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The Age of Commercialism

From my favorite movies..

This is a must-see and one of the best documentaries - and films - of this year.

Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.

Like a previous song "Hardrock, Coco, and Joe", "Suzy Snowflake" was made into a stop-motion animated short by Centaur Productions. As with the previous one, the choir sings with no musical accompaniment. They are the Norman Luboff Choir with Norma Zimmer singing lead. She would eventually be a "Champagne Lady" for Lawrence Welk. This was a pretty amusing short about the title character who makes snowmen. Loved the scene of a human innocent bystander accidentally becoming one. As with the above and a couple of UPA shorts, Frosty the Snowman and Peter Cottontail, they were all licensed by the song publishing company Hill and Range and were staples of kids' Chicago TV for years. As with the others, this one is definitely worth a look.

As a child--a "baby boomer"--coming up in Chicago in the 1950s and '60s, some local TV stations took great pride in presenting wholesome, meaningful entertainment."Suzy Snowflake" is a vestige of that era and of those times, when the world was not such a cold place because of the warmth and caring of the times. This stop-action animated short clearly was not "made for television", but most likely was made as a trailer to be shown in movie theaters during the yuletide season. It is credited to "Centaur Productions". Where they were--and who--merits research, but I suspect it was possibly made in NYC.The Singers on this very, very short "3 minute drill" were--to my ear--The Norman Luboff Choir, one of the premier studio groups of that day. On records, they backed everyone from Sinatra to Belafonte. Here they give a lilting, haunting "A Capella" performance that instantly brings to mind all of the elements of Christmases of days gone by; home and hearth, family and friends, good times and pleasant memories.There were a number of shorts such as this that were typical Christmas season fare...two others stand out as worthwhile watches... "Frosty The Snowman", a product of UPA studios and also made for theatrical release, featured a hip,"Be-Boppish" performance--also A Capella-- by the 'Starlighters'--who were then very busy west coast studio singers, and who were mainstays of the "Chesterfield Supper Club" radio program with Jo Stafford and Paul Weston... and then, possibly the most popular of the three, "Hardrock & Coco & Joe". This one ,too, might have featured the Luboff singers and was a "Centaur Production".My personal favorite was "Frosty", but the women and girls may over-rule us guys in favor of the gentle qualities of "Suzy Snowflake". This is a part of TV and the past that never should have changed, and these should be staples on some TV station somewhere every Christmas.

Very simple, low budget stop motion holiday feature shown on local kiddie T.V. shows in the fifties and sixties. Still nostalgically remembered, it has a strange beauty, delicacy and tenderness that endeared it to children, especially in the Chicago area. Still shared and shown today every Christmas. Obviously made by the same creators as it's sister film "Hardrock, Coco & Joe", yet little seems or nothing seems known about the origins of these films. Most remember the comic interlude when Susie turns aninnocent bystander into a snowman. The singing group, whoever theywere, deliver some really beautiful high harmonies.