K.A.C. 2023 - T - 01 Day ...

1975 - For our final gifts to you this year, we're going to keep the K.A.C. light and cheery - no bizarre, dark weird stuff! well, OK, not dark anyway - we'll meet you halfway.

     As for the bizarre, let's start with a holiday tale that was thrown into this oversized DC Limited Collectors' Edition holiday comic for '75, Christmas with the Super-Heroes. While I was (and am) more of a Marvel fan, I would have enjoyed a copy of this back in the day. Back to our tale - in addition to the different holiday-themed stories with the regular gang pictured here, there's a forgotten tale from the Angel and the Ape series (hang on). Their comic had already been canceled, but this story was already paid for and served as page filler for this volume. For more on the A & A, click below, then once you have the cast of characters in hand, click on the full story in the second link!

     https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angel_and_the_Ape

     https://whosoutthere.ca/

      

     
 

     
 

 

 

 

 

 

     Next: a sweet, innocent throwback - a BEAUTIFUL restoration of the 1933 Walt Disney Silly Symphony, The Night Before Christmas. 

https://vimeo.com/896113078?share=copy 

     Michael Sky Danley has a great blog post on the history and making of this classic cartoon, complete with rare outline art, found below:

     https://www.skydanley.com/walt-disneys-1933-silly-symphony-the-night-before-christmas/

      We end this year with a link to NORAD's Live Santa Tracker. While you may just be getting up for the day, SC and the boys are already on their rounds, passing over the world and dropping toys on the way - and you and any little ones you may be with can put this up on your computer and watch the progression LIVE for the entire trip! Get it here:

     https://www.thesun.co.uk/tech/25152301/norad-santa-tracker-live-christmas-location-updates/ 

     And with that, we're done. Or, as Santa might say, "Ho, ho, ho, we've got to go!" We've delivered our 24 days of presents, old and new, and hopefully entertained you along the way. Next year we'll pick up where we left off, as we'll return on December 1st, 2024, with the Return of Retro Reindeer Rampage, looking at the years 1976-1999. Until then, have a Merry Christmas and a happy and healthy New Year.

K.A.C. 2023 - T - 02 Days ...

 

1974 - Following up yesterday's entry regarding THE EXORCIST, we have the first (but not the last) Christmas 'slasher' film made by a major studio, BLACK CHRISTMAS (aka SILENT NIGHT, EVIL NIGHT). I remember seeing this in its original release with my buddy David and being properly skeeved out by it. For a low budget item, it had an impressive array of actors - just look at that cast list on the poster, featuring Olivia Hussey, Keir Dullea, Margot Kidder and John Saxon. Set at a college sorority house over the holidays between semesters, this is one of the earliest 'killer is in the house' (spoilers) trope movies, when it was new. The genius of the film is that even by the end credits, you're not sure who the killer was. Check that: you THINK you know, but the ambiguous ending and the way director Bob Clark handled 'Billy' was decidedly unique and unsettling. I remember as a teenager standing up and getting my coat, saying to David, "There's no way 'X' was the killer", and when he asked why not (and a few people around us stopped to hear my answer), I said, "because 'X' had brown eyes and the killers' were green" (or whatever color they were). At right is the shot that convinced me. The other folks looked surprised by that detail, while David just shook his head and said, "Only you, Sherlock." 😄

     For what it is, and if you're in to this kind of film, BLACK CHRISTMAS is quite inventive. Unlike the passive victims in a number of later films, these ladies put up quite a fight, especially Margot Kidder's Barb. Note: Avoid the remakes like the plague! For more on both the film and the whole 'Billy' mystique, read the articles below - however, if you think you want to see this, watch the film first, as both entries are FILLED with spoilers:

     https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Christmas_%281974_film%29

     https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billy_%28Black_Christmas%29

     Now you would think I would have learned my lesson about attending Christmas slasher films, but you'd be DEAD wrong, as ten years later, in '84, I doubled, nay, TRIPLED down on my not-well-thought out choice of viewing and came within a hairsbreadth (or shall we say, a camera's eye) of unexplainable trouble! The new film was called SILENT NIGHT, DEADLY NIGHT. The whole sordid saga of what Laura likes to call "one of my favorite stories of yours" was an entry I wrote back in 2009 - at the time I wrote it, the Brattle Theater in Boston was showing a double feature of these two films and I said, "It's playing with 1974's BLACK CHRISTMAS, which I also saw when it first came out ... but that's another story. ;)". Well, what do you know? It only took 14 years, but here's the 'other story' at last! Looking it over, I see 'Billy' is up to his old tricks ... the same one or a different one? We may never know:

     http://www.conjurecinema.com/2009/11/kac-2009-t-38.html  

     You can read about what I unknowingly walked into under the 'Controversy and Censorship' part of the Wiki entry below:

     https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silent_Night,_Deadly_Night

     

     The name of our second film triggered a rabbit hole dive for me and my memory did not deceive me ... behold the same-named story of Marvel Two-In-One # 8, also from '74, wherein The Thing and Ghost Rider CRASH THE NATIVITY - I'm going to step aside and let Chris Pearce and his Teachable Moments Comics Blog explain this one!

     https://chrispearce.wordpress.com/2019/12/23/christmas-comics-cavalcade-marvel-two-in-one-8-marvel-comics/

     One more to go, as we wrap up the K.A.C. with a look at 1975!

K.A.C. 2023 - T - 03 Days ...

 

1973 - Listen, my children, and you shall hear, a tale of Christmas, a tale of fear ... or shall you? Debate has raged for decades about the biggest boxoffice hit of the year, THE EXORCIST. Is it or is it not a Christmas film? Would it surprise you that is answer is both Yes AND No? Demonic forces at work? Not at all - we went to the message boards and got it hashed out (with my favorite comment about the film, "From Tubular Bells to Jingle Bells...")- the answer can be found below (thankfully not THAT far below!):

"Is Santa SUPPOSED to sound like that on the roof???"

 

     https://www.filmboards.com/board/p/1297886/

     More on the film as director William Friedkin looks back on it:

     https://www.indiewire.com/features/general/the-exorcist-unlikely-christmas-smash-1234607040/ 

     I visited the 'Exorcist Home' exterior when I was a teenager and the end scene is a fine piece of Hollywood trickery. When Father Karras (Jason Miller) (spoilers) takes the demon inside himself and hurls himself out the window and down the long flight of stairs to his death, it looks like the stairs are right below the window. In real life, there's a HUGE yard in between that window and the stairs! Maybe Pazuzu was a long-jumper ...

     Regardless, with shenanigans like that going on in the neighborhood, it's sure to bring the property values down. Want to know what ELSE does during the holiday season? Hop in your car and cruise the neighborhood to see how many of these signs you see:

     https://www.thesun.co.uk/fabulous/25105457/etiquette-expert-signs-tacky-neighbourhood-christmas/ 

     Only two more to go - cutting this short, 'cause the movers are here!

K.A.C. 2023 - T - 04 Days ...

 

1972 - Merry Solstice! Around and around the globe we go, through the centuries and whizzing past the equator, making ourselves dizzy with all the history flashing on by. For a crash course on what this day entails, check out the 'Solstice and Santa' page below - it's a LOT, so clear your schedule!

     https://misfitsandheroes.wordpress.com/tag/winter-solstice/

     

     You might want to spend a few quiet moments reflecting on the pretty art print above, as it gets SUPREMELY WEIRD from here. Deep breath ... ready? OK, hang on! Remember our '67 entry about the Birmingham Dracula Balloon Parade? Well, imagine if those fine folks were rich, REALLY rich, and money was no object. Now imagine they decided to host a Winter Ball, with the theme of Surrealism ... NOW imagine that maybe, just maybe, there was something a tad more sinister going on ... nothing that could be proved, mind you, but something that made history and was talked about for decades. A few folks through the years have tried to recreate the (black?) magic of this '72 event, with mixed results. When the TAMEST photo is this dinner setting, with the description of 'The dinner plates were covered in fur, while every guest's litany of forks was accompanied by a dead fish', you know you've turned the corner into the Twilight Zone. This is one of the rare times words fail me in how to describe what follows, so I'm not even going to try. Instead, read on and get YOUR best costume ready for 'Black Tie, Long Dresses, And Surrealist Heads: Inside The 1972 Rothschild Ball':

     https://allthatsinteresting.com/rothschild-party

      

     I know, right? What the Holy Hell was THAT? Now anyone else would ramp it down from there and call it a day, but hey, we've come this far ... for dessert, how about we revisit one of the all-time WORST 'Christmas' films of all time, also from '72, with a budget in the - wait, is there such a thing as negative money? No? OK, then, with a budget in pennies, used, ratty costumes and a (possibly stolen) fire truck, Santa and the Ice Cream Bunny makes K. Gordon Murray look like Orson Welles - the putrid pastiche of a plot can be found here:

     https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_and_the_Ice_Cream_Bunny 

     For a deeper delve into despair, click on the link below:

     https://www.indiewire.com/features/best-of/santa-and-the-ice-cream-bunny-weirdest-christmas-midnight-movie-1234936362/

     For the brave and/or masochistic, RiffTrax took on this disaster and you can view the ENTIRE mess via this link - trust me, this is the ONLY safe way to watch this Christmas Catastrophe!

     https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hw1GxIQqp84

     There, there, it's all over - dry your eyes, have a drink, get some sleep. We've only got three more entries to go. I'm sure THEY will be better ... ummm, relatively sure ... come back tomorrow and find out!

 

K.A.C. 2023 - T - 05 Days ...

1971 - It's time for our annual Christmas Ghost Stories, this year featuring five of the best from the master, M.R. James. Each one was adapted for television by the B.B.C. for their yearly Ghost Stories For Christmas specials, beginning with the '71 adaptation of The Stalls Of Barchester. Turn the lights off and get beneath a warm blanket, watch one each night and you'll end with the last one on Christmas Eve - exactly when these blood-curdlers were usually told! Justin von Bosau and I are both huge fans of James' tales, and these all do the original stories justice. Click on the link below to begin:

https://allonesthatgotaway.com/ghost-stories-christmas-review/ 

For those of you made of stronger stuff, we've got more Holiday Horrors to behold, such as 'Christmas Butt Cheek Art' (at right) and 49 other times 'Trolls Had The Funniest Christmas Gift Ideas Ever':

     https://www.boredpanda.com/funny-trolling-christmas-gifts/

     We've only four entries left, so before we go, a gentle reminder to keep an eye out for Santa's blue coat and staff, accompanied by his granddaughter as they go house to house. He knows if you've been bad or good AND he knows if you've met your factory quota or not ... if you're feeling a tad puzzled and/or nervous at this point, allow us to introduce you via two articles below to Santa's Soviet counterpart - Ded Moroz and Snegurochka!

     https://www.artlebedev.com/mandership/173/

   

 https://www.amazingrussian.com/post/2015/12/16/%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%B4-%D0%BC%D0%BE%D1%80%D0%BE-%D0%B7-%D0%B8-%D1%81%D0%BD%D0%B5%D0%B3%D1%83-%D1%80%D0%BE%D1%87%D0%BA%D0%B0-grandfather-frost-and-snow-maiden

     Back tomorrow for a look at 1972. Get back to work, elves!

K.A.C. 2023 - T - 06 Days ...

     1970 - Once again we take a look at Horrible Christmas Foods, this time setting our Timeless Tinsel Tracker back a hundred years - to 1870 - and the most outrageous, eye-opening story we'll report on for this season's K.A.C. 

      What's on the menu? Stuffed Donkey Heads, Roasted Camel (English Style) and (horrifyingly) much, much more. Ripley's Believe It Or Not tells the true tale of the one-of-a-kind holiday Feasts of Beasts in 'Zoo Feast: A Christmas Dinner for the Ages':

     https://www.ripleys.com/weird-news/zoo-feast-a-christmas-dinner-for-the-ages/ 

     Moving back to the present (well, 1970 present), while I know you would like to recreate that royal repast, it's just not practical. Instead, take a look at two articles showing you what would have been on the menu for a '70s Christmas feast, with such taste treats as Peanut Butter Soup and everything (and I mean EVERYTHING) in aspic ... those Stuffed Donkey Heads don't sound so bad now, do they? 

     https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/food-and-drink/features/christmas-the-food-hostesses-in-1970s-were-expected-to-create-should-make-you-feel-better-about-your-festive-attempts-a6780136.html 

     https://www.bonappetit.com/story/very-70s-christmas-dinner

    

     But wait, there's MUCH more! Even Salvador Dali got into the Jolly Jellied Jamboree, as can be seen with our next entry, entitled 'Inside The Surreal World Of '70s Food Porn':

     https://elephant.art/inside-the-surreal-world-of-70s-food-porn-22122020/

      While there are SO many more articles on horrible holiday foods from the past (enough to fill all the remaining entries this year), we'll spare you those and instead will dally with Dali a tad longer, as we present a look at his own 'unique' take on Christmas cards below:

     https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/salvador-dali-surreal-christmas-cards/

     We've saved the best for last, or maybe all that aspic, jellied food has damaged more than our palates. I was looking for something to encapsulate just HOW strange the '70s were and found it in the most unlikeliest of sources: behold the 1970 edition of 'Archie's Christmas Love-In'. Ooof, where to even begin with this? Well, once you get past the cover where the Claus-meister is embracing his new role as the Riverdale Guru (as an aside, methinks he's holding the wrong kind of plant for where this is going, but I digress), the contents are more than bizarre, as Archie and the Gang decide to deluge their school with the seasonal joys that only Flower Power can bring ... and the hilarity that ensues. Thankfully Alan Stewart over at the Attack Of The 50 Year Old Comic Books website has done the heavy lifting here, breaking it down and adroitly examining the colossal crash of counterculture and total Squares-ville:

     https://50yearoldcomics.com/2019/10/26/archie-giant-series-magazine-169-january-1970/

     Did I say last? Well, almost - consider this a P.S. As silly as that comic book looks, I'm sure it planted a seed in some impressionable youths who took it to heart and passed down the peaceful vibes to their children and grandchildren. See for yourself in 'The Magic of Santa Claus Explained with Yogic Philosophy':

     https://saltspringcentre.com/the-magic-of-santa-claus-explained-with-yogic-philosophy/

     More tomorrow with a look at 1971. Peace, baby!     

     

     

     

     

K.A.C. 2023 - T - 07 Days ...

 

1969 - Longtime readers can be forgiven for mistaking this picture as one from Ye Humble Curator's youth. Sadly not, but I admire this lad's dedication to the role and the show! I do actually have both Dark Shadows board games, including the one this young vampire is proudly displaying - maybe he opened his presents at night. And speaking of presents ...

     Remember a few days ago when we were relating the tale of the obscure Beatles' Christmas tune? Turns out they weren't the only ones ... read and sample the even MORE forgotten-to-history warblings from Pink Floyd (I know, right?) below!

     https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/forgotten-christmas-song-pink-floyd/ 

     The lyrics (such as they are) can be found in the comments section below the YouTube video link.

     

     

     Want to take a guess who our 'flower child' is at left? Would you believe The Ghost of Christmas Yet To Come (known here as The Ghost Of Christmas Future)? It's true - this is part of the reason it's so hard to describe the '60s if you didn't live through them! 😁 For a closer look at him and his other interpretations through the years, read our referenced article below, 'The Ghosts of Christmas Yet to Come, ranked by freakiness':

     https://www.polygon.com/23509118/best-christmas-carol-ghost-of-christmas-future-yet-to-come-scariest

     Pink Floyd, The Beatles and all the rest are fine, but with one week to go before the Big Day, there's only ONE piece of music long time K.A.C. fans want to hear today, and here it is - just like our annual stalwart visit from Krampus and our yearly Kringle's Khristmas Kuties Kwiz, you can ALWAYS count on a visit from Hardrock, Coco and Joe on December 18th in these pages. Why? Because to many, young and old alike, THIS is the official Countdown to Christmas - for the uninitiated, read on, then open yourself to this holiday earwig. You might as well put it on a loop now, 'cause it won't be leaving your brain anytime soon!

     http://www.conjurecinema.com/2010/12/kac-t-7-days.html
 

     Another decade down - come back tomorrow as we groove through the '70s!

K.A.C. 2023 - T - 08 Days ...

 

1968 - Santa has Seen Things, delivering toys as long as he has, things that would break a lesser man. He's persevered and kept the faith through decades and decades, and has had various representations made of him, both in print and other materials. The one that truly creeped him out was Blow Molds. Don't know them, you say? Oh, but you DO - maybe not by that name, but everyone has gone through that Christmas phase at some time in their lives. '68 seemed to be a particularly busy year on the Blow Mold front, as the majority of pictures I found were dedicated to them. Here's a brief history and a look at those shining (plastic) beacons in the night - Blow Molds!

     https://planetchristmas.com/blowmolds-are-back/ 

     

     Our next photo is only for those kiddies who REALLY want to prove to Santa that they've been good all year, by taking the Bocca della Verità, or 'Mouth of Truth' dare. The moment I saw this, I had a Roman Holiday flashback. OK, given the blank stares I'm picking up on, in the 1953 film, Audrey Hepburn is a runaway Princess who wants to have some time for herself before having to assume her royal duties, and she is accompanied around Rome by newspaper reporter Gregory Peck. At one point they stop at the Mouth while he tells her the legend, that if you tell a lie and put your hand in the Mouth, it will be bitten off. Watch the famous scene below to see how that turns out:

     https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6af1dAc9rXo

     Audrey's shriek is genuine - read the comments below the video to see why! It's a charming, touching, funny film and one that will make you weepy at the end - perfect for Christmas! I would say go into it without knowing any more that that, but if you're the type who loves spoilers, the entire plot is spelled out below:

     https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_Holiday 

     As for the Mouth itself, ITS history can be found here:

     https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bocca_della_Verit%C3%A0 

     My favorite part of all this? There are in select locations modern versions of this, such as the one at left in San Francisco, where its a classical variation on Zoltar - you put your hand in and get your fortune. I know the Very First Purchase I'm making should I ever win Powerball! Ingenious - I gotta hand it ... to ... well, not LITERALLY - Moving on ...

    We'll end today with a current dare - and it won't even cost you a hand, just some grey matter. Every year in the UK, the GCHQ (below), the United Kingdom's intelligence, cyber and security agency, sends out its annual Christmas card in the form of a series of challenging puzzles and codes for children to crack. Want to give it a try? It's harder than it looks. Here's how!

    

https://www.cnn.com/2023/12/14/uk/gchq-spy-christmas-card-puzzles-2023-intl-scli-gbr/index.html

    That should keep you occupied until we return tomorrow with a look at 1969. See you then, and keep your hands out of strange mouths!

K.A.C. 2023 - T - 09 Days ...

 

1967 - Hang on to your hats and flip your wigs as we jump right into the thick of it today. This was the era of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band and the Beatles were EVERYWHERE, with merchandise galore and multiple Fan Clubs, which leads us to our first entry today entitled, 'Did The Beatles record the most irritating Christmas song ever made?' Answer (and song) below!

     https://www.radiox.co.uk/artists/beatles/is-this-the-most-irritating-christmas-song-ever-made/

     

     Our 'way-over-the-top' tale of '67, however, goes to the Birmingham, Alabama, Christmas Parades - this is my favorite story of the year! 'The Magic City' got it in their heads that anything New York City could do, they could do better. Balloons? We'll SHOW you balloons! One problem, though - those pesky low-hanging electrical wires crossing the street, unlike NYC. What the heck - we're STILL having balloons. And not just ANY balloons - TAKE your Rocky The Flying Squirrel, Big Apple - we've got DRACULA (!) and Sea Serpents, Baloo the Bear and possibly Cthulhu, too! There are some HILARIOUS quotes in the articles below, including, 'The “past-their-prime” balloons delighted children, but puzzled adults, Merrill wrote. “They have the most horrible expressions on their faces,” one woman told Merrill.' Not surprisingly this tradition only lasted a few years, as the balloons and the entire parade became a dumpster fire, with the flames getting higher and higher, as evidenced here: 'The 1969 parade featured thinly-veiled knockoffs of kids’ favorite characters. “Just to be sure no one mistook them for the real things,” Hollis wrote, “each monstrosity had a mutilated name painted on each wooden platform.” Imagine the joy lighting up each child’s face as Charlie Braun, his dog “Snooper” and pals Linnus and Licy, rolled through Birmingham.' Check out the whole horrifying, hilarious story in the two articles below - and make SURE you look at the slides! 

      https://www.al.com/news/2023/11/birminghams-bizarre-holiday-balloon-parades-were-a-strange-chapter-in-1960s-history.html 

     http://www.birminghamrewound.com/features/christmas_downtown2.htm 

     We'll wrap up today with a report may cause hives in some of our older readers who went through this in their childhoods - the 'Suzy Homemaker' cult, or as the ads say, 'A busy little mother’s work is never done without modern toys like these that really work.' The big push for these was that they weren't toys, but Working Appliances ... and the resulting havoc that ensued. Take a look back at what passed for fun (and pity your grandmothers) below!

     https://clickamericana.com/topics/family-parenting/life-for-kids/who-is-suzy-homemaker-1966 

     Can't top that! Come back tomorrow for a look at 1968.

K.A.C. 2023 - T - 10 Days ...

1966 - Overshadowing every other Christmas story this year is the debut of the legendary Dr. Seuss animated holiday special, How The Grinch Stole Christmas. Aside from Krampus, The Mean One here has been the K.A.C.'s longest inhabitant - and yet, there's always something new to share about him. Case in point: an excellent overview of the show from The Goods Film Review below:

     https://thegoodsreviews.com/how-the-grinch-stole-christmas-1966/

     Want more proof our 'nasty, wasty sort' has been with us a while? Take a look at our 2016 entry that kicked off that season, all about Santa Flasks and the Grinch Drinking Game ... not that you'd NEED that in today's day and age ...

     http://www.conjurecinema.com/2016/12/welcome-to-kitschmas-advent-calendar.html

     We're going to concede the year to the Green One here and take this time to catch up on some Poinsettia Potpourri we haven't found room to run until now. Let's shake out the stocking and see what hits the floor:

    - We'll start with Odd Ornaments, the 2023 edition, including Bibo here ... please don't ask!!! *Sigh* - OK, here's the link ... but you MUST watch the accompanying video for the Full Effect Of The Cult Of BIBO! Justin von Bosau, YOU in particular! :)

    - Bibo-Mania commences below:

     https://mcphee.com/pages/who-is-bibo 

     - Ornaments Link (Bibo, Bibo, Bibo ...):

     https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/unusual-christmas-ornaments-best-weird-holiday-decorations 

    - Next, a follow up to yesterday's post with Even MORE Vintage Christmas Food Fails - I'd LIKE to say the 'Noel Glazed Ham' at left is the worst thing you're going to run into here, but that would be a Bald-Faced Lie! CONSUME, Bibo commands it (Bibo, Bibo, Bibo ...):

     https://www.buzzfeed.com/rachelwmiller/truly-horrifying-vintage-holiday-recipes  

     - Lastly, we take a look at ... "say, did that ham taste funny to anyone else? I don't know, man, I must be hallucinating - don't laugh, honest to God, I'm seeing TINKERBELL flying in front of my eyes right now! What? Why am I in a dress? Mind your own business!" Well - let's try that again. We end with a look, courtesy of MyHistoryFix, at vintage toys going Way Back - that's right, THIS is what we did for fun! Honestly, though, this ViewMaster pic is where I got my original love of all things 3-D, starting with these toys and comics back in the day to my OBSESSION with 3-D Blu-rays today. Well, at least it's Tinkerbell in front of my eyes, and not ("DON'T SAY IT!!!") BIBO! Oh, no ...

      http://myhistoryfix.com/holidays/vintage-toys-ghosts-christmas-past/

     We may or may NOT be back tomorrow with a look at 1967 - it all depends on the grace of BIBO ...

     

      

K.A.C. 2023 - T - 11 Days ...

 

1965 - I've seen some Scary Santas over the years doing these pages, but this one is Way Up There! From the Secret Santa Society ring on his right hand and NONE on his left (I'm sure Mrs. Claus would like a word with him about THAT) to ... "what, Santa? No, I didn't mean anything by it, just an observa ... umm, you know what? Never mind - I've forgotten it already, really! Yes, they ARE pretty tree lights ... why don't I WEAR them? AHHHHH ..." 

     

     While Mr. Magoo came in first from '62 with his animated Christmas special, it was completely eclipsed this year (and all the years thereafter) by A Charlie Brown Christmas. As the HobbyLark website tells us: 'On December 9, A Charlie Brown Christmas—a TV special that was based on the comic strip Peanuts—premiered on CBS. Wikipedia tells us that A Charlie Brown Christmas “has been honored with an Emmy and a Peabody Award, and became an annual presentation in the United States, airing during the Christmas season every year since its debut.' 

     Want to watch this perennial holiday favorite with your kids and grandkids? Good luck! It ran for decades for free on network TV, but not anymore, suckers - the ONLY place to see it now is Apple TV+ - see the full, sad story here:

     https://www.today.com/life/holidays/where-to-watch-charlie-brown-christmas-rcna59865

     

     Don't cry - even if you CAN'T watch Chuck and the gang go through their paces, we've got something even stranger (because of course we do!) - Question: when is a Christmas Special NOT a Christmas Special, but also IS a Christmas Special? Question: when can a Christmas Special NOT be watched, but also CAN be watched? Question: WHO else can we be talking about but that jolly old elf, Doctor Who? Behold one of the stranger tales from the early days of the show and watch the only surviving (Very Weird) version of this historic TV moment below:

     https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/doctor-who-the-weird-anomaly-of-the-1965-christmas-special/

     https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZRFlWddgi2Y&list=PLdW3TSXdsrF2x4gSwnLQ7FY0z04KS3YXE&index=5

     Speaking of food (after Doctor Who's 'Feast Of Steven'), 1965 also was the debut of 'Jonathan Pillsbury', who you know better as Poppin' Fresh, the Pillsbury Dough Boy. Hawker of millions of crescent rolls and the like and a member of the American Advertising Federation Hall Of Fame, I don't think our final entry today would merit one of his trademark giggles, as we present '24 Strange Vintage Christmas Appetizers You Don’t See Much Anymore':

     https://clickamericana.com/holidays-seasons/christmas/vintage-christmas-party-appetizers-you-dont-see-much-anymore

      Tune in tomorrow for my favorite year, 1966!

K.A.C. 2023 - T - 12 Days ...

 

     1964 - Make haste, make haste! Only a dozen shopping days left ... does anybody even DO Mall Madness shopping anymore? I think 75% or more of people do all their shopping online now. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

     Snowball War - Man Down! We're about to unleash Hell on those of you who adore this Rankin-Bass classic from '64, as we start today with Alicia Betz's article, 'Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer Is a Terrible Story, and you Can't Convince Me Otherwise' (below) - hey, we just report 'em. Come at me, Claus!

 

 

     https://www.popsugar.com/entertainment/why-1964-rudolph-red-nosed-reindeer-is-awful-46908750  

     How did you do on yesterday's quiz? Santa's Seven Serfs (ummm) were:

    1). Patty Duke

    2). The Beach Boys (and THAT CAR!)

    3). Bill Clinton

    4). Have no clue, honestly, but they're getting their photo with Sammy The Snowman, beloved by all this time of year. While Sammy had fame and fortune during December and January, bringing smiles to young and old alike, by the end of February, those smiles were turned to icy daggers from their eyes, saying, "Why are YOU still here?" It wasn't Sammy's fault that they wanted Spring and were done with Winter, he was just the one who overstayed his welcome. So Sammy would go off to an island for the other nine months, living in solitude and wondering if it was all worth it and if he would go back next year or not ... but he loved his public and couldn't disappoint them, so he always did. And that's the story of Sammy The Snowman. The End. What? Oh, Sammy says those nice boys were a 'rock group' called 'The Beatles' - huh.

    

5). The One, The ONLY - Lee Liberace. Since the Curator keeps popping up more and more in these entries this year, just like Clive Cussler does in the novels ... written by CLIVE CUSSLER, here is his 2010 entry of the time he MET the legend (Liberace, NOT Cussler) - and the autograph that came of it:

     http://www.conjurecinema.com/search?q=liberace

     As an aside, here's Lee as Santa from one of legendary Christmas parties (this photo is from 1969), with Johnny Mathis on the right and The Fabulous Fay McKay in between them - Fay is all but forgotten now, but she was a long-featured comedienne and entertainer on the Las Vegas Strip and was Liberace's opening act (see photo at right). Those of you who are old enough to remember the humor of Foster Brooks will enjoy her rendition of the '12 Daze Of Christmas' - be warned: this is NOT for everybody! This was her signature song in Vegas lounges for decades, so I've included a number of versions of it, including one of her doing it live, plus an interview with her on the Mike Douglas show during the week that Liberace was co-hosting from 1970. Fay's segment is at the 42:30 segment of the show - she had obviously done the song on the show, but it's not in this video. Watch her segment - heck, watch the ENTIRE show! Mike Douglas always had the most amazing guests that you would rarely see anywhere else. Part of his charm in getting big stars to co-host for a week was that they got to pick one guest each day - on this day, in addition to Fay, Lee's guest was Little Richard. It makes for a mesmerizing hour. Anyway, give a listen to multiple versions of Fay's famous tune, the '12 Daze Of Christmas' - but first, take a quick stop at A Christmas Yuleblog to give yourself an idea what you're about to hear:

     http://christmasyuleblog.blogspot.com/2007/01/fabulous-fay-mckay-winter-favorites.html

     https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lv9brRcMNoI

     https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z3KQVSOZWQQ&t=238s 

     https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_6kbP_t_X3g&t=2549s

     6). Catherine Deneuve

     7). Laura & Rob Petrie, aka Mary Tyler Moore and Dick Van Dyke, seen here in their meta-Christmas '63 special episode of The Dick Van Dyke show, a strangely surreal break from their usual fare - quite funny, as well! Watch it in full here:

     https://christmas-specials.fandom.com/wiki/The_Alan_Brady_Show_Presents  

     Back tomorrow with a look at 1965 - this concludes our broadcasting for today.

K.A.C. 2023 - T - 13 Days ...

 

# 1

1963 - Rudolph is looking quizzical - why? Because today's the day for our annual Kringle's Khristmas Kuties Kwiz! Long time readers know the drill: below are the Lucky 7 photos of celebrities ready for the holidays - all you have to do is identify them. The twist this year? All seven of their photos come from 1963 - get your thinking caps on. Answers tomorrow!

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