Top 10 Christmas Movies of the 70s

First up on our list of Christmas movies from the 70s is Frosty’s Winter Wonderland, which came out in 1976. This animated sequel followed Frosty the Snowman as he returned from the North Pole looking for friendship. While kids loved playing with him during the day, Frosty still felt lonely at night. To try to help him, the children built him a snow wife named Crystal.

The story also featured Jack Frost as a troublemaker who tried to steal Frosty’s magic hat. But when Crystal brought Frosty back to life with a kiss and a snow corsage, Jack learns about friendship.

This Christmas special took the simple charm of the original Frosty and added deeper themes about love and belonging. By the end, Frosty, Crystal, and their new friend Jack Frost head to the North Pole together. And promised to return each winter, too.

Next, An American Christmas Carol transformed Dickens’ classic tale into a Depression-era story. The film starred Henry Winkler as Benedict Slade, a cold-hearted businessman who seized people’s belongings over unpaid loans. His life changed when three ghosts who looked like his debtors visited him on Christmas Eve.

Through visions of his past, his present actions hurting local families, and a future where people celebrated his death, Slade discovered the impact of his cruelty. After this eye-opening night, he transformed completely. He returned everyone’s things, helped a sick child get medical treatment, and even adopted an orphan as his apprentice. This fresh take on a classic tale earned its place among our top ten Christmas movies of the 70s.

Related: The Biggest Female Stars of the 70s

While everyone knows The Flintstones, this 1977 holiday special took their story in a surprising direction. In A Flintstone Christmas, when Santa injured himself on Fred’s rooftop, he chose Fred and Barney as his last-minute replacements.

In this Christmas movie, the two friends had to take on Santa’s duties. They delivered presents worldwide while also keeping Fred’s promise to play Santa at a local benefit. In the end, with help from Santa’s elves, the duo navigated a night filled with mishaps and close calls. The special mixed the classic Flintstones humor with all of the Christmas magic that we know and love.

Also Read: The Best Romance Movies of the 70s

Taking a darker turn on our list is 1974’s Black Christmas, a rare psychological horror Christmas film. Set in a sorority house during Christmas break, the film followed a group of sisters terrorized by disturbing phone calls and mysterious deaths. Olivia Hussey also played the final girl, Jess Bradford.

The film turned typical, cheery Christmas imagery like decorations and carols into pure dread. And though controversial upon release, Black Christmas has become a cult classic that influenced later slashers like Halloween. In the end, this movie made our list because it proved that you can mix holiday and horror. And actually make it frightening.

Next, also in 1974, ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas put a unique spin on Clement Clarke Moore’s famous poem. In this Christmas movie of the 70s, young Albert Mouse wrote a newspaper letter saying Santa isn’t real.

When Santa returned all the town’s Christmas letters, Albert teamed up with his father and local clockmaker Joshua Trundle to make things right. They built a musical clock tower to apologize to Santa, but Albert accidentally broke it during its first showing.

Through catchy songs and colorful animation, it taught kids that it’s never too late to fix their wrongs, securing its spot on our list.

Another Christmas movie of the 70s that made our list was Jim Henson‘s 1977 special Emmet Otter’s Jug-Band Christmas. This Christmas special was based on the 1971 children’s book of the same name by Russell Hoban. 

In this tale of sacrifice and love, young Emmet Otter and his widowed Ma struggled to buy each other Christmas presents. And when they heard about a $50 talent show prize, they each secretly entered. Though another band won the contest, their separate songs blended together, earning them a regular gig at Doc Bullfrog’s restaurant.

With Paul Williams’ original songs and puppet work that brought the movie to life, Emmet Otter became a Christmas classic that showed how love matters more than winning. The special proved puppetry could tell sophisticated stories while maintaining the warmth and charm Henson was famous for.

The 1974 stop-motion special The Year Without a Santa Claus told the story of a discouraged Santa who planned to skip Christmas after becoming ill and doubting people’s belief.

When Mrs. Claus sent two elves to prove people still care, they got all tangled up with the special’s stars: Heat Miser and Snow Miser. These iconic characters put on memorable musical numbers that are even remembered as a unique holiday tune today!

Meanwhile, when the children heard he might not make his annual trip, children worldwide showed their faith in Santa by sending him presents. As one of my personal favorites, this special earned its place as a holiday classic. It mixed catchy musical numbers with its heartfelt message, showing that even Santa sometimes needs to be reminded of Christmas magic.

The 1970 musical Scrooge brought another fresh take on A Christmas Carol with Albert Finney as the protagonist. This film was actually shot in London using sets from Oliver!

It also had memorable Leslie Bricusse songs like “Thank You Very Much” and “I Hate People“. Finney won a Golden Globe for his dual role as young and old Scrooge. And like many others, despite initial skepticism about a singing Scrooge, the film also earned four Oscar nominations, securing its spot on our list of Christmas movies of the 70s.

Also Read: Top 10 Highest-Grossing Movies of the 70s

Capping our list is Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town, the beloved special that revealed Santa’s origin story. The tale explained some major parts of Santa’s lore, such as why he climbed down chimneys, how reindeer learned to fly, and the origin of his signature red suit.

The story took place in Sombertown, where the mean-spirited Burgermeister Meisterburger had banned all toys. Young Kris Kringle fought back by delivering toys to children, making friends with the Winter Warlock, and falling for schoolteacher Jessica along the way.

Also, uniquely, the special was created using Japanese stop-motion animation called “Animagic”, in which all the characters are made out of wood and plastic and animated via stop-motion photography.  This creative style captivated audiences, making it a timeless holiday favorite and securing the final spot on our list.