MovieChat Forums > Il Natale che quasi non fu (1966) Discussion > A personnal rememberance of this film

A personnal rememberance of this film

posted 18 years ago by dgranger
3 replies | jump to latest

Though i hardly remember much the film's story now,including the sign that flutters down instead of falls because it was a stage flat with canvas instead of being a real sign, there is a scene in it stays with me even until this day. It is the scene where Santa contacts Mr. Whipple and asks him for help. It was not only well written (for the film) but it did not talk down to the kids, or talk over their heads ethier. It talked to the kids as if they are intelligent and could follow the film's concept. Most importantly, it showed to me a human side with a touch of pathos to Santa. I must point out that at this time I had not seen "Miracle on 34th Street" yet and its human Santa; therefore, the only versions of Santa I had seen was TV's comic book super christmas saving toyman Santa. (Don't get me wrong, I had eventaully seen "Miracle on 34th Street", I had just seen "The Christmas That Almost Wasn't" first.) This film's Santa impressed me so deeply that i had created my own christmas story that has and still knocks around in my head for nearly forty years and someday I'll write it down.
My christmas tale is baised on a more human Santa like the one in the scene from "The Christmas That Almost Wasn't." The actions in the tale are about love and not around the typical 'must save christmas' theme; eventhough, christmas does get endangered late in the course of the story and gets resolved in a way one doesn't expect. One thing does get driven home is that Santa Claus loves Mrs. Claus so very, very deeply.
And for proof of the exstance of my tale, here is this bit from my imgination: The reindeer love to play, especally the game 'KEEP AWAY' with humans who can't fly. They are not being mean, they are just having fun. But never turn your back on Blitzen because while he is not being mean, he loves to knock people over when they ignore him. Where does one think they had gotten the name for the football play from? Answer, him!
This has led me to do research about christmas traditions around the world and broaden my respect for these traditions like the one in Sicily (sorry for the mis-spelling, i mean the island south of Italy), where a good witch who was busy cleaning her house, could not go with the three wise men to visit the Christ child. So when she was done and couldn't find the wise men, she decided to visit the house of every child and leave presents for them in hopes that one of them is the christ child (i hope I got that right). I know so many names for Santa Claus and St. Nicholas, like Sinterclaus, Papa Noël, Father Christmas, Peré Noël, Saint Lucia, Christkindel, The snowmaiden of Russia (i can't spell her name), GrandFather Frost, the Christmas angel, and others. And Black Peter the moore who is a freind to Sinterclaus and the terror to naughty children.
It has led into a collection of Christmas music which is one of my hobbies.

And just think, all this started from one scene from "The Christmas That Almost Wasn't."
Can anyone add too the list of names for Santa?

[–] dgranger 18 years ago

In effort to self edit my mistakes, I offer these corrections:

Le Befana, the good witch, is in Italy and Sicily.

The Kolyada is the Russian ELF maiden whose role as gift giver was lessened by the Communist Party when they had created Grandfather Frost and had moved holiday celebrations closer to New Years and away from the day she went about delivering gifts, the eve of the Epiphany. She used a sleigh with sleighbells and carried gifts in a basket.

It is Sinterklaäs, not Sinterclaus. His freind is also known as Piet. Sinterklaas uses a white horse that flys over the rooftops and Piet also collects the carrots left for the steed.

It is Christkindl, not Christkindel, who was started by Martin Luthor as the infant Jesus. But as time passed, the figure of the Christkindl had changed into an angel. The Christkindl is in germany along with St. Nicholas (Germany, Holland, Ireland, and a lot of other countries around the world).

The Christmas Angel is in Hungry.

I would also like to add the Julenisse who is a Gnome in Denmark.

Babbo Natale, based on Santa Claus, is a recent italian addition because of mass communications and he is slowly pushing out the traditions of St. Luca, Jesu Bambino and Le Befana in many areas of Italy.

And of course, let us not forget Kris Kringle.

I would like to end with a variation of a dannish blessing I had learned. "May God Bless your Christmas and may it last the year round."

[–] BlueGreen 14 years ago

And just think, all this started from one scene from "The Christmas That Almost Wasn't."

You know, I've never seen this film - only read about how terrible it supposedly is (and always wondered what persuaded Brazzi to work in it) - but in truth, if it made such an impression and spawned a long-lived interest, such as yours... well then, it has accomplished more than many supposedly better films. ;)

It's a very interesting thread.
Thanks!

[–] Inglorious-Mofo 14 years ago

It was technically cheesy but the story line was appropriate for kids at the time.

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