''The Small One'' (also known as ''A Christmas Miracle'' in the UK) is a 1978 American
animated
Animation is a method by which still figures are manipulated to appear as moving images. In traditional animation, images are drawn or painted by hand on transparent celluloid sheets to be photographed and exhibited on film. Today, most ani ...
featurette
In the American film industry, a featurette is a kind of film that is shorter than a full-length feature, but longer than a short film. The term may refer to either of two types of content: a shorter film or a companion film.
Medium-length film ...
produced by
Walt Disney Productions
The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October 1 ...
and released theatrically by
Buena Vista Distribution on December 16, 1978 with a re-issue of ''
Pinocchio
Pinocchio ( , ) is a fictional character and the protagonist of the children's novel '' The Adventures of Pinocchio'' (1883) by Italian writer Carlo Collodi of Florence, Tuscany. Pinocchio was carved by a woodcarver named Geppetto in a Tuscan ...
'' (1940). The story is based on a 1947 children's
book of the same name by
Charles Tazewell and was a project for the new generation of Disney animators including
Don Bluth
Donald Virgil Bluth (; born September 13, 1937) is an American film director, animator, production designer, and animation instructor, best known for his animated films, including '' The Secret of NIMH'' (1982), '' An American Tail'' (1986), ''Th ...
,
Jerry Rees
Jerry W. Rees (born November 15, 1956) is an American film director and animator, best known for the Emmy-nominated animated film ''The Brave Little Toaster'' (1987) and creating many of the visual effects for the cult classic ''Tron'' (1982).
E ...
,
Henry Selick
Charles Henry Selick Jr. (; born November 30, 1952) is an American film director, producer, screenwriter, production designer, and animator who is best known for directing the stop-motion animation films ''The Nightmare Before Christmas'' (1993), ...
,
Gary Goldman
Gary Wayne Goldman (born November 17, 1944) is an American film producer, director, animator, writer and voice actor. He is known for working on films with Don Bluth such as ''All Dogs Go to Heaven'' for his directorial debut, ''Anastasia'', ' ...
, and
John Pomeroy
John Foster Pomeroy (born March 26, 1951) is an American animator who has worked for several major studios, including Walt Disney Animation Studios and Sullivan Bluth Studios. He has also worked as producer, and screenwriter on several animated ...
.
The story tells of a young boy, outside
Nazareth, who must part with his best friend, an old
donkey named Small One. He brings it to
market
Market is a term used to describe concepts such as:
*Market (economics), system in which parties engage in transactions according to supply and demand
*Market economy
*Marketplace, a physical marketplace or public market
Geography
*Märket, an ...
, but no one is in need of a "scrawny donkey", except for a
tanner.
Plot
In the Galilean countryside near the city of
Nazareth, a young boy and his father own four donkeys. One donkey, Small One, is so old and weak, he cannot adequately do his job of carrying the wood collected by the boy's father. The boy loads Small One with the smallest sticks, and helps him to carry them. One evening, the boy's father says that he has to sell Small One because he cannot do enough work to cover the cost of his care. Devastated by the news, the boy volunteers to take the donkey to be sold so that he can try to find him a kind master. The father agrees and tells him that he has to sell him for one piece of silver.
The next morning, the boy takes Small One to the market. At first they are tricked into visiting the local tanner by a guard at the city gates. Terrified, they run out of the shop when they discover he only wants the donkey's hide. As they wander the streets looking for a buyer, they encounter several townspeople, shop owners, and merchants, none of whom want to buy. At last, the boy leads Small One onto the stage at a horse auction. The auctioneer has no interest in selling a "scrawny donkey", which causes the boy to insist that Small One is "good enough to be in a king's stable". This prompts the auctioneer and the crowd to laugh and poke fun. When the auctioneer attempts to sit on Small One, shoving the boy out of the way, Small One rouses the strength to buck and kick the auctioneer off him, sending him crashing into the stage and knocking it over.
The boy and Small One run away, and sit at a street corner hopelessly weeping. At this moment, a kind man comes up to the boy and asks if Small One is for sale. He needs a gentle donkey to carry his wife to
Bethlehem
Bethlehem (; ar, بيت لحم ; he, בֵּית לֶחֶם '' '') is a city in the central West Bank, Palestine, about south of Jerusalem. Its population is approximately 25,000,Amara, 1999p. 18.Brynen, 2000p. 202. and it is the capital o ...
, insists he will take good care of him, and offers one piece of silver. The boy accepts, says goodbye to Small One, and watches as the couple and Small One leave on their journey as a bright star appears in the sky.
Characters
*Small One: He is a gentle donkey past his prime. Long years of working hard have made him weak. Though he eats as much as the other donkeys, he cannot handle the same loads. His right ear never likes to stay straight up, giving him that "Disney cuteness" rating. He has strong feelings for the Boy and would give his life to help him, as he almost does at the tanner's.
*Boy: He is about nine years old. Although he takes care of all the donkeys, Small One is his favorite. When his father tells him to sell Small One, the boy is devastated. Soon he accepts it. Though he loves the donkey, he accepts what his father tells him. He assures Small One will have a gentle and loving master and he does.
*Father: The boy's father is not seen much at all. He is the one who sends the boy to sell Small One. He loves his son and deep down, he loves Small One too, but he knows they cannot afford to keep a donkey that cannot carry a large load. He owes money to the Three Merchants, which may impact his decision to profit from Small One's gradual enfeeblement.
*Three Merchants: These three men, one tall and skinny, one medium and skinny, and the last short and round, walk around the
marketplace
A marketplace or market place is a location where people regularly gather for the purchase and sale of provisions, livestock, and other goods. In different parts of the world, a marketplace may be described as a '' souk'' (from the Arabic), ' ...
taking money from people, "for the bank". They are the ones who point the boy to the auctioneer.
*Auctioneer: He auctions horses in the market. At first he is angered that the boy brings Small One onto the stage and slightly embarrasses him. However, when the boy tells him what Small One can do, the man changes his mind and is intrigued, especially when the boy tells him that Small One is "good enough to be in a King's stable". With that, he decides to have some fun. He mocks and almost injures Small One with his weight. But when Small One sees his best friend pushed aside, he regains his strength and throws the man off of his back. The auctioneer then chases them away.
*The tanner: A minor antagonist, he kills animals to make leather from their skins to sell or barter in his shop.
*The three donkeys: Small One's
barn
A barn is an agricultural building usually on farms and used for various purposes. In North America, a barn refers to structures that house livestock, including cattle and horses, as well as equipment and fodder, and often grain.Alle ...
mates. They seem jealous that the boy spends more time with Small One than them, but they understand that the boy represents a forerunner of the Christ in the tradition of John the Baptist, and they forgive the boy for his favoritism.
*
Joseph
Joseph is a common male given name, derived from the Hebrew Yosef (יוֹסֵף). "Joseph" is used, along with "Josef", mostly in English, French and partially German languages. This spelling is also found as a variant in the languages of the mo ...
: The man who buys The Small One at the end of the film. Though his name is never mentioned, from the context (he states that he needs a donkey to carry his wife to Bethlehem) he is obviously the stepfather of
Jesus
Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label= Hebrew/ Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and religiou ...
.
*The Potter: The Potter, a minor character, is first seen doing his job, making clay pots. A boy comes by to ask him if he wants to buy his donkey, Small One. The Potter refuses, saying that he's nothing but "a sorry bag of bones" and that he has "buyers by the dozens - and their mother and their cousins". He then tells the boy to go away.
*The Baker: The baker is the second minor character, first seen doing his job, baking bagels. A boy comes by to ask him if he wants to buy his donkey, Small One. The baker refuses, saying that he is a "scrawny undernourished little beast" and that his large and obese wife is a "healthy size", so he will buy a horse instead.
Cast
*
Sean Marshall as the Boy
*
Olan Soule
Olan Evart Soule (February 28, 1909 – February 1, 1994) was an American actor, who had professional credits in nearly 7,000 radio shows and commercials, appearances in 200 television series and television films, and in over 60 films. Soul ...
as the Boy's Father
*
William Woodson
William T. Woodson (July 16, 1917 – February 22, 2017) was an American film, stage, radio and voice actor, best known for his narration of the radio series '' This is Your FBI'', the animated series '' Super Friends'' and all its spin-offs, and ...
as the Tanner
*
Hal Smith as the Auctioneer
*Joe Higgins as the Guard
*
Gordon Jump
Alexander Gordon Jump (April 1, 1932 – September 22, 2003) was an American actor best known as the clueless, yet occasionally wise, radio station manager Arthur "Big Guy" Carlson in the TV series ''WKRP in Cincinnati'' and the incompetent Ch ...
as
Joseph
Joseph is a common male given name, derived from the Hebrew Yosef (יוֹסֵף). "Joseph" is used, along with "Josef", mostly in English, French and partially German languages. This spelling is also found as a variant in the languages of the mo ...
*
Thurl Ravenscroft
Thurl Arthur Ravenscroft (; February 6, 1914May 22, 2005) was an American actor and bass singer. He was known as one of the booming voices behind Kellogg's Frosted Flakes animated spokesman Tony the Tiger for more than five decades. He was also ...
(uncredited) as the Potter
*
Ken Sansom
Frank Kenneth Sansom (April 2, 1927 – October 8, 2012) was an American actor. Among his best known roles, Sansom voiced Rabbit in animated television series, television specials, and films for Disney's ''Winnie the Pooh'' franchise from 1988 to ...
(uncredited) as the Baker
Production
By the early 1970s, several of Disney's senior animators had either died or retired, but the continuous success of their animated features convinced studio executives that the animation department was still lucrative but in desperate need for new talent.
Veteran animator
Eric Larson
Eric Cleon Larson (September 3, 1905 – October 25, 1988) was an American animator for the Walt Disney Studios starting in 1933, and was one of the " Disney's Nine Old Men".
Biography
Born in Cleveland, Utah, Larson was the son of Dani ...
was selected to head the training program, in which he selected and trained graduates from colleges and art schools across the United States. Eventually, twenty-five new artists were hired from 1970 to 1977.
The idea for ''The Small One'' originated from story trainee Pete Young who found the book among optioned properties at the studio library. He developed the initial storyboards at home, and pitched it to
Ron Miller who claimed it to be a story with "heart". To help polish the storyboards, Miller brought on veteran storyboard artist Vance Gerry to collaborate with Young.
Larson had assumed he would be directing the film and brought
Burny Mattinson
Burnett "Burny" Mattinson (born May 13, 1935) is an American storyboard artist for Walt Disney Animation Studios, where he has been employed since 1953.
Mattinson was honored as an inductee of the Disney Legends program in 2008. Mattinson is off ...
to help re-board the story, as well as veteran animator Cliff Nordberg to help assist on the animation. According to Mattinson, the team left on Friday for the weekend, and returned on Monday to have their work tossed out because studio management had decided to give the project to
Don Bluth
Donald Virgil Bluth (; born September 13, 1937) is an American film director, animator, production designer, and animation instructor, best known for his animated films, including '' The Secret of NIMH'' (1982), '' An American Tail'' (1986), ''Th ...
to direct.
Then-animator Betsy Baytos claimed Larson, in reaction to the news, "just shook his head and knew that he wasn't being appreciated. He felt the old days were gone". In retrospect, Bluth stated: "''Small One'' was something I directed to get the crew busy until ''
Pete's Dragon''...
arsonmight have
een involvedin the storyboard area.
ut hedidn't get to direction. I think he elected to
each
Each may refer to:
*''each'', a determiner and indefinite pronoun
An indefinite pronoun is a pronoun which does not have a specific familiar referent. Indefinite pronouns are in contrast to definite pronouns.
Indefinite pronouns can represent ...
.
Given the allotted production budget, Bluth composed two songs himself with a third song composed by assistant director
Richard Rich
Richard Rich, 1st Baron Rich (July 1496 – 12 June 1567), was Lord Chancellor during King Edward VI of England's reign, from 1547 until January 1552. He was the founder of Felsted School with its associated almshouses in Essex in 1564. He wa ...
,
and recycled animation of
Mowgli from ''
The Jungle Book
''The Jungle Book'' (1894) is a collection of stories by the English author Rudyard Kipling. Most of the characters are animals such as Shere Khan the tiger and Baloo the bear, though a principal character is the boy or "man-cub" Mowgli, w ...
'' (1967).
Release
''The Small One'' was released on December 16, 1978, accompanying a reissue of the Disney's animated feature ''
Pinocchio
Pinocchio ( , ) is a fictional character and the protagonist of the children's novel '' The Adventures of Pinocchio'' (1883) by Italian writer Carlo Collodi of Florence, Tuscany. Pinocchio was carved by a woodcarver named Geppetto in a Tuscan ...
''. That same year, on December 23, the film had its television premiere on
HBO.
Home media
On September 27, 2005, Disney released ''The Small One'' for the first time on Region 1
DVD
The DVD (common abbreviation for Digital Video Disc or Digital Versatile Disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any kind ...
as part of ''
Walt Disney's Classic Cartoon Favorites: Volume 9: Classic Holiday Stories''. This DVD also featured ''
Mickey's Christmas Carol
''Mickey's Christmas Carol'' is a 1983 American animated family comedy-drama featurette directed and produced by Burny Mattinson. The cartoon is an adaptation of Charles Dickens's 1843 novella ''A Christmas Carol'', and stars Scrooge McDuck as ...
'' (1983) and ''
Pluto's Christmas Tree'' (1952). The short is edited in two places:
* The star at the end has been given more lines to look less like a cross.
* The song the three merchants sing has had a lyrics change. The lyric "We never, never fail when we go to make a sale, we simply cheat a little if we must" was changed to "We never, never fail when we go to make a sale, we work a little harder if we must". The reason for these edits is not known, but it may have to do with the merchants being "Arab" stereotypes.
This short is also featured on the DVD ''Walt Disney Animation Collection: Classic Short Films: Volume 7: Mickey's Christmas Carol'' released on September 29, 2009.
It was also released on Region 2 on the DVD ''Walt Disney Presents Countdown to Christmas''.
The title was also made available for streaming and download in the
digital format
Digital data, in information theory and information systems, is information represented as a string of discrete symbols each of which can take on one of only a finite number of values from some alphabet, such as letters or digits. An example is ...
.
Amazon: The Small One
Retrieved 12-05-16 It is also available on Disney+
Disney+ is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service owned and operated by the Media and Entertainment Distribution division of The Walt Disney Company. The service primarily distributes films and television se ...
.
See also
* List of Christmas films
References
External links
''The Small One''
at the Big Cartoon DataBase
The Big Cartoon DataBase (or BCDB for short) is an online database of information about animated cartoons, Feature film, animated feature films, Animated television series, animated television shows, and cartoon Short film, shorts.
The BCDB proj ...
''"The Small One"''
at The Encyclopedia of Disney Animated Shorts
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Small One, The
1978 short films
1978 animated films
1970s American animated films
1970s animated short films
1970s Disney animated short films
1970s English-language films
American Christmas films
Animated Christmas films
Films directed by Don Bluth
Films produced by Ron W. Miller
Films about the Nativity of Jesus
Films set in the 1st century BC
Films set in the Roman Empire
Films set in Israel
Walt Disney Pictures films
Films about donkeys
Films based on the Gospels
1970s Christmas films
Portrayals of Saint Joseph in film
American animated featurettes
1970s children's animated films