Customer Reviews

The Leprechauns' Christmas Gold [VHS]

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

This wonderful little film is a 30 minute "Rankin and Bass Productions Animagic" holiday special made for ABC television, first released on December 23, 1981. Rankin and Bass were the kings of the Holiday specials for TV for 3 decades with such incredible well-loved titles as Rudolph, the Drummer Boy, The Year Without a Santa Claus and many others. The story was written by Romeo Muller, with music by composer Maury Laws. The studio did a great job in creating a very charming leprechaun community filled with wonderful characters, that fits a little bit of Christmas in as well. The show is more about Ireland and leprechauns, so it may be easier to watch any time of year than most of their other holiday specials.

In the story there is an unknown island off the coast of Ireland, hidden from Man due to a magic fog. This magic place is the home of two clans of leprechauns, the gold mining clan led by Blarney Killakilarney (artfully voiced by Art Carney), and the Jiggers who are shoe cobblers. (Blarney's wife is voiced by Peggy Cass).

When a ship's cabin boy accidentally arrives on the island to cut a Christmas tree, he unwittingly releases an evil banshee who had been trapped in the tree by St. Patrick. This banshee wants the leprechaun's gold, but she must have it by Christmas Day or go back in the tree. The catch is can't take it by force, and this is where the element of trickery and beguile of many Irish folktales is revealed. She can only get the gold by tricking someone into giving it to her freely. But she can do it through trickery and impersonating others. In fact her deceit in the past has caused a rift between the two family clans, the gold miners and the shoe cobblers, despite the fact that the banshee was imprisoned again.

A big scene has the mining clan leprechauns are mining gold, hiding it underground, and using shamrocks to mark the spot, to the tune of a great song, "Golden Gold of Ireland". The scene really showcases the studio's ability to animate a large number of characters at one time in stop motion with many of the little people busy in motion everywhere and dancing. Another big scene shows the shoe cobbler clan at work along the same theme to the tune of another fun song "Killakilarney Shoes". They pulled all the stops out for these 2 difficult scenes and may have more simultaneous action than any Rankin Bass film that comes to mind. Oh, and you just have to see the leprechaun homes. The banshee makes a great villain. The characterization and warmth of the leprechaun characters really comes through in this special little show. Lots of magic, folk tale creatures and spirits, and an appearance by Saint Patrick make this a film not to miss.

You may remember the Rankin and Bass Studio as the folks that brought us such beautiful holiday classics such as Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer, Year without a Santa Claus, Nestor the Long Eared Donkey, Mad Monster Party, The Little Drummer Boy, Frosty the Snowman, Santa Claus is coming to Town, Mouse on the Mayflower, Here Comes Peter Cottontail, The Easter Bunny is Coming to Town, Cricket on the Hearth, the Stingiest Man in Town, Jack Frost, Pinnochio's Christmas, Rudolph's Shiny New Year, the First Easter Bunny. They also made non-holiday films such as the Hobbit, Flight of Dragons, the Last Unicorn. It is incredible that one company is responsible for all those TV specials, 95% of the ones we see every year. Their work includes standard animation, stop-motion animagic, and live action. There is also a great book on the studio sold at Amazon called "The Enchanted World of Rankin/Bass".

Fun at Christmas or any time of year. If you want to see a great film about leprechauns, in the animagic animation that is such a good way to view them, buy this today.

DVD: It is also sold on DVD as part of a box set titled, "Classic Christmas Favorites", released by Warner Brothers Studio. The set features 9 holiday shows from Rankin/Bass, plus "How the Grinch Stole Christmas", for a total of 10 specials. The other good news is it has two more rare previously unreleased to DVD specials, "The Stingiest Man in Town", and "Pinocchio's Christmas".

I will not go into detail on the show itself as others have already done so. I will say that this is a Rankin/Bass classic (with Art Carney from the Honeymooners!) that deserves to be given the DVD treatment. It's a holday show so profits for Classic Media should not be a problem. (There are a lot of Irish fans out there).

If you would like to see this put on DVD, click yes to the reveiw being "helpful" to send a message that we want this on DVD.

UPDATE: A new WB Box set is out: Classic Christmas Favorites (Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas! / The Year Without a Santa Claus / Rudolph and Frosty's Christmas in July / Rudolph's Shiny New Year / and More) (2008).
It is the same as last year's except that Leprechaun's Christmas and Pinocchio's Christmas, along with a traditional animation of Stingest man in town has been added!! Also, Jack Frost just got released as a seperate DVD!

"The Leprechauns' Christmas Gold" tells a delightful story of two clans of leprechauns, a witch who desperately wants their secret gold, and a lost ship's cabin boy who stumbles into their little, enchanted world. The great Art Carney provides the Irish-brogue voice of the chief leprechaun, Blarney Kilakilarney. It's another magical film by the incomparable Romeo Muller, who also wrote the classic Animagic, Rankin/Bass Christmas films "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer," and "Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town" and "Frosty the Snowman," among many other fantastic films.

So many great Rankin Bass productions have vanished from the TV screens, and this is a great example of a true gem. A ship-wrecked sailor washes ashore and stumbles across a tribe of Leprachauns and the adventures begin. Great songs, a wicked Banshee after the gold, and the usual happy ending. A must have classic for any Irish-American and it is just as much fun to watch on St. Patrick's Day.

I may not be Irish, but I have always loved Irish music. I also love the Rankin-Bass productions. Take a cabin boy named Dinty Doil, a miner named Blarney Kilakilarney, his estranged wife of the cobbler clan, and a banshee determined to trick one of the leprechauns into giving her all their gold, add some great Irish tunes including Christmas in Killarney, and you end up with a fun-filled addition to the Rankin-Bass stable of holiday treats children and adults can enjoy year after year.

I first watched Leprechaun's Christmas Gold when it was shown on the Family Channel and like another reviewer said it was kind of weird but it was good too especially if you have Irish ancestry! Though You don't have to be Irish to enjoy it! It's Weird but ineresting and should be on DVD!

I am horrified that anyone would say this video isn't worth purchasing. You know when you're a little kid in the 80s and mom and dad tape a special off TV that you watch over and over for yearsssssss. Well this is one of those for me. I ADORE this movie. I'm not irish but I think it's such a cute spin on a Christmas movie. NOT ONLY THAT, it's a musical!!! I guarantee any young child would love this movie!!!

For anyone who wants to see the DVD release of this classic, it has been out for a couple of years now. It is available on "Classic Christmas Favorites" which is available here on Amazon under Movies and TV. The DVD set includes 10 holiday classics that include two other releases that were formerly never available on DVD. Those two classics are "The Stingiest Man in Town" and "Pinocchio's Christmas". Check it out. It is well worth the money and the quality is outstanding!!

This has to be one of my favorite of the Rankin-Bass Christmas specials. Great songs, great characters (love when the banshee turns into a woman), absolutely gorgeous visuals.

Also nice to have a Christmas film that doesn't feel compelled to rehash the Santa story yet again. Instead this one is more about family, forgiveness, and the ever-popular triumph of good over evil.

It does make a good St. Patrick's Day film as well, and will stand up equally well against Rudolph and Frosty as it does against Darby O'Gill And The Little People (live action Disney film).

I was wondering if anyone else used this for St. Patrick's day as well and am glad to find at least one reviewer did. No, this isn't one of the GREATEST of all time. It is,however, worth owning and watching twice a year, especially if you are Irish or a Rankin-Bass fan! And if anyone knows of any REAL St. Patrick's day cartoons, please let me know.