Casper's First Christmas

*Casper's First Christmas*
Casper's First Christmas
	VHS cover
Genre	Comedy
Based on	Casper the Friendly Ghost; by Seymour Reit; Joe Oriolo
Story by	Bob Ogle
Directed by	Carl Urbano
Starring	Julie McWhirter; Daws Butler; Don Messick; Hal Smith; John Stephenson
Music by	Hoyt Curtin
Country of origin	United States
Original language	English
Production
Executive producers	William Hanna; Joseph Barbera
Producer	Alex Lovy
Editor	Robert Ciaglia
Running time	30 minutes
Production companies	Hanna-Barbera Productions; Harvey Films
Original release
Network	NBC
Release	December 18, 1979

Casper's First Christmas is a 1979 animated Christmas television special and crossover produced by Hanna-Barbera. It features Casper the Friendly Ghost and his friend Hairy Scarey from the animated series Casper and the Angels.^[1] The special features guest stars Yogi Bear, Boo-Boo, Huckleberry Hound, Snagglepuss, Quick Draw McGraw, and Augie Doggie and Doggie Daddy. It aired on NBC on December 18, 1979.^[2]

The theme song, "Comin' Up Christmas Time", sung by Yogi's pals was used again a year later in Yogi's First Christmas, depicting a different premise in which Yogi and Boo Boo (who, being bears are supposed to be hibernating in the winter) can be seen celebrating Christmas with the other cast members. "Comin' Up Christmas Time" was released on Hanna-Barbera's Christmas Sing-A-Long^[3] album on CD and cassette in 1991 and is currently on various streaming services.

This also marked the first and only time that this special pairs together the characters from its owners, Hanna-Barbera and Harvey Entertainment. Like many animated series created by Hanna-Barbera in the 1970s, the show contained a laugh track created by the studio.

Network Ten aired the special in Australia.

Plot

Casper and his friend Hairy Scary are in a house about to be demolished on Christmas Eve and go out to look for a new place to move to after Christmas in California. Yogi and his friends get lost and arrive at Casper and Hairy's house and clean and decorate it to celebrate Christmas. Casper befriends Yogi and company only for Hairy to try to ruin the party with Casper and his new friends. Hairy has a change of heart and celebrates Christmas with Casper and his new friends and ending with Santa Claus saving the house and turning it into Hairy's Haunting Lodge.

Cast

Julie McWhirter as Casper the Friendly Ghost
Daws Butler as Yogi Bear / Huckleberry Hound / Quick Draw McGraw / Snagglepuss / Augie Doggie
Don Messick as Boo-Boo Bear
Hal Smith as Santa Claus
John Stephenson as Hairy Scary the Ghost / Doggie Daddy
Paul DeKorte as Singer
Ida Sue McCune as Singer
Michael Redman as Singer

Home media

Turner Home Entertainment released Casper's First Christmas on VHS on September 26, 1995.^[4] Warner Bros. released Hanna-Barbera Christmas Classics Collection on DVD in region 1 via their Warner Archive Collection in July 2012; this was a Manufacture-on-Demand (MOD) release, available exclusively through Warner's online store and only in the US. This collection features a trilogy of Christmas specials: Casper's First Christmas, The Town That Santa Forgot and A Christmas Story.

VHS release dates

December 4, 1986 (Worldvision Home Video)
December 3, 1987 (Worldvision Home Video/Kids Klassics Home Video)
1991 (Hanna-Barbera Home Video)
September 26, 1995 (Turner Home Entertainment)
September 29, 1998 (Warner Home Video)
November 2, 1999 (Warner Home Video)
October 31, 2000 (Warner Home Video)
October 16, 2001 (Warner Home Video)

DVD release date

July 31, 2012 (Warner Home Video/Warner Archive)

References

^ Crump, William D. (2019). Happy Holidays—Animated! A Worldwide Encyclopedia of Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and New Year's Cartoons on Television and Film. McFarland & Co. pp. 41–42. ISBN 9781476672939.
^ Woolery, George W. (1989). Animated TV Specials: The Complete Directory to the First Twenty-Five Years, 1962–1987. Scarecrow Press. pp. 62–63. ISBN 0-8108-2198-2. Retrieved 27 March 2020.
^ Fred Flintstone, Yogi Bear & Friends, Hanna-Barbera's Christmas Sing-A-Long, retrieved 2021-12-14
^ Casper's First Christmas [VHS]: Daws Butler, Ida Sue McCune, Paul DeKorte, Julie McWhirter, Don Messick, John Stephenson, Hal Smith, Michael Redman, Carl Urbano, Chris Cuddington, Gil Iverson, Robert Ciaglia, Alex Lovy, Doug Paterson, Joseph Barbera, William Hanna, Bob Ogle: Movies & TV. ISBN 156039577X.

External links

[1] Crump, William D. (2019). Happy Holidays—Animated! A Worldwide Encyclopedia of Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and New Year's Cartoons on Television and Film. McFarland & Co. pp. 41–42. ISBN 9781476672939.

[2] Woolery, George W. (1989). Animated TV Specials: The Complete Directory to the First Twenty-Five Years, 1962–1987. Scarecrow Press. pp. 62–63. ISBN 0-8108-2198-2. Retrieved 27 March 2020.

[3] Fred Flintstone, Yogi Bear & Friends, Hanna-Barbera's Christmas Sing-A-Long, retrieved 2021-12-14

[4] Casper's First Christmas [VHS]: Daws Butler, Ida Sue McCune, Paul DeKorte, Julie McWhirter, Don Messick, John Stephenson, Hal Smith, Michael Redman, Carl Urbano, Chris Cuddington, Gil Iverson, Robert Ciaglia, Alex Lovy, Doug Paterson, Joseph Barbera, William Hanna, Bob Ogle: Movies & TV. ISBN 156039577X.

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