So, tonight I watched both Santa Claus Is Comin’ To Town and The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus. Both movies are Santa Claus origin stories animated by Rankin Bass. With it being so close to Christmas Eve, the night Santa does his yearly travel, I decided to do my own comparison on the movies and their telling of Santa Claus’ story. I will state right now that both films have their own unique way of telling the story of Santa Claus, and I would recommend both movies if you haven’t seen either of them.
Firstly, let’s start with Santa’s beginning. Both movies start off relatively the same. We never know Santa’s true parents, as he’s left abandoned in both movies. In Santa Claus Is Comin’ To Town, a person who most likely came from Sombertown left her son named Claus with Burgermeister Meisterburger with hopes that he’ll raise him. However, Burgermeister Meisterburger is against the idea, and sends the baby away. Then Claus is found by the Kringles, who easily become attached to him. However, they change his name to Kris Kringle, but he refers to himself as Claus when he’s an adult. In The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus, The Great Ak discovers a nameless baby boy and first allows Sheigra, a lion, to raise him. However, Necile, a female nymph, wishes to raise the baby, and names him Claus, which means “little one”.
So, in SCICTT, Santa is already given a name, but it’s changed until he becomes an adult. In TLAAOSC, the baby is presumed nameless until Necile calls him Claus. In both films, Santa is founded and raised by elf-like creatures that offer him an easy-going life until he reaches adulthood.
Throughout their lives, both Santas develop a love for children. With Kris, he was raised to appreciate children, and create toys for them. With Claus, when The Great Ak takes him around the world, Claus feels sorry for the children that couldn’t have the easy going life he had. When they both mature, they want to help children. Kris wants to bring them toys, and Claus just wants to bring them happiness.
When it comes to why Santa loves children, it’s better explained in TLAAOSC. Claus sees instances where children are forced to act more mature than they are, or are unhappy to the point where they can’t have a good childhood. This affects Claus, and gives him the motivation to come to the mortal world and try and help children in some way. With Kris in SCICTT, he kinda just takes toys to them and that’s it. There’s not much of a connection with Kris as there is with Claus, who tears up upon seeing children so happy with his toys while Kris was expecting to get a kiss on the cheek from the kids. Kinda creepy. 8I
Now, these two movies focus on different questions often asked about Santa. In SCICTT, for instance, we learn how Santa meets Mrs. Claus. However, in TLAAOSC, Claus is a single pringle. Yet, TLAAOSC tells us how the flipping heck Santa has been around for so long, and SCICTT doesn’t. Kris is a typical mortal who clearly ages, yet Claus was granted immortality. Also, SCICTT explains that Kris chose to do his yearly run on Christmas Eve since it was the night of “profound love”. As for TLAAOSC, they just kinda say, “Oh yeah, just go on Christmas Eve. No reason. Just go on that night.” But what questions do both movies answer?
Well, both movies explain how Santa got his flying reindeer. With Kris, he had befriended all the nearby creatures during his childhood, including reindeer. As for how they could fly, you can thank Winter Warlock and his magic feed corn for that. As for Claus, he’s friends with Peter Nook, who is able to communicate to animals. He summons reindeer for Claus to use. As for how they fly, they kinda...just do it. It’s not explained.
Both movies similarly address why Santa uses a chimney. Both Santas are locked out, and desperately try to find a way in so they could give their gifts to the children. Each of their sidekicks (Topper and Tingler/Similar names too) suggest the chimney, and they go down it and leave presents in the drying stockings hanging above the fireplace.
The question of why Santa goes at night to deliver gifts is also answered in each film, though it’s more subtle in TLAAOSC. In SCICTT, Kris delivers gifts to Sombertown at night so he won’t be caught by Burgermeister Meisterburger. Even after leaving Sombertown, Kris is still considered an outlaw until Burgermeister Meisterburger presumably dies, so he continues to travel by night. As for Claus, the Ogwas constantly stop him from taking toys to children during the day. So he thinks to travel by night, though, that doesn’t quite work out. After the Ogwas are defeated, Claus still decides to travel by night, mostly so kids are able to wake up to a “big surprise”.
We also learn where his signature “hohoho” laugh came from. With Kris, it’s a laugh he develops over time because of his animal friends. With Claus, he develops this laugh because of living in the Laughing Valley, where the laugh just comes to him.
When searching for images for this, I stumbled upon this page: http://comicsalliance.com/ask-chris-87-the-santa-claus-of-two-worlds/ They also give a great comparison between these two movies.
Phew, this was fun! Again, if you’re curious about both these movies, I would check them out. I will say that Santa Claus Is Comin’ To Town is a more friendly approach to the origins of Santa Claus, as opposed to The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus that has a more mature feel. Both are great, entertaining versions of Santa’s story, though. I really can’t say one is better than the other. That’s just something you’ll have to judge for yourself.
I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! :)
