THE
STORY OF CHRISTMAS first aired on NBC December 22, 1963.
Sponsored solely by General Mills, and hosted by Ernie, it was the first
hour-long prime time network television special to ever be aired without
commercial interruptions.THE STORY of CHRISTMAS
THE
STORY OF CHRISTMAS first aired on NBC December 22, 1963.
Sponsored solely by General Mills, and hosted by Ernie, it was the first
hour-long prime time network television special to ever be aired without
commercial interruptions.
Written by the renowned author, Charles Tazewell (The Littlest Angel) adorned with soaring vocal arrangements written and conducted by Roger Wagner, and featuring a stunning eighteen-and-a-half minute animated segment, conceived, produced and filmed by master artist Eyvind Earle (Sleeping Beauty, Fantasia), The Story Of Christmas was Ernie's lifelong dream, and the effort he regarded as his crowning achievement. It became -- literally overnight -- one of the highest rated, critically acclaimed holiday specials of all time. Reviewing it's first airing, Daily Variety was quoted as saying:
"The tape should be preserved and played
back for years on end. It's brilliance will never be dimmed
or excelled."
Long believed to have been lost -like so many other brilliant moments from television's history- one of only two master tapes known to have existed was finally found following an exhaustive, world-wide search, just three short weeks before Christmas, 1996.
With that original tape fully restored, Tennessee Ernie Ford Enterprises joined with the prestigious Museum Of Television And Radio, to host the first public screening of The Story Of Christmas in more than 30 years, at the John H. Mitchell Theater in Beverly Hills on December 15, 1997. The reaction was overwhelming.
Today, TEF Enterprises is proud to announce the release of this exclusive, limited edition DVD of The Story of Christmas, just in time for the Holidays. Completely restored, with digitally enhanced video and audio, this rare release is a timeless classic and one of television's true masterpieces. Click here to add this Classic Holiday Masterpiece to your collection today!
Program:
CHAPTER ONE / Overture / Medley: Joy To The World/Sing We Now of Christmas / O
Tannenbaum / Oh Holy Night (Orchestra and Chorale) Christmas Greetings (Narrated
by Ernie Ford, written by Charles Tazewell. Carols of Many Lands: Xhosa Lullabye
(Africa) / El Rorro (Mexico) / Cherry Flower (Japan) / "Some Children See Him" (
Ernie Ford with Salli Terry)
CHAPTER TWO / "Little Grey Donkey" Narrative by Ernie Ford, written by Charles
Tazewell. Vocals: Ernie Ford and the Chorale
CHAPTER THREE / Carols of a Charles Dickens Christmas Medley: It Came Upon A
Midnight Clear (Ernie Ford and the Chorale) / He Is Born / Deck The Halls / God
Rest Ye,Merry Gentlemen / Adeste Fidelis (The Chorale)
CHAPTER
FOUR / The Christmas Tree (Narrative by Ernie Ford, written by Charles Tazewell.
/ O Tannenbaum (The Chorale)
CHAPTER FIVE / The Story of Christmas (Narrative from The Book of Luke by Ernie
Ford) Medley: We Three Kings / What Child Is This? / O Little Town of Bethlehem
/ Gesu Bambino / O Come All Ye Faithful (Adeste Fidelis) / The Virgin's Slumber
Song / Joy To The World (The Chorale)
Animation from original artwork composed, created
and produced by Eyvind Earle
CHAPTER SIX / The Life of One Solitary Man (Narrative by Ernie Ford, from the essay by Charles Tazewell