The Christmas That Almost Wasn't facts for kids
Quick facts for kids The Christmas That Almost Wasn't |
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U.S. theatrical release poster
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| Directed by | Rossano Brazzi |
| Produced by | Barry B. Yellen A.J. Piccolo |
| Written by | Paul Tripp |
| Starring | Rossano Brazzi Paul Tripp |
| Music by | Bruno Nicolai |
| Cinematography | Alvaro Mancori |
| Editing by | Maurizio Lucidi |
| Distributed by | Childhood Productions Inc. |
| Release date(s) | November 23, 1966 (U.S.) |
| Running time | 93 minutes (Italy) 89 minutes (U.S.) |
| Country | United States Italy |
| Language | English |
The Christmas That Almost Wasn't is a fun Christmas movie from 1966. It was made in both America and Italy. The film stars Rossano Brazzi and Paul Tripp. Childhood Productions Inc. first released it. Many years ago, in the 1970s and early 1980s, you could often watch this movie on TV, especially on HBO during December. In Italy, the movie is called Il Natale che quasi non fu.
What's the Story?
The movie begins with Sam Whipple, a lawyer who doesn't have much money but is always cheerful. He meets Santa Claus, who is very sad. Santa explains that he has a new landlord, Phineas T. Prune. Mr. Prune is demanding a lot of rent money from Santa.
Mr. Prune has even threatened to take all of Santa's toys. He also wants to kick Santa, Mrs. Claus, and the elves out of their home! To get the money, Sam and Santa decide to get jobs. They start working at a big department store. They hope that working for just two days will earn enough money to pay all the rent.
Santa is a bit nervous at first, but when children arrive, they love him right away. He becomes a huge hit at the store!
Mr. Prune, however, has a sneaky plan to stop Sam and Santa. He buys the department store! Then, he tells his butler to ruin some of the toys. Mr. Prune takes the cost of the damaged toys out of Santa and Sam's paychecks. He proudly says that Santa will never be able to pay his rent on time now.
Sam and Santa are broke again and worried. They fear that Christmas might be canceled! A small boy sees them looking sad on the street. He asks what's wrong. When Sam explains the problem, the boy calls out to all the children in the city to help Santa.
All the children rush into the streets. They give whatever money they can. They collect more than enough to pay all the rent that is due!
Santa pays Mr. Prune his rent just in time. Then, Santa, Mrs. Claus, and Sam work together to deliver all the gifts. They are surprised to find that the very last gift is for Mr. Prune himself!
They arrive at Mr. Prune's house, and Santa offers him the gift. Mr. Prune opens it and is very touched. Inside is a toy sailboat, exactly what he wanted when he was a boy. A letter from Santa's head elf apologizes for a mistake. It explains that Santa never visited him as a child.
Mr. Prune suddenly feels the Christmas spirit again! He runs into the street, wishing everyone a merry Christmas. The townspeople are confused by his sudden happiness. As Santa and Mrs. Claus leave, Santa thanks Sam for all his help.
Mr. Prune kindly gives his new sailboat to a little boy. The children of the town watch happily. He then invites all of them to his mansion for a big Christmas party!
Who's in the Movie?
Here are some of the main actors and the characters they play:
- Rossano Brazzi as Phineas T. Prune
- Paul Tripp as Sam Whipple
- Alberto Rabagliati as Santa Claus
- Lydia Brazzi as Mrs. Santa Claus
- Mischa Auer as Jonathan, the elf foreman
- Sonny Fox as Mr. Prim
- John Karlsen as Blossom
