Baker's Log: December 2019

A CHIPMUNK CHRISTMAS (1981 - color)

The Short Story - A misunderstanding makes Dave think that Alvin has no Christmas spirit.

The Details - One of my greatest delights of 2019 was my rediscovery of the Alvin And The Chipmunks franchise after finding a copy of THE CHIPMUNK ADVENTURE in a box of VHS tapes. I've previously written two pieces chronicling my rediscovery as I acquired the other animated Chipmunk movies and then as much of the series as I could get my hands on. Both pieces were minimally researched and focused more on my delight in finding the show all over again. Here, I'll try to do better by the series by discussing this Christmas special which marked the triumphant return of the Chipmunks to network television.

   It's fitting that the first leg of what might be called the second generation of Chipmunk episodes was centered around the Yuletide, as the Chipmunks originally took the public by storm via a Christmas song. Ross Bagdasarian Sr. was, among other things, a writer of novelty songs. He created a tizzy when he sped up recordings of his voice for the background vocals of "Witch Doctor" and created his first big hit since "Come On A My House" which had been written for Rosemary Clooney earlier in the 50's. "Witch Doctor" was a hit with everybody who heard it, and further experimentation with the sped-up vocals eventually materialized as The Chipmunks. "The Chipmunk Song (Christmas, Don't Be Late)" established the characters of Alvin, Simon, and Theodore as fun-loving chipmunks who were also the adopted sons of David Seville -a stage name Bagdasarian picked because his full name couldn't fit on a record label. Although record producers had no interest in releasing a Christmas song in November, the tune became a smash hit and the public fell in love with the Chipmunks. The group became a musical phenomenon and television was soon calling.

   The Chipmunks' first (?) television appearance was on Ed Sullivan's The Toast Of The Town, where the 'munks were played by hand puppets. The characters as we know them today became the stars of an animated television series early in the 60's. The Alvin Show was a prime-time series, but it's mixture of comedy and music made it a hit with audiences of all ages. The design of the characters now firmly established, more child-like than animal, they were seen on numerous products and records. With the passing of Bagdasarian Sr., it seemed like the Chipmunk craze had officially ended. Ross Bagdasarian Jr., wanting to honor his father, took efforts to keep the Chipmunks alive. He and his wife Janice Karman shopped the franchise around, but found no interest until a late-night disc jockey pulled a prank in the late 70's by playing a Blondie song at high speed and telling his presumably minimal audience that they were listening to a new recording from the Chipmunks. This resulted in public interest in getting the new album which didn't exist! The demands for the album were so high, that the Bagdasarians were approached to produce a new record. They immediately did and the album "Chipmunk Punk" became a hot seller which placed Ross and Janice in a position to bring the Chipmunks back to television.

   In 1981 came our current subject, which stands as a sort of middle ground between the versions of the characters from The Alvin Show and the versions that would come to be considered the definitive take. The designs from the 60's were updated by Chuck Jones, given a more cuddly appearance (further streamlined by "Sandra" before the characters moved to Saturday morning the very next year). Of note, this was the first time Dave, Alvin, and Simon were voiced on television by Bagdasarian Jr, and his wife Janice voiced Theodore. A CHIPMUNK CHRISTMAS was a ratings bonanza and the series Alvin And The Chipmunks followed shortly. Some of the elements to A CHIPMUNK CHRISTMAS were re-tooled for the following series, so there are some items on display here which may seem unfamiliar, like the characters living in a completely different house and city from the familiar California locations which followed. The brothers are also a bit more loving toward each other, before later seasons found their differences lightly grating on one another. But, of course, it's Christmas time, so there'd naturally be a bit more good will on display.

   Alvin And The Chipmunks was a popular series, running several years and creating a new wave of merchandise. Two charming television specials were produced, which were later cycled back into regular series episodes. I LOVE THE CHIPMUNKS VALENTINE SPECIAL was followed by A CHIPMUNK REUNION -which cleared up some questions about the origin of the boys. The Bagdasarians branched onto the big screen via THE CHIPMUNK ADVENTURE in 1987. Sadly, the film failed at the box office and didn't find it's audience until it was issued on home video. Meanwhile, the production of the series moved from Ruby-Spears to DIC about this time and the name of the show was shortened to The Chipmunks. The Chipmunks were among numerous Saturday morning characters to take part in an anti-drug video special Cartoon All-Stars To The Rescue. At some point, there was even a live-action TV special in which the boys were played by men in suits as they attended school! The 90's brought about the television/video special Rockin' Through The Decades, a comical quasi-documentary hosted by Will Smith. The regular series changed it's format to become The Chipmunks Go To The Movies, in which each week featured a parody of a popular film, starring the Chipmunks as actors. This variation of the series proved far less popular, as the tone varied wildly from week to week. It proved a short run, but the characters weren't out of the running yet.

   The mid 90's brought along a trio of new television specials. TRICK OR TREASON tackled halloween, while A CHIPMUNK CELEBRATION handled Thanksgiving (weirdly, the name of the holiday goes unspoken and unseen during the entire special, but I guess they trusted us to get it). THE EASTER CHIPMUNK followed. Late in the decade, Universal reissued A CHIPMUNK ADVENTURE on home video, and the sales must have been strong enough to prompt the studio to commission a pair of new features. ALVIN AND THE CHIPMUNKS MEET FRANKENSTEIN hit home video in 1999, with the delightful ALVIN AND THE CHIPMUNKS MEET THE WOLF-MAN! following at the turn of the century. Sadly, that proved to be the finish of this particular branch of the franchise.

   Ross and Janice didn't stop, however. An obscure live-action video feature was produced in 2003 or so, called LITTLE ALVIN AND THE MINI-MUNKS. Reportedly released only in England, the film was an odd fantasy in which the Chipmunks and the Chipettes are played by Muppet-like puppets, and depicted as being a bit younger than they were in the cartoons. Of note, Ross and Janice star in the film, the only time Ross Bagdasarian Jr. played David Seville in live-action.

   Far more visible was the big-budget 20th Century Fox live-action adaptation ALVIN AND THE CHIPMUNKS. Turning the dial back to zero, the Chipmunks (now computer animation in a live-action world) were back to being talking/singing animals as they had been originally depicted on their record sleeves back in the early days with Ross Sr. This first film was entertaining, but lacked much of the charm of the 80's series. It was a hit, though, and sired ALVIN AND THE CHIPMUNKS: THE SQUEAKUEL. This one was a bit better, and again it was a hit. ALVIN AND THE CHIPMUNKS: CHIPWRECKED was an absolute joy, capturing the charm and humor of the best moments of the Saturday morning series. There was a forth film, ALVIN AND THE CHIPMUNKS: THE ROAD CHIP, but it had the misfortune of opening opposite THE FORCE AWAKENS. That effectively ended that critically-despised-but-financially-successful film series and the property was moved back to the small screen with the currently-running computer-animated series ALVINNN!!! And The Chipmunks.

   Back before all that, though, before the boys moved to California, before the Chipettes, before the movies and various spin-offs, there was our current subject. Already, humor and music were mixed with charm and light drama to create something truly wonderful.

   I'm not sure if The Alvin Show ever established what city it was set in, but it often came across as taking place in California as the later Alvin And The Chipmunks and it's sequels did. Thus, A CHIPMUNK CHRISTMAS stands out in it's very first moments by establishing it's setting as New York. We first look in on a poor family of a widowed mother and her two children. Son Tommy has been ill, and is getting progressively worse. The boy is unlikely to survive until Christmas, only five days away. Tommy's illness is also a mystery, making treatment even more problematic. Tommy's sister Angela does what she can by reading stories to Tommy as he lay sick in bed.

   Here we establish a tone which would remain more or less constant in the episodes which followed. The Chipmunks live not in a traditional fantasy cartoon world, but in a world which mirrors very closely our own. Aside from the Chipmunks, and later the Chipettes, it's a world populated only by regular human beings* and subject to real physical laws. The Chipmunks themselves are somewhat more cartoon-like here than they would become, Alvin being able to propel himself like a jet by scrambling on his feet so quickly that he effectively takes flight a couple of times, but they remain essentially grounded in the real world.

   (*In the third TV special, A CHIPMUNK REUNION, the boys set out to find their mother and we learn that animals become more civilized the farther away one gets from true civilization. Deep in the wilderness, some of the animals are depicted as being human in their motivations and able to speak, wear clothing, and live in houses formed from trees, as well as play music. The vast gulf between the civilizations explaining why they so seldom cross paths, this is somewhat more fanciful than the usual depiction of a reality very similar to our own, but within the limits of a world where we know there are talking, humanoid chipmunks. Several more humanoid chipmunks appear in A CHIPMUNK CELEBRATION, which shows at least some extended members of Alvin's family live and work in our civilized world. Meanwhile, the last TV special, THE EASTER CHIPMUNK, is set in a more traditional cartoon world where talking animals are far more a common element. It's such a departure from the rest of the franchise that it almost comes across like a dream sequence, in fact.)

   (Actually, I should mention that a couple other humanoid chipmunks do surface from time to time on the series. Very early in the run was introduced adult chipmunk Harry, a con-man who frequently got the boys involved in get-rich-quick schemes. At least once, Alvin ran across a look-a-like chipmunk in the wild and briefly switched places with him in order to get a rest from his fans.)

   Another thing that grounds this scene and allows the later humor to pop is the voice acting. Genre pros Frank Welker and June Foray voice the doctor and Mrs. Waterford, respectively. These familiar voices, well exercised and capable of tremendous pathos while exhibiting practiced brevity (the whole scene lasts only seconds), really put the scene in place in a professional manner which offers a certain comfort aided by the familiar design work of Chuck Jones. Really, it's the perfect way to kick off an animated Christmas special by serving up some familiarity which can transition into something fresh. Once we put everything in place, the show manages to break from our expectations while still delivering what we've tuned in to see. In a technical sense, it's just about the perfect animated Christmas special.

   Tommy's plight established, we move across town to the suburbs. There, the Chipmunks awake and decide to rouse Dave in time to do some Christmas shopping. In a fun little bit, the boys scramble through the house turning on all the lights, which has a ring of childhood reality to it. When we get our first good look at the Chipmunks, we see how they differ from the 60's versions but haven't quite morphed fully into the versions we know from the 80's. As noted, Jones' design for the boys is a bit more cuddly, with rounder cheeks and freckles. It's a nice middle ground between the two versions we know. Also, the relative size of the characters is moving in line with the 80's series which followed. Theodore is depicted as being shorter than Alvin, or at least roughly the same size. In the earlier show, Alvin was the shortest of the three.

   As an aside, regarding the height differences, the first episode of The Chipmunks Go To The Movies was a parody of BACK TO THE FUTURE which had the Chipmunks of the 90's going back in time to meet their 1950's counterparts as they had been seen on the 60's The Alvin Show. As the episode opens, Simon shows a picture of their previous selves which shows the same proportions as had been used on The Alvin Show. When the characters eventually meet, though, Theodore of the 50's is shown to be the smallest just as his 90's counterpart is. (I have to imagine that this particular episode was an absolute blast to make for Bagdasarian Jr., who no doubt delighted in paying tribute to his father by bringing his versions of the characters back to life.)

   As for Dave himself, he resembles a middle ground mixture of 60's Dave and the more streamlined Dave of the following series. He's stirred from his sleep and dressed by the boys before he has a chance to fully awake, which results in his shoes being worn on his hands and his jacket where his slacks should be. Dave is somewhat miffed at the boys, but in a loving way. He tries to explain that he's got everything under control, but his aggravation is soothed by the boys' singing. And truly, the Christmas songs sound great. There was even a soundtrack album for the special, which is good because most of the numbers we only get to hear in part here.

   Soon the boys are being marched to the recording studio, a condition Alvin is less than thrilled to accept, since it means working on their Christmas vacation. Dave notes Alvin's harmonica, and Alvin dashes back home to retrieve his beloved instrument. His Golden Echo harmonica is Alvin's most prized possession, and it's kept in it's own little bed in the boys' room. Back with the others, Alvin manages to talk Dave into getting things set up at the recording studio while the boys do a little window shopping.

   At a department store, Alvin proudly shows his harmonica it's "twin brother" being sold at a display. Here, he overhears Mrs. Waterford and Angela discussing how much Tommy wants a Golden Echo harmonica and what it would mean to him to have one. Unfortunately, Mrs. Waterford can't afford one, and notes how unlikely it is Tommy will make it through Christmas. Angela, kept in the dark on the seriousness of Tommy's condition, doesn't understand, but Alvin does. At the recording session, Alvin is off his cues and he asks Dave for a quick break. During this, Alvin rushes over to the Waterford apartment and tells Tommy that he's won a department store raffle and his prize is a Golden Echo harmonica. In a touching scene, Alvin selflessly hands over his most prized possession before returning to the studio to sing "The Chipmunk Song (Christmas, Don't Be Late)" as the audience was waiting for.

   That night, the boys trim the Christmas tree as Dave speaks on the telephone. Simon and Theodore are proud of Alvin for giving Tommy his beloved harmonica, but Alvin knows that he must replace the instrument as it was originally a gift from Dave. As soon as Christmas is over, he'll raise the money to buy a replacement from the department store. Then Dave comes into the room to let the boys know that they'll be playing the prestigious Carnegie Hall for a sold-out Christmas show. What's more, Alvin will be doing a harmonica solo! This means Alvin can't wait to buy a new harmonica and must come up with the money now.

   (This harmonica business, by the way, is in keeping with the original versions of the characters. The 1959 single "Alvin's Harmonica" displayed the titular chipmunk's love for his harmonica. The song was later used as a segment on The Alvin Show, and later was recreated for the previously mentioned episode of The Chipmunks Go To The Movies. Amusingly, the ending of that episode had 90's Alvin giving his harmonica to 50's Alvin and telling him it'll come in handy.)

   Hearing the other kids in the neighborhood, and the barking dogs of their neighbor, the boys come up with a quick plan to charge quarters for kids to have their pictures taken with Santa Claus and his reindeer. Alvin dresses as Old Saint Nick while the dogs are dressed up as his reindeer. Since he's so small, Alvin doesn't let the kids sit on his lap but is instead lowered down to their laps on a rope looped over a tree branch. Dave overhears and investigates, but all is going fine until a little girl shows up with her cat. The dogs make a mad dash and Dave ends up covered in snow.

   Dave tries to point the boys in the right direction that Christmas is about giving rather than getting, not knowing why Alvin needs the money. Thinking Alvin is in the wrong, Dave sends the Chipmunks to bed. As Alvin tosses in his sleep, he has an odd dream sequence in which he visits Professor Clyde Crashcup. Crashcup was a character featured in back-up cartoons run on The Alvin Show, and was a well-meaning but mixed-up scientist who tried to help his fellow man by inventing things he needed -completely unaware that his inventions had already been around for a good while. Here, Clyde tries to invent the Christmas Spirit and then money (the perfect follow-up to his previous invention of the I.O.U.).

   Dave goes up to the boys' room, but hears Alvin screaming in his sleep that he needs money and gives up on trying to teach Alvin the true meaning of the season. The next morning, Simon and Theodore give Alvin what little cash they can and he heads to the department store. Meanwhile, Mrs. Waterford telephones Dave to let him know how much Alvin's gift has helped Tommy pull through. Now having the whole picture, Dave takes Simon and Theodore and heads out to find Alvin.

   At the store, Alvin laments that he's still short the price of a Golden Echo harmonica. All seems lost until a kindly older lady approaches Alvin to tell him her ambition is to buy him his harmonica. Alvin is puzzled, then stunned, then delighted to be presented the harmonica he needs. The old lady wants no thanks, but would like to hear Alvin play the harmonica. Alvin plays a touching version of "Silent Night" to the delight of the crowd of shoppers. The old lady is gone when Dave catches up to Alvin and apologizes before taking the kids to Carnegie Hall, where a surprise will be waiting for them. There, Alvin does another rendition of "Silent Night" before going backstage and finding Tommy has made a full recovery. Alvin invites Tommy on stage to do a harmonica solo of his own. Back stage, Dave looks on alongside Mrs. Waterford and Angela. (A couple of these shots get placed out of order, resulting in Dave seen with his arms around the girls before cutting back a second later and showing him putting his arms around them.)

   As the Chipmunks sing "We Wish You A Merry Christmas" we cut to the sky above the city to find Santa Claus making the last of his rounds (and oddly, he's drawn with a rather stern face in this first shot). Flying home, Santa nestles into a chair to relax as he and Mrs. Claus discuss the notion of her getting out on some Christmas night herself. She's content to be a home body, but the camera reveals Mrs. Claus to be the sweet old lady who bought the harmonica for Alvin.

   As Christmas specials go, this one is pretty near perfect. Absolutely charming, sporting a fine sense of comic timing, and very fine on a technical level, one can see how it paved the way for a whole new era in Chipmunk history. It breaks somewhat from the traditional format, in which a kid like Charlie Brown or Davy Hansen must go searching to re-discover the meaning of Christmas, by instead having Alvin already doing the right thing and then having those around him not understand what he's done. In addition to spawning a hugely popular LP, the special was turned into a book in 1985, and of course it paved the way for what is fondly remembered as the greatest era of the Chipmunks.

   The regular series did a somewhat more traditional Christmas story with the episode "Merry Christmas, Mr. Carroll." This one finds Alvin in a far more selfish mood as he can think only about the gifts he'll be receiving. On his paper route is a hermit named Mr. Carroll, who unknown to Alvin looks forward to nothing so much as his daily newspaper. Christmas spirits in the shape of Dave, Simon, and Theodore open Alvin's eyes to the truth. A similar tactic was used for "It's A Wonderful Life, Dave" and the episode is included among the Christmas video releases despite it not actually involving the Christmas season. The live-action movies, meanwhile, were all released around the Christmas season, further tying the Chipmunks to the Most Wonderful Time of The Year. There have also been multiple album releases of Chipmunk Christmas songs.

   A CHIPMUNK CHRISTMAS has been released twice to VHS, once in 1989, and again in 1992. It has similarly been issued twice on DVD as part of Chipmunk Christmas collections. (In fact, the first Christmas collection was the very first DVD release of 80's series Chipmunk episodes. It was subsequently re-issued in a boxed-set with the Thanksgiving and halloween collections.) The more recent release, direct from Bagdasarian Productions as opposed to Paramount who distributed the earlier DVD releases, has a notation of the special being "fully restored" although I saw nothing different from the previous release. One of the releases was part of a special collector's pack which included a CD of Chipmunk Christmas songs.

   The special is really the Chipmunks at their best, despite the little aesthetic changes from what we're most familiar with. It's a warm and delightful episode, which gave birth to a most charming franchise. A fine effort from all involved, and from now on a regular part of my Christmas viewing.

   It's certainly a step up from last year's review subject, in which a child kidnapped Santa Claus with the help of a snide Christmas tree which spoke with the voice of Vanity Smurf...

A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL!