A Christmas Story

A Christmas Story
Production company	Hanna-Barbera
Distributor	Avco Broadcasting Corporation
Release date	December 9, 1972
Run time	24:42
Starring	Hal Smith Janet Waldo Walter Tetley John Stephenson Don Messick Paul Winchell Daws Butler
Producer(s)	William Hanna Joseph Barbera Alex Lovy
Screenplay by	Ken Spears and Joe Ruby
Director(s)	William Hanna and Joseph Barbera
Animation director(s)	Charles A. Nichols
Title card

A Christmas Story is an American Christmas animated TV special produced by Hanna-Barbera for the Avco Broadcasting Corporation, who distributed it in syndication. It aired on December 9, 1972. It was written by Ken Spears and Joe Ruby, and produced and directed by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera.

A dog and a mouse try to get a boy's letter to Santa on Christmas Eve.

Characters

Legend
Character debut	Speaking debut	Ep. debut	No lines	Mentioned

In order of appearance:

Character	Actor
Santa Claus	Hal Smith
Timmy's mother	Janet Waldo
Timmy	Walter Tetley
Timmy's father	Don Messick
Goober	Paul Winchell
Gumdrop	Daws Butler
Sleezer	Paul Winchell
Polecat	John Stephenson
Runto	Paul Winchell
Fatcat	Hal Smith
Boy	Walter Tetley
Girl	Janet Waldo
Mr. and Mrs. Anderson
Mailman	John Stephenson
Squirrel	Don Messick
First responding dog	John Stephenson
Second responding dog	Daws Butler
Bulldog	John Stephenson

Organizations

• United States Postal Service

Locations

• Earth
  • United States
    • Timmy's residence
    • Middletown Orphanage
    • Anderson residence
    • Stowe's Pet Shop
    • Gimble's
    • Alaska (indirectly mentioned)
      • North Pole (mentioned)
• The Moon

Objects

• Xmas Stories

Vehicles

• Mailman's truck

Production

Filming

It has a copyright of 1971.

Music

The music was composed by Hoyt Curtin, who was credited as musical director.

Songs

1. "Sounds of Christmas Day" - Paul DeKorte, Randy Kemner, Stephen McAndrew, Susie McCune, and Judi Richards
2. "O Come, All Ye Faithful" - Paul DeKorte, Randy Kemner, Stephen McAndrew, Susie McCune, and Judi Richards
3. "Where Do You Look for Santa?" - Paul DeKorte, Randy Kemner, Stephen McAndrew, Susie McCune, and Judi Richards
4. "Hope" - Paul DeKorte, Randy Kemner, Stephen McAndrew, Susie McCune, and Judi Richards
5. "Which One is the Real Santa Claus?" - Paul DeKorte, Randy Kemner, Stephen McAndrew, Susie McCune, and Judi Richards

Release

Dates are in order of release:

• December 9, 1972 in syndication

Behind the scenes

• The parrot leaving the pet shop makes the same sound as the bats in the opening theme song of Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!

Errors

• While Goober and Gumdrop cross the town to get to Santa, there are children up all over, instead of being in bed like Tommy.

Home availability

• In the United States:
  • November 9, 1989: Hanna-Barbera Home Video releases A Christmas Story on VHS.
  • September 26, 1995: Turner Home Entertainment releases A Christmas Story on VHS.
  • July 31, 2012: Warner Archive Collection releases Hanna-Barbera Christmas Classics Collection on DVD.