‘Santa Claus Is Comin’ To Town’ Movie Trivia: 5 Fun Facts To Know About The Classic Holiday Film Before It Airs

Now that Thanksgiving is behind us, we can start watching some of our favorite and most-beloved Christmas movies! One holiday classic that is sure to get everyone in the Christmas spirit is the kid-friendly “Santa Claus Is Comin’ To Town.” The movie has been a staple since its Dec. 14, 1970 television debut.

According to TV Guide, “Santa Claus Is Comin’ To Town” will air the day after Thanksgiving on Friday, Nov. 25, at 8 p.m. EST on ABC. The movie will air again Sunday, Dec. 4, at 4:30 p.m. EST, and that same day at 10:55 p.m. EST on Freeform.

The movie is narrated by a mailman named S.D. Kluger (Fred Astaire) and tells the story of how Kris Kringle (Mickey Rooney) became Santa Claus. “Santa Claus Is Comin’ To Town” also reveals how some of the most-famous Christmas traditions came about.

In anticipation of the movie airing, we dug up some up really cool and interesting facts about the holiday film. Check them out below:

1. “Santa Claus Is Comin’ To Town” is originally based on a song by the same name. The song was first performed by Eddie Cantor in November 1934 on his radio show. The song was such a hit that people kept requesting it, and eventually, it was turned into a movie.
2. “Santa Claus Is Coming To Town” — the song — is an extremely popular tune to sing. Celebrities like Justin Bieber, Mariah Carey, Tamar Braxton, Miley Cyrus, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, Michael Buble and Faith Hill have all recorded their own versions of the song. Alvin and the Chipmunks also have a remake of the Christmas track.
3. When “Santa Claus Is Comin’ To Town” airs on ABC it’s usually edited down so it fits in the one-hour timeslot. To make the movie fit, the songs “My World Is Beginning Today” and “If You Sit on My Lap Today” are cut. When the film airs on Freeform (formerly ABC Family) scenes that could upset children are axed. One scene that is normally cut is when Burgermeister Meisterburger burns the childrens’ toys.
4. Rudolph isn’t heavily featured in the movie although he’s one of the most widely-known reindeers. In the movie, Kluger explains that Rudolph’s backstory is so big that it is its own story. In fact, Rudolph was given his own movie, “Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer.”
5. In November 2011, “Santa Claus Is Comin’ To Town” was turned into a video game for Nintendo DS and Wii. In the game, Kris Kringle has to deliver presents to the children of Sombertown.