7 Best Christmas Movies of the ’70s, Ranked

For those who grew up in the 1970s, you were treated to a great variety of movies that showcased the best the decade had to offer. This can also be said about holiday movies at the time, which slowly steered away from telling traditional stories and began to take more risks. Sure, there were traditional Christmas movies that were remade for the decade, but we also saw some truly innovative holiday movies begin to sprout up.

Whether it was a puppet band singing Christmas songs to make money for gifts, a family trying to find out who’s killing off their family one by one, or a holiday spent in the Stone Age, Christmas movies in the 1970s were wide-reaching, in both their story and image. So, with this in mind, we decided to head back to the decade of disco and bellbottoms and give you the seven best Christmas movies of the ‘70s. Some will be classics you will instantly recognize, and others will be more obscure and underrated. But the one thing all of these movies have in common is that they are the best the ’70s had to offer when it came to holiday movies. So, without further ado, let’s dive in.

7

‘A Flintstones Christmas’ (1977)

In 1960, Hanna-Barbera’s The Flintstones made television history, becoming the first animated series ever to air in primetime. It was an instant success, paving the way for animation to have a home on primetime television, and it became one of the production company’s flagship franchises. Eleven years after the final episode premiered, NBC greenlit a television special featuring our favorite characters from Bedrock, titled A Flintstones Christmas.

The TV Christmas movie follows Fred Flintstone (Henry Corden) and Barney Rubble (Mel Blanc) as they’re tasked with delivering presents on Christmas Eve after the real Santa Claus (Hal Smith) slips and falls off Fred’s roof. Filled with holiday cheer and joy, A Flintstones Christmas was a hit, and today, it’s recognized as one of the best Christmas TV movies of all time — one that’s a staple of holiday movie-watching for the entire family.

6

‘Scrooge’ (1970)

Albert Finney as Ebeneezer Scrooge in Scrooge.

There may not be a more famous holiday tale than A Christmas Carol, a novella written by Charles Dickens in 1843. The story follows a grumpy man who is visited by three ghosts in order to teach him the true meaning of Christmas. The novella has been adapted countless times in each decade, and for the ‘70s, the best adaptation was Scrooge, directed by Ronald Neame and starring Albert Finney as the iconic Ebenezer.

Scrooge was different from the other adaptations of A Christmas Carol, going the way of a musical, and the promotional posters played off this change with the tagline, “What the dickens have they done to Scrooge?” What they did was create one of the best adaptations of Dickens’ famed Christmas novella, with Finney winning a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy and even garnering Oscar nominations, though it didn’t win any. Nevertheless, Scrooge is a festive musical that still stays true to Dickens’ iconic novella, and although it seems to be forgotten today, do yourself a solid and stream this Christmas classic.

5

‘Miracle on 34th Street’ (1973)

The Walker family smiling in Miracle on 34th Street

In 1947, George Seaton wrote the screenplay and directed Miracle on 34th Street, based on the Valentine Davies story that followed a department store Santa Claus, who actually turned out to be the real Santa. Simple and sweet, Miracle on 34th Street was an instant classic and is a perennial favorite among holiday movie lovers. Like A Christmas Carol, the famous story has been adapted numerous times over the years, with the 1994 adaptation perhaps being the most famous version. However, one can’t overlook the 1973 adaptation, a made-for-TV Christmas movie that aired on CBS a week before Christmas.

Directed by Fielder Cook, 1973’s version of Miracle on 34th Street doesn’t stray far from the original story, with the only difference being that Macy’s allowed its store name to be used in the film, unlike the original 1947 version. Also, we see this Santa Claus (Sebastian Cabot) being a bit more naughty, getting drunk before taking part in the famous Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade. Nevertheless, Miracle on 34th Street still hits all the same holiday feels, albeit in a modern-day setting. While it’s clearly overlooked, it’s an underrated movie that was one of the best the decade had to offer.

4

‘Emmet Otter’s Jug Band Christmas’ (1977)

In 1971, author Russell Hoban, along with illustrator Lillian Hoban, wrote a children’s book that follows an otter who forms a jug band with his friends. Six years later, Jim Henson, the legend who created The Muppets, adapted Hoban’s story into a TV movie, being especially inspired by The Gift of the Magi by O. Henry. Emmet Otter’s Jug Band Christmas has Kermit the Frog narrate the story of Emmet Otter and his Ma, who struggle to get Christmas presents because of their financial situation. To make money for presents, each enters a talent show separately.

Emmet Otter’s Jug Band Christmas was a hit, with widespread acclaim for its charm and ability to capture the essence of Hoban’s story. Even today, the movie is considered not only one of the best ‘70s Christmas movies but one of the best of all time, holding a perfect score on Rotten Tomatoes, which is quite a rarity, especially among holiday films. But it’s well deserved, as Emmet Otter’s Jug Band Christmas is truly a gem. If you haven’t watched it yet, go do it. You will not be disappointed.

3

‘Home for the Holidays‘ (1972)

The women of the Morgan family in Home for the Holidays

While the slasher didn’t really become a staple of the horror genre until Michael Myers wreaked unspeakable havoc in Halloween in 1978, that doesn’t mean they didn’t exist. In fact, one of the most underrated and overlooked slashers was actually a holiday movie, Home for the Holidays, a made-for-TV film that aired in 1972.

Produced by the legendary Aaron Spelling and directed by John Llewellyn Moxey, Home for the Holidays follows a father (Walter Brennan) who is on his deathbed, believing that his second wife (Julie Harris) actually poisoned him. While trying to get to the bottom of what’s happening to their father, the three daughters (Sally Field, Eleanor Parker, and Jessica Walter) are being stalked by a killer who hides their identity by wearing a yellow rain jacket. For a TV movie, Home for the Holidays was quite shocking and entertaining, laying the foundation for future slashers to come, while also keeping the theme of the holidays alive and well.

2

‘The Gathering’ (1977)

Vanessa Redgrave and Albert Finney as Clemmie and Winston Churchill in The Gathering Storm.

Hanna-Barbera may be most famous for its animated series, but in 1977, it entered the live-action arena with a made-for-TV Christmas movie that is simply one of the best of the decade. The Gathering starred Edward Asner as a dying executive who wants to arrange one final Christmas with his estranged wife (Maureen Stapleton) and their children, hoping to make peace with all of them before he dies.

The movie is simple, but that’s the best thing about it, handling the emotional weight with class. And if The Gathering is one thing, it’s very emotional, anchored by a truly remarkable performance by Asner. Throughout the film, you feel his emotions, especially while he’s interacting with his family for one last time. You won’t be able to hold back the tears once the end credits of The Gathering roll, and why should you? This is one of the most heartwrenching holiday movies of all time, doing everything it set out to do and then some.

1

‘Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town’ (1970)

The Winter Warlock from Santa Claus Is Comin’ To Town

Stop-motion has long been a popular staple of animation, but it truly gained relevance in 1964, when NBC premiered the iconic Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. The TV movie was, and still is, a Christmas classic, and it started a run of stop-motion TV specials that retold Christmas classics using a special type of stop-motion, “Animagic,” which was created in Japan. Four years and two specials later, the practice entered the ‘70s with ABC’s Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town.

Tapping the iconic Fred Astaire and Mickey Rooney, Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town is a story of how Santa Claus and other Christmas traditions came to be, and is actually based on the hit holiday song of the same name. Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town is a special Christmas film, filled with the magic we have all come to expect from holiday films. If you don’t have time for any other ‘70s holiday movie on this list, you have to at least carve out an hour for this one.