Pretty Good

Just intense enough to provide a much-needed diversion, just lightweight enough to make you forget about it soon after it’s over. It’s not exactly “good,” per se, but it does what it sets out to do in terms of putting us on edge, which makes it … successful?

This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.

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

THAT WHICH FOLLOWS is a tribute to a most short little film that has been a very big part of the lives of the kids of the Boomer generation. Here in Chicago, it appears to have been a sort of exclusive presentation of WGN TV, Channel; where it was shown primarily on the GARFIELD GOOSE AND FRIENDS kiddie show.IT SEEMS THAT this one reeler stop action short has been around forever. In this particular case, 'forever' = 64v years; as it was made in 1951 and it's now 2015 and counting.THE PLEASANT LITTLE Christmastime gives us about six minutes of storytelling of some heretofore unheralded elves who assist Santa Claus on his faithful rounds on Christmas. The names are puzzlingly non elf-like; although hardly anyone seems to have given this enough thought to come to this conclusion.OF THE THREESOME of little men, both Hardrock and Coco are said to have specific functions in helping out the jolly sleigh-master; with Joe being taken along as official kibitzer. This would seem to make him a rather common sort; as wherever you go, there are always do-nothings who offer their unneeded and totally unwanted advice.AS FOR THE stop motion animation, it's certainly not in the same league as that of a George Pal or Ray Harryhausen. There is no question about this. But on the other hand, the character design and facial expressions more than compensate for any shortcomings that may be present. The brief story told in song is a sincere attempt at bringing us a modern day, mid-20th century counterpart to Clement Clarke Moore's A VISIT FROM ST. NICHOLAS aka THE NIGHT BEFORE Christmas.AND SPEAKING OF the narrative, we didn't even notice until just this evening that there is no musical accompaniment to the singers.NOT ONLY THAT, but Schultz has pointed out that it is sung aca-pella! .

As a child--a "baby boomer"--coming up in Chicago in the 1950s and '60s, some local TV stations took great pride in presenting wholesome, meaningful entertainment."Suzy Snowflake" is a vestige of that era and of those times, when the world was not such a cold place because of the warmth and caring of the times. This stop-action animated short clearly was not "made for television", but most likely was made as a trailer to be shown in movie theaters during the yuletide season. It is credited to "Centaur Productions". Where they were--and who--merits research, but I suspect it was possibly made in NYC.The Singers on this very, very short "3 minute drill" were--to my ear--The Norman Luboff Choir, one of the premier studio groups of that day. On records, they backed everyone from Sinatra to Belafonte. Here they give a lilting, haunting "A Capella" performance that instantly brings to mind all of the elements of Christmases of days gone by; home and hearth, family and friends, good times and pleasant memories.There were a number of shorts such as this that were typical Christmas season fare...two others stand out as worthwhile watches... "Frosty The Snowman", a product of UPA studios and also made for theatrical release, featured a hip,"Be-Boppish" performance--also A Capella-- by the 'Starlighters' (or could it be "Six Hits and a Miss"?)--who were then very busy west coast studio singers, and who were mainstays of the "Chesterfield Supper Club" radio program with Jo Stafford and Paul Weston... and then, possibly the most popular of the three, "Hardrock & Coco & Joe". This one ,too, might have featured the Luboff singers and was a "Centaur Production".My personal favorite was "Frosty", but the women and girls may over-rule us guys in favor of the gentle qualities of "Suzy Snowflake".My least favorite of the trio is "Hardrock and Coco and Joe", but it is a pleasant trip down memory lane for those of us who were around then, and who remember fondly.This is a part of TV and the past that never should have changed, and these should be staples on some TV station somewhere every Christmas.

The Hill and Range song publishing company, which also licensed UPA animation to film shorts of songs "Peter Cottontail" and "Frosty the Snowman" that became staples of kids' shows on Chicago TV, asked a stop-motion company named Centaur Productions to make one of Santa's elves that are the names in the title above. The chorus, which sing with no musical accompaniment, tell of their travels with the big red-suited man as he goes on his holiday rounds. Wonderful visualization that captures the song perfectly. By the way, the head of Centaur was a man named Wah Ming Chang who would later work on some Disney projects as well on George Pal's Tom Thumb. He would also design Elizabeth Taylor's jewels and headdress in Cleopatra and some "Star Trek" props like the communicators and, in one episode, Tribbles. Definitely worth a look.

This short film, less than three minutes long, started popping up on local T.V. shows in the mid fifties and seems to have left a particular impression on people in the Chicago area, where it first played on "Garfield Ghoose and Friends," and later was shown on "Bozo Circus." One source says it first played on the station in 1956. It became popular on the show along with a jazzy cartoon of "Frosty The Snowman", and another stop motion feature that would appear to come from the same filmmakers as "Hardrock"; though the creation of these shorts seems shrouded in mystery. "Hardrock" has emerged as the most popular of the three.The song and film tell the story of Santa's three favorite elves. Hardrock, Santa's thin, umber-competent driver; Coco, who shoulders the daunting task of navigating Claus' worldwide run; and Joe, a frankly useless chap whose inclusion is in keeping with the pure fellowship of the season. The film is dark, even spooky; perhaps an inadvertent precursor to "The Nightmare Before Christmas." Yet what emerges from this crude,sub Harryhausen dollsmanship is somehow heartwarming and haunting, industrial strength kitsch as potentaint as the heartiest ChristmasPunch. While the song was also covered by Gene Autry (perhaps thesong was conceived as a Rudolph follow up), the choral version hereis a big part of the effect. This is music that not only doesn't anticipate,but could never conceive the rock and pop that was just around the corner. Which somehow, in this context, makes it all the cooler. All of the virtues of "Hardrock" can also be found in "Susie Snowflake", yet one suspects it will always be these three whorule the island of misfit guilty pleasures. Who were these singersand animators? Perhaps this is the best kind of mystery, the kindthat deserve to remain unsolved.