
The Spirit of Christmas
Synopsis
This Christmas film, created as a special for television broadcast throughout the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania viewing region, was produced by puppeteer Mabel Beaton and her husband Les for Bell Telephone Company and first aired in 1953. Following a short live-action opening portion, featured are two extended marionette segments, the first dramatizing Clement Moore's "A Visit from St. Nicholas", the second reverently telling the Nativity story; the two stories are staged in classic, traditional style. From 1953 onward, for several years, The Spirit of Christmas was broadcast in the intended region multiple times per holiday season. It was also available as a 16mm film licensed to schools for showings to students. This film often is misstated to have originally been broadcast in 1950.
Top Cast
Explore Star Directory →Key Information & Fast Facts
- Director
- Mabel Beaton
- Screenplay & Story
- Mabel Beaton
- Original Title
- The Spirit of Christmas
- Country of Origin
- United States of America
- Spoken Languages
- English
- Runtime
- 27m
- Production Studios
- Stringtime Productions
Creative Leadership & Key Crew
Mabel Beaton
Mabel Beaton
Department Leadership Roster
Mabel Beaton
Director
Mabel Beaton
Writer
Production Stills & Gallery
Official cinematic photography and background stills for The Spirit of Christmas.
Featured In Curated Collections
Editorial lists, community rankings, and cinematic collections featuring The Spirit of Christmas.
list5
THE EXCEEDINGLY-ASTOUNDING MONDO-AWESOME FLICKERS PROJECT 2016 😲😇♠️
Here's to Sweet 16 -- 2016, that is. And for more magnificent movie watchin' with yet another go at keeping track of all the films I watch this year. This time around, the title of 2016's list was invented by AngelAce.
Movies, Miniseries, TV Series, Documentaries, & Specials I've Created Discussions For
[select "Use Grid View" option, below] Please additionally check, on TMDb's People category of boards, for threads I've created about the following individuals: Paula Abdul, Renee Adoree, Mary Astor, Lauren Bacall, Burt Bacharach, Tammy Faye Bakker, John Barrymore, Lou Bega, Eugenie Besserer, Simone Biles, Marie Blake, Joan Blondell, Humphrey Bogart, Lilian Bond, Scotty Bowers, Laura Branigan, Louise Brooks, Yul Brynner, Nicolas Cage, James Cagney, Karen Carpenter, Madeleine Carroll, Jimmy Carter, David Cassidy, Lauren Chapin, David Clayton-Thomas, Montgomery Clift, Joe Cocker, Charlotte Coleman, Tim Conway, Dolores Costello, Stephanie Courtney, Joan Crawford, Bing Crosby, Mary Crosby, Tim Curry, Sonia Darrin, Bette Davis, Carl Davis, Viola Davis, Doris Day, Olivia de Havilland, Annette Dionne, The Dionne Quintuplets, Shannen Doherty, Ivan Doroschuk, Illeana Douglas, Kirk Douglas, Billie Dove, Tony Dow, Bobby Driscoll, Isadora Duncan, Michael Dunn, Ron Ely, Shelley Fabares, George Fawcett, Marty Feldman, Henry Fonda, Marie Fredriksson, Jonathan Frid, Blanche Friderici, Dwight Frye, Clark Gable III, Greta Garbo, Ava Gardner, Judy Garland, Greer Garson, Bobbie Gentry, John George, Savannah Guthrie, Edmund Gwenn, Lillian Hall-Davis, Lars Hanson, Theresa Harris, Katherine Helmond, Audrey Hepburn, Katharine Hepburn, Alfred Hitchcock, Phillips Holmes, Hedda Hopper, Rock Hudson, Felicity Huffman, David Johansen, Vera Karalli, John Karlen, Danny Kaye, Lance Kerwin, Terry Kilburn, Carole King, Swoosie Kurtz, Barbara La Marr, Burt Lancaster, Jack La Rue, Stan Laurel, Cloris Leachman, Brenda Lee, Vivien Leigh, Jerry Lewis, Judy Lewis, Doris Lloyd, June Lockhart, Claudine Longet, Carol Lynley, Allison Mack, Shirley MacLaine, Madonna, David Manners, Jayne Mansfield, Tully Marshall, Johnny Mathis, Gina McKee, George Michael, Roger Miller, Marilyn Monroe, Frankie Muniz, Carmel Myers, Mary Nash, David Niven, Jessye Norman, Ramon Novarro, Merle Oberon, Dave O'Brien, Robert Osborne, Kelly Osbourne, Maria Ouspenskaya, Franklin Pangborn, Dolly Parton, Baby Peggy, Matthew Perry, Susan Peters, Mary Pickford, Nova Pilbeam, Buster Poindexter, Bonnie Pointer, Vincent Price, Prince Harry, Mae Questel, Claude Rains, Basil Rathbone, Thurl Ravenscroft, Paul Reubens, Gene Reynolds, Erik Rhodes, Nicole Richie, Naya Rivera, Blossom Rock, Kevin Rudolf, Eva Marie Saint, sanah, John Saxon, Artie Shaw, Judith Sheindlin, Anne Shirley, Harry Simeone, C. Aubrey Smith, Barbara Stanwyck, Taylor Swift, Ernest Thesiger, B.J. Thomas, Tiny Tim, Ted Turner, Tina Turner, Bonnie Tyler, Rudolph Valentino, Frankie Valli, Mamie Van Doren, Barbara Walters, Rachel Ward, Virginia Weidler, Raquel Welch, Mae West, Betty White, Mary Wickes, Andy Williams, Jane Withers, Natalie Wood, Nancy Youssef
Christmas
Christmas
Christmas Movies
Kerst 1900 1999
Similar Titles to The Spirit of Christmas
Movies sharing stylistic DNA, tone, and thematic storytelling
More Like The Spirit of Christmas
Recommended titles matching themes, cast, and genres.












Frequently Asked Questions About The Spirit of Christmas
Quick factual answers about cast, synopsis, director, box office, and release information.
What is The Spirit of Christmas about?
This Christmas film, created as a special for television broadcast throughout the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania viewing region, was produced by puppeteer Mabel Beaton and her husband Les for Bell Telephone Company and first aired in 1953. Following a short live-action opening portion, featured are two extended marionette segments, the first dramatizing Clement Moore's "A Visit from St. Nicholas", the second reverently telling the Nativity story; the two stories are staged in classic, traditional style. From 1953 onward, for several years, The Spirit of Christmas was broadcast in the intended region multiple times per holiday season. It was also available as a 16mm film licensed to schools for showings to students. This film often is misstated to have originally been broadcast in 1950.
Who directed The Spirit of Christmas?
The Spirit of Christmas was directed by Mabel Beaton.
Who stars in The Spirit of Christmas?
The principal cast of The Spirit of Christmas includes Alexander Scourby.
When was The Spirit of Christmas released and how long is it?
The Spirit of Christmas was released in 1953 with a total runtime of 27m.




















