Rankin & Bass are well-known for their holiday stop-animation films, and “The Year Without Santa Claus” is one of their most iconic. Many grew up on these holiday classics and more than just the songs have been adapted into pop culture. So why am I including “The Year Without A Santa” on this site? Because after “Rudolph“, it’s one of Rankin & Bass’ queerest holiday specials!
Synopsis of “The Year Without A Santa Claus”
Christmas-time is soon approaching, however Santa has come down with the flu! However, Santa was already debating whether or not it was still worth it, thinking that “no one believes in Santa anymore.” So when the doctor orders him to stay home this year, and over the protests of Mrs. Claus, he decides to cancel Christmas! But Mrs. Claus knows that something needs done; that you cannot cancel Christmas.
After considering putting on the iconic red suit herself, she eventually calls upon the help of two elves: Jingle and Jangle. She sends them down to the world in order to find someone who truly cares about Santa. That way they can convince Santa to not cancel Christmas. But Mrs. Claus forgets that in order to get down to the world, Jingle, Jangle, and Vixen have to first get past the notorious Snow Miser and Heat Miser brothers! Vixen is able to get the elves through safely, but Santa discovers what Mrs. Claus was up to and decides to follow after them before they get into more trouble.
Meanwhile, Jingle and Jangle land in Southtown USA. After being hassled by a policeman and to avoid being discovered, they disguise Vixen as a dog. But the heat is too much for her to cope with. While Jingle and Jangle are talking to local kids about Santa, the dogcatcher takes Vixen away as a stray dog! As the elves are off trying to save her, along with the help of one of the boys, Ignatius “Iggy” Thistlewhite, Santa arrives in town and happens upon Iggy’s family. After realizing that they still believe in Santa as adults, Iggy reveals that the elves were trying to get their “dog” released. But even after going to the Mayor, the elves are unable to get Vixen released. But the Mayor makes them a deal: if they can make it snow in Southtown, he’ll free Vixen and give Santa a national holiday.
As the elves and Iggy reach out for help from Mrs Claus, Santa rescues Vixen and rushes her back to the North Pole to recover. But in order to get it to snow in Southtown, Mrs Claus takes the boys to the Miser brothers. After all, Southtown is in Heat Miser’s territory and thus, Snow Miser is not able to let it snow there. But when Heat Miser proposes a trade-off to allow him access the North Pole, the boys clash as brothers do. So Mrs Claus goes straight to their mother: Mother Nature! She forces them to compromise and snow begins to fall in Southtown. Shocked, the Mayor follows up on his promise and kids all over start sending Santa gifts and letters. Many are letting him take a holiday, but one little girl’s letter about how she’ll have a blue Christmas without him is enough for Santa to change his mind. Christmas is back on!
This review will be a little bit different than my other film reviews, including my in-depth review of “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer”. Honestly, I don’t think there’s much more to say with regards to the film itself – so why repeat what many others have already concurred! It’s become such a classic that even the songs have from this holiday special transcended into holiday soundtracks heard all over. Not to mention the characters have become pop icons themselves.
Most importantly, Rankin & Bass are known as legends due to their incredible stop-animation work. Their holiday specials have become classic television content over the holidays. Many of us, myself included, grew up watching many of these specials each holiday season – and I still absolutely LOVE watching them! This one especially has become a classic special, partly because it posits what would happen if Santa took a holiday himself. But one thing that many haven’t approached yet is whether or not “The Year Without A Santa Claus” is a queer holiday film or not. Which is what I plan to comment on!
Why is “The Year Without A Santa Claus” a queer film?
Let’s get the obvious parts out of the way. When this holiday special was released in 1974, the Hayes Code of Hollywood was over – but barely. Films of this era were mainly self-censored, in that even though there were no “official” restrictions on queer or LGBTQ characters and storylines, many filmmakers stayed clear of us entirely. But after the events at Stonewall in 1969 and LGBTQ activism in the early 70’s had started to change things in Hollywood. Queer coding was back, but in an awkward balance between coding and actual representation. A LOT was left unclear for the audience to make their own assumption.
That’s what we have to work with here in “The Year Without A Santa Claus.” Nothing is explicitly gay or queer. Being a family holiday movie, the topic of sexuality wouldn’t even have been considered worth noting. But since we are talking about magical beings such as elves and reindeer that fly, not to mention that we are watching large puppets instead of humans, the story allowed a bit more flexibility to leave room for interpretation.
One of the best examples of this is connected to our camp brothers, Heat Miser and Snow Miser! Both brothers are introduced in big, flashy spectacle song & dance numbers where they talk about themselves. It’s very Vegas, very showgirls. Very gay! But the queer elements actually go a bit deeper. When the two brothers are fighting over allowing the other into their territory, they start calling each other names. “Tutti-fruitty” is what Heat Miser slings at his brother, while Snow Miser retorts back “flaming fool”. Both are common phrases many of us heard while growing up, often used negatively towards us. Snow Miser further uses phrases like “Sugarplum” and “Hotcakes”. All of these were some of the colorful sayings used both in and towards gay folks in the 70’s. It’s a way to call them both queer, without actually saying they are – or aren’t.
This queer coding of Heat Miser and Snow Miser is also fueled by an question on whether their voice actors might have been closeted themselves. What we do know is that both Dick Shawn (Snow Miser) and George S. Irving (Heat Miser) were married with families, there remains a question about their sexuality that remains unproven. But it was still quite normal for many gay actors to remain closeted even in the 1970’s.
However, Heat Miser and Snow Miser aren’t the only queer characters in “The Year Without A Santa Claus”! Our next obviously queer duos are the elves Jingle and Jangle. Now I know you’re going to say that they are elves, they are magical beings and we cannot apply our sexual orientations upon them. But honestly, how can you watch both Jingle and Jangle and NOT wonder if they’re secret lovers? After all, when Mrs. Claus needed some elves to help her out, she didn’t ask for volunteers – she knew the two of them together would be perfect. And if anyone could peg out a closeted queer couple, it’d be Mrs. Claus!
But when you further look at both Jingle and Jangle, you start to see other tidbits that lead us to believe they’re queer besides the fact that they’re always together as if bosom buddies. They go from being best friends (or partners?) to bickering about the smallest little thing. In many ways, they’re characterization is very similar to another classic puppet duo: Bert & Ernie. Who are also long suspected of being gay themselves! Even if you want to downplay their flamboyant behaviour due to the fact that they’re elves, there’s still something a bit different about Jingle and Jangle. Perhaps not as strong as the camp portrayals of Heat Miser and Snow Miser, but enough to question their queerness!
