anyway, lets hope it comes out soon and start to get back to the traditional Christmas cartoons about the birth of Christ etc

This may be pathetic, but twenty-five years after the last broadcast of this cartoon, my brother and I still 'baaaa' at each other like goats every Christmas Eve.This truly beautiful piece of holiday animation combines two of the most cherished genres in the world: namely (and no offense to non-Christians), Christmas and talking animals. And it mixes these two genres in a touching, intelligent way.It's the story of one night when all the animals in a stable discover that they can speak. With this "gift" comes conflict, provoked mostly by the arrival of two (soon to be three) unwanted guests to their stable. Each animal has a differing and fitting personality and a differing stance on whether to allow the guests to stay. The eventual resolution is not only heart-warming, but, dare I say...haunting.You will never forget this.

It's a shame this movie is so unrecognized as a Christmas classic. It's a wonderful story.