Product Details

• Actors: Greer Garson, Zero Mostel, David Jay, Bob McFadden, Ray Owens
• Directors: Arthur Rankin Jr., Jules Bass
• Writers: Jules Bass
• Producers: Arthur Rankin Jr., Jules Bass
• Format: Animated, Color, NTSC
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Warner Home Video
• VHS Release Date: December 21, 1993
• Run Time: 30 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 6301760352
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #145,420 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

He's back and he's drumming better than ever! The further adventures of the Little Drummer Boy begin just after the Christ child is born, just after he plays his drum for him (pa-rup-pup-pup-pum). At the manger, wise king and percussion fan Melchior invites the Little Drummer Boy to visit a friend of his, Simeon, who has been making pure silver bells to help announce the prophesized birth of the son of God. Unfortunately, Simeon had put all of his money into the bells and can't pay his taxes, so the singing and dancing head tax collector (Zero Mostel) confiscates the big bells. It's up to the boy and the king to help Simeon get them back. This 23-minute Christmas story from Arthur Rankin Jr. and Jules Bass utilizes the filmmaking duo's absolutely charming puppet animation (or "animagic," as they like to call it) that was made famous in Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. Though the soundtrack plays the Little Drummer Boy's signature song (pa-rup-pup-pup-pum) a couple too many times (and never plays "Silver Bells") there is one show-stopping tune that the tax collectors sing that makes the whole thing worthwhile. The only questionable bit is the vaguely right-wing message that it's OK to cheat tax collectors. --Andy Spletzer

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the BEST Family Oriented Films EVER MADE!, May 17, 2000

By 

The Christmas Boy "Tinkle Dinkle!" (North Pole, PA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Little Drummer Boy Book 2 [VHS] (VHS Tape)

This is one of the BEST Christmas films EVER. Zero Mostel steals the show as he portrays Brutus the Roman Tax Collector. He and his idiotic side kick, Plato, will keep you parents attention. The plot is about how a bell maker named Simion made a set of Silver Bells to ring out the birth of Christ, but just before the time is at hand to ring them the Roman Tax Collector's take his bells for payment of the taxes. A charming tale, and the Roman Tax Collector Song is EXCELLENT and VERY Catchy! You will be humming it garanteed! I wish it were on CD! But you should buy this excellent video, if you long for something of high quality for your family to watch. Very well done!

4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Three rarities from Rankin/Bass, December 2, 2005

By 

microjoe - See all my reviews
(TOP 100 REVIEWER)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Family Christmas 3-Pack (Frosty's Winter Wonderland, The Little Drummer Boy Book II, Pinocchio's Christmas) [VHS] (VHS Tape)

Rankin/Bass studios hardly ever made sequels of any of their holiday specials, but this 3 pack video has two sequels out of the 3 episodes, and those sequels are rare.
#1 is the sequel to "the Little Drummer Boy", called "The Little Drummer Boy Book II" that plays almost every Christmas on some station or another, but the sequel is much more rare. It is made in Animagic stop motion.
#2 is the true Frosty the Snowman sequel, which is pretty rare as well. THIS one is the true Frosty sequel, made by the same studio and producers as the first one. It is made in traditional cel animation.
#3 we have Pinocchio's Christmas, the weakest of the three. It is in Animagic stop motion.

Rankin/Bass Studio. Their studio has brought us such memorable holiday classics such as Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer, Year without a Santa Claus, Nestor the Long-Eared Christmas 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, Cricket on the Hearth, the Stingiest Man in Town, Jack Frost, 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.

I hope this comes out on a restored DVD soon, I have bought all the other Rankin/Bass that have been released on DVD.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars ANDY SPLETZER needs a GOOD SLAP ... What a dope!, December 30, 2008

By 

Music Police (Mass) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Little Drummer Boy Book 2 [VHS] (VHS Tape)

In the Amazon review for this tape, ANDY SPLETZER SAYS "The only questionable bit is the vaguely right-wing message that it's OK to cheat tax collectors". Huh? What a liberal loser! Spletzer obviously has a very tiny brain. Anyway, it is a decent part 2 to the original drummer boy and of course, is not available on DVD (it was shown on TV years ago but I have not seen it in years). Too bad!