back in time... waaaaaay back

for years I've been looking for a certain Christmas special.

seriously for years... I started when I was around 18... checking in at the local video store, asking the owners if they remembered it. (They did, but didn't know the name of it)

This was in the days before Google.

These are the days of Google, so for the past few years, I've been googling "Christmas specials old" "Disney Christmas specials night before Christmas" and "mama dolls decorate the tree"

all for naught.

Growing up, we'd watch all the Christmas specials we could find. Grinch was right up there. The animated Rudolf, old saint nick, chipmunks, Micky, Muppet's.... the list goes on. But the one I loved most was the one where the night before Christmas played... Santa went down the chimney, and let loose the bag of toys who proceeded to decorate the tree while a dozen little kids slept. Images that stuck out in my mind the most... the dolls that say "mama" marching along (floppy falling over) in time to the tin solders playing their trumpets.... the fire engine pumping fake snow onto the branches.... Santa using a tiny umbrella in the toe of a torn stocking so it would hold the toys... and the blimp dropping the star on the Christmas tree....

It was remembering the blimp that helped me find it on Friday night... "Christmas special Disney night before Christmas blimp" went into the google bar... and I came face to face with the 1932 Merry Melodies Night Before Christmas.

It was taken off the air because of one scene where a little boy looks up into the fireplace and gets covered in soot from Santa squirming out... the result is the little boy looking like he's in black face until a puppy licks his face clean. It was considered "ethnic humour" and a little too racy for TV.

Enjoy! Seriously, this brings me back... (click the pic)