The Spirit of Christmas is a Christmas television special performed by marionettes.[1] First airing in 1953, it was produced by Mabel and Les Beaton, through their company, Stringtime Productions.[1] Its half-hour showing time is divided into two marionette segments, one dramatizing Clement Clarke Moore's 1823 poem "A Visit from St. Nicholas" and one telling the story of the Nativity.[1] The live-action part of the film features Alexander Scourby, who narrates and also plays Clement Moore in the Visit from St. Nicholas segment. The jacket of the DVD version calls it "The Philadelphia Holiday Classic," referring to the region of the United States where it was originally broadcast. The jacket also describes it as a "50s TV Christmas classic, which has led it to being misdated as first being shown in 1950.[1]
Into the 1960s, the special was aired multiple times per Christmas season, without commercial interruptions except for opening and closing remarks by "your telephone company" (Bell Telephone). It was also available as a 16mm film licensed to schools for showings to students.[1][2] It disappeared from the airwaves for several decades but began airing on public television again in 1998.[3] It was unusual in that it was made in color, despite all television broadcasting at the time being in black-and-white.
The "St. Nicholas" segment includes music from The Nutcracker ballet.[citation needed]
This holiday special, first aired in 1953 and sponsored by Ma Bell, was produced by puppeteer Mabel Beaton. . . . Ms. Beaton started out performing marionette shows for her community in a make-shift theater during the 1930s and 40s. . . . she decided to elevate her puppeteering career by creating filmed marionette programs. She got lucky with her first try out of the gate when she presented her half-hour Christmas special, The Spirit of Christmas, to The Bell Telephone Company. The president enthusiastically green-lit the show as their 1953 Christmas special, and it became their holiday show for the next several years during the 50s. . . . My first exposure to it was in elementary school in the late 60s/early 70s. Every year, on the last day before Christmas vacation, the teacher would drag out that clunky 16 mm projector and put on the threadbare film print of The Spirit of Christmas.(includes photos of DVD jacket)
I remember those Christmas parties being held in the Lincoln High Auditorium in the 50s. The would show a 16mm film from the Bell Telephone System called the Spirit of Christmas.
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