The Year Without a Santa Claus (1974)

78% of users liked it
(4,806 ratings)

In Jules Bass' puppet-animated A Year Without A Santa Claus, an elf and a young boy have to rescue Santa from the evil Heat Meiser and Snow Meiser. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 50 min.
Directed By: Jules Bass, Arthur Rankin Jr.
Written By: William Keenan
Genres: Television, Animation, Kids & Family, Musical & Performing Arts, Science Fiction & Fantasy

In Theaters: Jan 1, 1974 Wide
On DVD: Oct 31, 2000

Critic Reviews

MaryAnn Johanson, Flick Filosopher
What I remember most about [this] is always always the Snow Miser and the Heat Miser -- those warring warlocks of weather; heh, more pagan stuff...

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Featured Audience Ratings

Luke B

Another excellent Rankin and Bass Christmas special. Here, Santa decides to skip Christmas for a year. After all, he's sick and nobody appreciates his work anymore. Mrs. Claus isn't going to give up quite so easily, and with the help of Jingle and Jangle, they set about… More
Another excellent Rankin and Bass Christmas special. Here, Santa decides to skip Christmas for a year. After all, he's sick and nobody appreciates his work anymore. Mrs. Claus isn't going to give up quite so easily, and with the help of Jingle and Jangle, they set about raising some Christmas cheer around the world. A lovely film about taking people and Christmas for granted. The stand-outs are Snow Miser and Heat Miser. Two bickering stepbrothers trying to spread their own brand of winter. There verbal fisticuffs are amusing, and their songs are catchy.
Bruce B

.Film 15 is another Rankin/Bass Production. This one is about the year Santa Claus wanted a holiday because kids stop believing in him and others didn't appreciate him. So Mrs. Claus to the rescue. The heat miser was a pretty cool figure. What's cool about these movies is… More
.Film 15 is another Rankin/Bass Production. This one is about the year Santa Claus wanted a holiday because kids stop believing in him and others didn't appreciate him. So Mrs. Claus to the rescue. The heat miser was a pretty cool figure. What's cool about these movies is the actors that Rankin/Bass Productions got to voice in this one had Mickey Rooney, and Shirley Booth (Hazel) along with a host of others. Never thought I would watch these as I didn't growing up and what surprised me more is I enjoyed them, 4 Stars
danny d

this is a Christmas classic. rankin and bass put out all of the specials that my family watches two or three times every december and this is one of them, great show.
Andrew F

Mickey Rooney's voice was not right for the part, but the Heatmiser and Snowmiser songs are so catchy that they make up for it.
Sarah P

I enjoyed the Miser Brothers, but this wasn't something I watched as a kid, so I don't have a special place for it.