Animation Damnation: The Little Drummer Boy (1968)
Added 2024-12-20 11:00:07 +0000 UTCOn this special holiday edition of Animation Damnation, we're chatting about the spooktacular holiday horror show, The Little Drummer Boy!
Another bone-chilling Rankin & Bass production, this sucker originally aired back on December 19, 1968 and features this drummer boy banging his instrument right in Baby Jesus's face, a classic "ethnic" design on this villainous carnival guy, a bunch of animals that clearly understand English, Baby Jesus bringing a sheep back from the dead, and some of the most absolute trash stop motion animation ever recorded.
The Little Drummer Boy features the voices of José Ferrer, Paul Frees, June Foray, Ted Eccles, Greer Garson, and The Vienna Boys Choir as Themselves; directed by Jules Bass, Arthur Rankin & Takeo Nakamura.
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Original cover art by Felipe Sobreiro.
Comments
Oriental meant near Middle East. In biblical terms and how it’s being used here. I learned this because HP Lovecraft gave up his misogyny due to it being an oriental idea. I was like “ahh HP, your racism has made you feminist,” but he was referring to Christianity/Abrahamic religions in general. Its being used as antonym to Occidental seemed to claim the entirety of its meaning. Which now leads me to start calling dickhead westerners “Occidentals”
RJ Cunningham
2025-01-01 05:39:42 +0000 UTCI feel a little proud that Eric is asking questions and observing all this weird shit I am wondering.
RJ Cunningham
2025-01-01 05:29:01 +0000 UTCMeant to ask if any of you guys seen Twas the night before Christmas?
Dawn Elicia Billings
2024-12-24 20:50:56 +0000 UTCI grew up on A Year Without a Santa Claus, Santa Claus is coming to town and Roduplh. My favorite is Garfield Christmas is my favorite. You guys should do the three Garfield specials. As for this one is my least favorite. I’ve ever seen this one twice.
Dawn Elicia Billings
2024-12-24 00:49:16 +0000 UTCDo the sequel! Do the sequel!
Andrea Erin
2024-12-23 15:19:17 +0000 UTCIf anyone's curious, the le Carré book Chris is referring to is The Little Drummer Girl, and it's a good read. It's about a young British woman who gets recruited by Israeli intelligence as a double agent in a Palestinian militant organisation. (So, uh, kind of topical.) If the foreword is to be believed, le Carré worked with both Israeli and Palestinian sources and the book came across to me as pretty even-handed. There was also a 2018 BBC adaptation but I have no idea whether it's worth anyone's time.
Cody
2024-12-22 16:39:06 +0000 UTCMy grandparents loved this one, so I grew up with it in a way, but I always hated it so always stopped paying attention to the TV when they put it on (a major feat). About a decade ago I bought my wife a collection of the holiday shorts, Little Drummer Boy was included. Since then, whenever my wife puts it on I just do chores.
I.C. Weiner
2024-12-21 16:57:49 +0000 UTCThe great irony of the song is that most versions contain no actual drums, but choirs singing “pa rump pa pum pum”.
Craig
2024-12-21 09:04:06 +0000 UTCNever saw this growing up, so put my WHM hat on to tear it apart… but maybe because of nostalgia for the other R&B specials, the fact I actually have a little Christmas spirit this year, and it was short… I didn’t hate it.
James Gibson
2024-12-21 07:06:33 +0000 UTCThe Bowie version is great, but I’d also argue that the Johnny Cash version rocks.
Marissa Halat
2024-12-21 00:08:38 +0000 UTCSome of the best episodes of any WHM show are the ones where the gang struggles to want to talk about the actual subject. Some incredibly funny tangents will be had every time. Steve re: Eric doubting any Aarons in the bible: "Aaron was a Jewish prophet, a high priest and the older brother of Moses, you dumb fuck!" Andrew re: the movie Three Kings: "It's good when Ice Cube's in real movies." - Eric: "Also drinks too. Love that."
Busiris
2024-12-20 22:27:14 +0000 UTCHell yeah! - Andrew
We Hate Movies
2024-12-20 18:06:43 +0000 UTCAndrew correctly standing up for eggnog
Jamie
2024-12-20 17:23:42 +0000 UTCAlso hugely pro-eggnog guy right here, I stand with Andrew. Don’t know where the hell Steve gets the deviled eggs comparison from!!
Aaron Dowler
2024-12-20 17:13:28 +0000 UTCI grew up on all things Rankin and Bass and this one was a holiday staple.
TDB
2024-12-20 16:11:09 +0000 UTCWatched this on edibles. Not a bad night.
Rose Esposito
2024-12-20 15:53:02 +0000 UTCBig episode for me (my name is Aaron)
Aaron Dowler
2024-12-20 15:21:47 +0000 UTCJust watched this for the first time, and felt like Krusty afterwards: "what the hell was that!?". Should be a fun discussion!
Tony King
2024-12-20 15:03:21 +0000 UTCOh I remember this...should be a fun listen.
Kerri Mellick IC#5695
2024-12-20 14:11:39 +0000 UTCThe Little Drummer Boy is a pawn of Satan. Who the hell else thinks a good thing to do around a newborn and a post-partum mother is bang a drum?
Michael Daniels
2024-12-20 13:59:50 +0000 UTCYou gotta do Rankin Bass’ Nestor the Long-Eared Christmas Donkey.
Supposing they brought
2024-12-20 13:36:22 +0000 UTCWatched it for the first time ever the other night in preparation for the listen! I’m getting ready to listen now.😊
Nena Aguilar
2024-12-20 12:44:27 +0000 UTCPulled this movie up on YouTube and I have no recollection of ever seeing. I'm shocked.
John Locke
2024-12-20 11:20:52 +0000 UTC
