MovieChat Forums > Santa and the Three Bears (1970) Discussion > Original running time

Original running time

posted 13 years ago by Gblakelii
4 replies | jump to latest

It is always difficult to track down the running time that a movie had when first released. There could be material added later, as a director's cut. There might have been a short film added at the opening and that time attached to the feature. Maybe someone wrote down the wrong running time and that was never corrected. The only definite fact is that "Santa and the Three Bears" as circulated on VHS and DVD has a running time that only varies by a minute or two, averaging out at 46. In 16mm catalogs from the 1980's the running time was given as 50, but no doubt was rounded out. Both the Motion Picture Guide, by Jay Robert Nash (&) The Encyclopedia of Animated Cartoons give it a running time of 63 minutes. The book, Animated TV Specials, by G.W. Woolery, makes the claim that besides a theatrical release, in some areas it may have made it's debut on TV in a 1 hour time slot. Could "63" minutes be incorrect? On the internet one source gives it "76" minutes. That seems improbable. We may never know the answer beyond a shadow of a doubt.

[–] Tito-8 13 years ago

I own a 46-minute version of this movie. It's completely animated -- the live action scenes have been cut. The version I originally watched roughly 23 years ago was probably close to the 63 minute running time that you mentioned.

[–] HarlowMGM 12 years ago

I was very curious about this film as I'd never seen it before although I seem to recall it being on television in the late 1970's, perhaps syndicated rather than being a network broadcast.

There is a pressbook to the movie on sale on ebay currently and you can read from it that the movie originally ran 68 minutes. Due to it's short length, the distributor encouraged scheduling it with short subjects. The film was released for "matinee screenings" only (no surprise given it's small kiddie fare and not likely to have been booked for night showings) generally at 12 pm, 2pm, and 4 pm. The distributors did not want the movie screened on Sundays before 1 pm to avoid conflict with church services.

The dvd that I have has the opening and closing "live action" scenes (each only a minute or two long); I didn't time it but I think it may have been the full 68 minutes as it was at least an hour. I don't see how this story could have been stretched into a 76-minute feature film as some clean as even at an hour there was obvious padding in the story (many songs not sung by the characters).

[–] frschoonover 10 years ago

I also have a 46 minute version of the film on DVD. I bought it at a Salvation Army thrift store a few years ago for only 99 cents. I saw this only a couple of times on TV, but as far as I know, it was never shown again on TV. I actually watched it tonight in my DVD player and I still enjoy this.

I have heard about this film at 68 or 76 minutes long depending on what source you believe. I have never seen this with the live action sequences and now that I know about it, I want to see this with the live action sequences.

If anyone knows how I can get a copy of this movie with the live action sequences, please let me know. Thanks.

[–] gcarras 10 years ago

I've always seen it intact.

Sarah Silverman Is Magic

Amanda Bynes is hot, Lindsay Lohan is not