Ever stumbled upon a movie that feels like a fever dream you had as a kid? That’s basically the vibe of The Christmas That Almost Wasn't. It is weird. It is colorful. It is intensely Italian. Released in 1966, this film occupies a very specific niche in the holiday canon, sitting somewhere between the "Golden Age" of Rankin/Bass stop-motion and the low-budget, slightly unsettling matinee films that used to dominate local television during December.
Honestly, it's a miracle it exists at all.
The movie wasn't some Hollywood blockbuster. It was a co-production between Italy and the United States, directed by and starring Rossano Brazzi. You might know him from South Pacific, where he played the suave French planter, but here, he's the villain—Phineas Prune. He’s basically a landlord who hates joy. He’s the guy who buys the North Pole just so he can evict Santa Claus. Talk about a specific kind of petty.
What Actually Happens in The Christmas That Almost Wasn't
The plot is remarkably simple yet deeply strange. A lawyer named Sam Whipple—played by Paul Tripp, who also wrote the screenplay—receives a letter from Santa. But it’s not a "Ho Ho Ho" kind of letter. Santa is broke. He’s in deep financial trouble because Phineas Prune owns the land where the workshop sits and is demanding back rent. If Santa doesn't pay up by Christmas Eve, he’s out on the street, and the toys get repossessed.
It’s a corporate take-over of Christmas.
Sam Whipple decides to help. He heads to the North Pole, and what follows is a series of musical numbers and strange vignettes. One of the most famous (or infamous) bits involves Santa and Sam taking jobs at a department store to raise the cash. Think about that for a second. Santa Claus has to get a job playing Santa Claus to save his own workshop. The irony is thick enough to choke on.
The Creative Mind of Paul Tripp
You can't talk about this movie without mentioning Paul Tripp. He was a pioneer in children's educational television, most famous for Tubby the Tuba. He had this earnest, wide-eyed sincerity that feels totally alien to modern audiences. In The Christmas That Almost Wasn't, he plays Whipple with such genuine belief that you almost forget the set looks like it was made of painted plywood and glitter.
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Tripp wrote the book and the lyrics. The music was handled by Bruno Nicolai, a man who spent most of his career conducting for Ennio Morricone. If the score sounds surprisingly lush or "Spaghetti Western-ish" in its orchestration, that’s why. It’s got that 1960s European kitsch that makes every scene feel slightly psychedelic.
Why the Visuals Feel So Different
Most Americans grew up with the Rankin/Bass aesthetic: Rudolph, Frosty, Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town. Those were clean, structured, and very "New York agency" in their execution. The Christmas That Almost Wasn't is a different beast entirely. It was filmed at the Cinecittà studios in Rome.
The lighting is harsh. The colors are garish. The elves aren't magical sprites; they are mostly played by adult actors with slightly bored expressions. It gives the film a theatrical, "stage play" quality.
There is a specific scene where the toys come to life. In a modern movie, this would be a CGI spectacle. In 1966 Italy, it’s people in costumes moving rhythmically. It’s charming, but if you’re watching it late at night, it’s also a little bit haunting. This is why the movie has survived as a cult classic. It doesn't look like anything else in the Christmas rotation.
Phineas Prune: The Underappreciated Villain
Rossano Brazzi clearly had a blast playing Prune. He’s not a monster; he’s a miser. He hates children because they’re loud. He hates Christmas because it’s messy. He lives in a house that looks like a gothic fever dream, and his primary motivation is just making everyone as miserable as he is.
Unlike the Grinch, who has a physiological problem (his heart is two sizes too small), Prune is just a jerk. He represents the "adult" world of contracts, leases, and debt encroaching on the "childhood" world of imagination and North Pole magic.
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The Mystery Science Theater 3000 Bump
For decades, this movie was lost to the "afternoon movie" slots on local TV stations. It was the kind of thing your parents put on to keep you quiet while they wrapped presents. Then, Mystery Science Theater 3000 (MST3K) got a hold of it in Season 11.
That episode gave the film a second life. Jonah and the bots tore into the weird pacing and the song "I've Got a Dog," which is—let’s be real—objectively bizarre. But even through the riffing, people noticed the film's weird heart. There’s a scene where Santa (played by Alberto Rabagliati) realizes he might actually lose everything. Rabagliati plays it with a heavy, Italian-flavored melancholy that is actually quite touching.
He’s a tired Santa. He’s a Santa who is worried about his pension.
Why It Matters Now
We live in an era of hyper-polished holiday content. Netflix drops fifteen Hallmark-style movies every November. They all look the same. They all have the same lighting. The Christmas That Almost Wasn't is an antidote to that. It’s messy. It’s weird. It has a song about a lawyer being a "big, big man."
It reminds us of a time when children’s entertainment could be experimental. When you could go to Rome, build a North Pole out of cardboard, and cast a major romantic lead as a guy who wants to sue Santa Claus.
The Real-World Legacy
If you try to find a high-definition Blu-ray of this, you might be searching for a while. It’s mostly relegated to bargain-bin DVDs and streaming services that specialize in public domain or "classic" content. But that obscurity is part of its charm.
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- The Music: The soundtrack was actually released on LP and is now a collector's item for fans of 1960s pop-orchestral music.
- The Book: Paul Tripp released a book version of the story, which is actually quite a bit more coherent than the film.
- The Voice Dubbing: Since it was filmed in Italy with a mixed cast, some of the dubbing is... off. It adds to the surreal nature of the dialogue.
Actionable Ways to Enjoy This Cult Classic
If you're tired of the usual Christmas marathon, here is how to actually approach this film without getting a headache.
First, don't watch it expecting Disney levels of production. Watch it as a piece of 1960s pop-art. Look at the costume design. Notice how the "North Pole" is clearly a soundstage in Italy. It’s fascinating from a film history perspective.
Second, if you have kids, show it to them. They usually respond to the bright colors and the "danger" of Santa being evicted much more than adults do. To a kid, a landlord is a much scarier villain than a giant snow monster.
Third, look for the MST3K version if you want a laugh, but try to find the original un-riffed version at least once. There is a strange, quiet dignity in the performance of Alberto Rabagliati as Santa. He isn't a caricature; he's a man who loves his job and is terrified of losing it.
Moving Forward with Holiday Obscurities
Don't stop here. The world of "weird Christmas" is deep. After you finish this one, look into the 1964 Santa Claus Conquers the Martians or the 1959 Mexican Santa Claus (where he fights a demon named Pitch).
These movies represent a global attempt to understand the Santa mythos before it was completely standardized by American corporate interests. They are flawed, strange, and occasionally boring, but they have a soul that "The Christmas Prince 7" will never have.
Next Steps for the Curious Viewer:
- Search for the soundtrack by Bruno Nicolai on streaming platforms; it's genuinely good lounge music.
- Compare the Phineas Prune character to Ebenezer Scrooge; Prune is much more concerned with legalities than morality.
- Check out Paul Tripp's other work, specifically Tubby the Tuba, to see where the DNA of this movie's earnestness came from.