<P> 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 . The special was originally telecast December 14, 1970 by ABC and continues to air every year on sibling channel ABC Family (now Freeform) though both channels have at times edited the special to make room for commercials (ABC has cut two key songs, as well as two other songs in half; ABC Family / Freeform has cut several scenes that they believe may be traumatizing to younger viewers, like Kris climbing, and leaping to escape to prevent children from doing dangerous stunts, Winter Warlock knowing Kris will return, and telling him he will never escape including the scene where the Burgermeister torches the seized toys in front of the children of Sombertown). The DVD releases include these deleted scenes vital to the story's plot . </P> <P> Special Delivery "S.D." Kluger (voiced by and resembling Fred Astaire) the mailman is introduced after a newsreel prologue, telling how children around the world are preparing for Christmas and Santa Claus' arrival . When his snowmobile / mail truck breaks down, he tells the story of Santa Claus, answering the children's letters to Santa . </P> <P> The story begins in the gloomy city of Sombertown, ruled by the ill - tempered Burgermeister Meisterburger (voiced by Paul Frees). A baby arrives on his doorstep with a name tag reading "Claus" and note requesting that Burgermeister raise the child . He instead orders his lawkeeper Grimsley (also voiced by Paul Frees) to take the baby to the "Orphan Asylum". On the way there, a gust of wind blows both sled and baby to the Mountain of the Whispering Winds, where the animals hide him from the evil Winter Warlock (voiced by Keenan Wynn) and convey him to an Elvish family by the name of Kringle in Rainbow River Valley . Led by Tanta Kringle (voiced by Joan Gardner), the elf queen, she and the five Kringle elf brothers (Ringle, Dingle, Zingle, Tingle and Wingle, all voiced by Frees) adopt the baby and name him "Kris". A few years later, Kris hopes to restore the Kringle family as "The First Toymakers to the King". </P> <P> When Kris is old enough, he volunteers to deliver the elves' toys to Sombertown . Unfortunately, the Burgermeister has outlawed all toys in the town after he trips on a toy left on the steps, and declares that anyone found possessing a toy will be arrested . On his way to Sombertown, Kris meets a lost penguin whom he names Topper as they evade the Winter Warlock who vows to catch him the next time he passes . In the town, he offers toys to two children washing their stockings by a water fountain . He is stopped by Miss Jessica (voiced by Robie Lester), their lovely schoolteacher, but she softens toward Kris when he offers her a china doll as a "peace offering". As Kris gives more toys, the Burgermeister arrives to arrest the children, but Kris gives him a yo - yo . He at first happily plays with it, but Grimsley reminds him he's breaking his own law, leading to Burgermeister ordering Kris' capture . </P>

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