Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town

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Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town

TV-G

1970

51m

Kids & Family

Animation

Holiday

Fantasy

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

93%

Tomatometer

14 Reviews

82%

Popcornmeter

1,000+ Ratings

A lanky mailman (voiced by Fred Astaire) tells the story of Santa Claus. Adopted by an elf family named Kringle, young Kris longs to restore the Kringle reputation as toymakers to the king, but the evil Burgermeister Meisterburger has outlawed toys in Sombertown. Overcoming the opposition of both the Burgermeister and the Winter Warlock, Kris begins delivering toys not only to the children on Sombertown, but all around the world as well.

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Critics Consensus

Arriving with light-hearted cheeriness and the best musical numbers, Santa Claus Is Comin To Town is a magical story told by charming wood-figure animation.

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Emily St. James

Vox

Nov 26, 2018

Everything Rankin/Bass did works perfectly here. The guest voice (Fred Astaire) is dead on. The filling in of mythology around a holiday figure is just great. And even the song the special builds toward is one of the better Santa Claus songs out there.

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Virginia Heffernan

New York Times

Nov 26, 2018

Two of these, ''Santa Claus is Comin' to Town'' and ''The Year Without a Santa Claus,'' [are] both giddy and delightful.

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Charles Bramesco

New York Times

Nov 26, 2018

This origin story for Santa Claus has all the elements that have made their productions perennial favorites every holiday season, including Fred Astaire and Mickey Rooney as the kindly narrator and a young Kris Kringle.

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Rachel Wagner

rachelsreviews.net

Apr 18, 2019

8/10

So overall it is an odd trippy little film but I enjoyed watching it.

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Mark Hughes

Forbes

Nov 29, 2018

With terrific set designs and the best musical numbers of any of the old Rankin-Bass animated specials, it really holds up well even to this day. The story of how Santa Claus came to be, it's a must-see if you've got little kids in the household.

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David Kobylanski

Collider

Nov 28, 2018

Rather than a pure retelling, it became a unique modern version amongst other historical folklore. A modern fairytale of sorts.

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Rihannna H.

@RT07733770 Jan 21, 2026

Such a cute movie! Cute story, cute animation, good classic Christmas movie!

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James E

@JamesE167 Jan 5, 2026

Christmas is defined well in this timeless film.

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Jace E

@thefilmguy Dec 16, 2025

The music is fun, the characters are cheery (other than the perfectly named Burgermeister Meisterburger) and the message is clear. It's magical to see the influence that one small act of kindness can have on another. Now, this movie is no Klaus but it is a timeless classic that I love revisiting. Best Character: Winter Best Quote: "You mustn't mind the tree monsters. Their bark is worse than their bite." - Winter Best Scene: One Foot in Front of Another

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Jeffery B.

@Bubby-43499 Dec 11, 2025

Simply the best type of Christmas tradition

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Alec B

@AlecMichaelB Dec 23, 2024

Santa Claus Is Coming to Town, the classic Rankin/Bass stop-motion special, remains a nostalgic holiday favorite, even if its charm feels dated by today’s standards. With catchy songs and adorable claymation, its origin story of Santa has a timeless sweetness. If you're looking to rekindle childhood memories or introduce younger generations to a piece of holiday history, this is one of the classics that MUST be watched each year.

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Nick H

@RT67512561 Dec 23, 2023

I have watched this movie for more than 2 decades and it always make me feel like a child again.

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Jules Bass

Director

Arthur Rankin Jr.

Director

Fred Astaire

Narrator

Mickey Rooney

Kris

Keenan Wynn

Winter Warlock

Paul Frees

Burgermeister Meisterburger

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Synopsis

A lanky mailman (voiced by Fred Astaire) tells the story of Santa Claus. Adopted by an elf family named Kringle, young Kris longs to restore the Kringle reputation as toymakers to the king, but the evil Burgermeister Meisterburger has outlawed toys in Sombertown. Overcoming the opposition of both the Burgermeister and the Winter Warlock, Kris begins delivering toys not only to the children on Sombertown, but all around the world as well.

Director: Jules Bass, Arthur Rankin Jr.
Producer: Arthur Rankin Jr., Jules Bass
Screenwriter: Romeo Muller
Rating: TV-G
Genre: Kids & Family, Animation, Holiday, Fantasy
Original Language: English
Release Date (TV): Dec 14, 1970
Runtime: 51m

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