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Mickey Rooney, Shirley Booth, George Irving, Dick Shawn, Robert McFadden ... see more see more... , George S. Irving , Bob McFadden

In Jules Bass' puppet-animated A Year Without A Santa Claus, an elf and a young boy have to rescue Santa from the evil Heat Meiser and Snow Meiser. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Rovi

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78% liked it

4,806 ratings

Unrated, 50 min.

Directed by: Jules Bass, Arthur Rankin Jr.

Release Date: January 1, 1974

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DVD Release Date: October 31, 2000

Stats: 263 reviews

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Snowmiser Heatmiser Santa is sick Jingle and Jangle Snow Miser Mrs. Claus
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Flixster Reviews (263)

  • kiriyamakazou
    December 11, 2010
    kiriyamakazou
    Another excellent Rankin and Bass Christmas special. Here, Santa decides to skip Christmas for a year. After all, he's sick and nobody appreciates his work anymore. Mrs. Claus isn't going to give up quite so easily, and with the help of Jingle and Jangle, they set about raising s... read moreome Christmas cheer around the world. A lovely film about taking people and Christmas for granted. The stand-outs are Snow Miser and Heat Miser. Two bickering stepbrothers trying to spread their own brand of winter. There verbal fisticuffs are amusing, and their songs are catchy.
  • bbcfloridabound
    December 2, 2010
    bbcfloridabound
    .Film 15 is another Rankin/Bass Production. This one is about the year Santa Claus wanted a holiday because kids stop believing in him and others didn't appreciate him. So Mrs. Claus to the rescue. The heat miser was a pretty cool figure. What's cool about these movies is the a... read morectors that Rankin/Bass Productions got to voice in this one had Mickey Rooney, and Shirley Booth (Hazel) along with a host of others. Never thought I would watch these as I didn't growing up and what surprised me more is I enjoyed them, 4 Stars
  • sanjurosamurai
    December 23, 2007
    sanjurosamurai
    this is a Christmas classic. rankin and bass put out all of the specials that my family watches two or three times every december and this is one of them, great show.
  • adfill7
    January 3, 2009
    adfill7
    Mickey Rooney's voice was not right for the part, but the Heatmiser and Snowmiser songs are so catchy that they make up for it.
  • trisarahtops22
    December 15, 2010
    trisarahtops22
    I enjoyed the Miser Brothers, but this wasn't something I watched as a kid, so I don't have a special place for it.
  • sayblack
    November 22, 2011
    sayblack
    Everyone knows the classic Christmas song about Rudolph, The Red-Nosed Reindeer. And there are even those who know about Prancer, and how he was nursed back to health by one little girl who never lost hope or faith. But there is one more movie about another of Santa's legendary... read more team of reindeer that's just as important in the canon of holiday movies as the aforementioned flicks. That movie is The Year Without a Santa Claus. As with Rudolph, and certain other stop motion movies of its time, The Year Without a Santa Claus is, believe it or not, one of the most important movies in the history of holiday movies.

    The Year Without a Santa Claus is just one of a handful of stop-motion movies made by Rankin Bass. That form of movie was, essentially, the precursor to CG-based animation. It is, however, one of the lesser known of their works. Though, it's probably better known than the likes of, say, Nestor The Long-Eared Donkey. That one's a great story for church groups. Though there is the aspect of what happens to Nestor's mom. That might be a bit difficult for some younger audiences. It does send a great message, though, about having pride in one's self, despite the taunts and jeers of others. But, back to Santa for now. Everyone knows Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. That's because there's a song on which that stop-motion film was made. But the story of how Santa had to save Vixen is far less known. That's part of the basis for The Year Without a Santa Claus. The primary plot involves Santa getting sick, and almost not being able to go out on Christmas to deliver the presents to all the boys and girls of the world.

    Now, the concept of Santa's illness potentially holding off Christmas is old hat at this point. But when this movie was made, very few movies took that route. But it's been done again and again since that time, and even twisted around with the likes of the real Santa being arrested in Ernest Saves Christmas. Famed animated favorite, Fred Flintstone had to don the coat and boots one year, too. This was after The Year Without a Santa Claus, too. Even as recent as one early episodes of Futurama, audiences have seen Bender, the Robot, save Christmas. So to that extent, The Year Without a Santa Claus was a first in its field. Want more evidence?

    As noted, The Year Without a Santa Claus has been the root for so many movies and TV specials since its original debut. Along with being ripped off, it's also been redone and re-imagined since it's time, too. As recently as the 2000's, there has been a live action re-imagining of this classic. There has also been an attempt to revive the holiday stop motion genre, with the creation of A Miser Brothers Christmas. Now those who remember The Year Without a Santa Claus, remember that was the first introduction of the bratty Miser Brothers. In this most recent re-introduction to the classic duo, they have to save Christmas from the evil North Wind, who wants to bump off old Saint Nick, and take his place. It's just one more in the long line of movies that lifts directly from the older classic. Though the message of putting aside the past and letting bygones be bygones is another positive message for both younger and older audiences alike.

    Lots of movies have come and gone over the decades that see Santa being replaced-at least temporarily-for one reason or another. But in all the years, and among all the masses of movies in that sub-category, none has ever been, or ever will be nearly as important to the world of holiday and Christmas movies, as The Year Without a Santa Claus. Sure it's cheesy at points. And some may even sneer at the old school stop motion animation. But if not for that style of movie-making, there may not be the mass of cg-based movies that pollute the movie landscape today. So in its own right, The Year Without a Santa Claus is-and always will be-one of the most important ever made for the holidays.
  • kenscheck
    October 16, 2011
    kenscheck
    Rankin/Bass' animation looks a little bit more on the cheaper side of things, the story is average, and some of the characters and actions are downright weird and kind of creepy...on the other hand the Miser Bros. are awesome. Too bad they aren't in it enough. I really wish I co... read moreuld say this one was solid, but I really felt like it wasn't.
  • stupidana
    November 29, 2010
    stupidana
    I look forward to this movie coming on abc families the 25 days of christmas every year. I love heat mister!!! It would be nice to have my own copy to watch
  • mikeyt817
    January 2, 2008
    mikeyt817
    Christmas favorite for me. The songs are awesome in this and the story is very nice. Good for Christmas! Features "Blue Christmas" and "I'm Mr. White Christmas".
  • mlizzard15
    December 13, 2007
    mlizzard15
    i love this movie! =) i loved watching this when i was younger. ((of course it wasnt that long ago lol))

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Critic Reviews

MaryAnn Johanson
January 4, 2005
MaryAnn Johanson, Flick Filosopher

What I remember most about [this] is always always the Snow Miser and the Heat Miser -- those warring warlocks of weather; heh, more pagan stuff... Full Review

Emanuel Levy
August 9, 2005
Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com

No review available.

Jeffrey Westhoff
July 26, 2002
Jeffrey Westhoff, Northwest Herald (Crystal Lake, IL)

No review available.

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The Year Without a Santa Claus Trivia

  • Who in the movie "The Year Without a Santa Claus" wants the temperature 80, 90, 100 degrees?  Answer »
  • Who played the voice of Heat Miser in "The Year Without a Santa Claus?"  Answer »
  • Who plays the voice of Mother Nature in "The Year Without a Santa Claus?"  Answer »
  • In "The Year Without a Santa Claus" what were the names of the two Elves who helped Mrs. Claus?   Answer »
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