'Twas the Night Before Christmas (1974 TV special)

'Twas the Night Before Christmas
Official logo
GenreAnimation
Written byJerome Coopersmith
Directed byArthur Rankin Jr.
Jules Bass
StarringJoel Grey
George Gobel
Tammy Grimes
John McGiver
Narrated byGeorge Gobel (main story)
Joel Grey (poem sequence)
Theme music composerMaury Laws
Country of originUnited States
Japan
Original languageEnglish
Production
ProducersArthur Rankin Jr.
Jules Bass
CinematographyToru Hara
Tsuguyuki Kubo
Running time25 minutes
Production companiesRankin/Bass Productions
Topcraft
Original release
NetworkCBS
ReleaseDecember 8, 1974 (1974-12-08)
Related
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'Twas the Night Before Christmas is a 1974 animated Christmas television special produced by Rankin/Bass Productions[1] which features Clement Clarke Moore's famous 1823 poem, A Visit from St. Nicholas, the opening line of which is the source of the title of this animated special.[2] The special first originally aired on CBS on December 8, 1974[3] where it aired annually until 1994, when The Family Channel (now Freeform) took over its syndication rights. AMC took over syndication rights for the special in 2018.[4]

Although the opening credits mention "told and sung by Joel Grey", it is really narrated by George Gobel, as there is more emphasis on the point of view of Father Mouse, with Moore's poem read by Grey as a secondary plot.


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  1. ^ "Rankin/Bass' "'Twas the Night Before Christmas" on Records |". cartoonresearch.com. Retrieved 2023-07-01.
  2. ^ Crump, William D. (2019). Happy Holidays—Animated! A Worldwide Encyclopedia of Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and New Year's Cartoons on Television and Film. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company. p. 324. ISBN 9781476672939.
  3. ^ DataBase, The Big Cartoon. "'Twas The Night Before Christmas (Rankin-Bass Productions)". Big Cartoon DataBase (BCDB). Retrieved 2023-07-01.
  4. ^ "AMC PRESENTS ITS LARGEST SLATE OF HOLIDAY PROGRAMMING WITH "AMC BEST CHRISTMAS EVER"". 8 November 2018. Retrieved 27 November 2018.

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