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Casper's First Christmas (incorrectly called Casper's Christmas Wish in early promotional spots) is an animated NBC special, based on Harvey Cartoons' Casper the Friendly Ghost cartoons and produced by Hanna-Barbera, that premiered on December 18, 1979. Despite the title, it is actually the second Christmas production starring Casper (the first being the theatrical short "True Boo" from 27 years earlier), and also a crossover with the Yogi Bear franchise.

Synopsis

Casper with Hairy Scary

Casper with his friend Hairy Scary.

On Christmas Eve, Casper is living (so to speak) in a run-down house that has been condemned, and he is wondering if Santa Claus ever comes to this kind of house. He writes a letter to Santa and places it in his stocking, which he hangs over the fireplace. Afterwards, his friend Hairy Scary (from Casper and the Angels) wakes up and tells him that it is time they started haunting the house like they usually do. Casper asks him if they could just take the night off for Christmas and decorate the house, since friends always gather to express love and friendship on Christmas Eve, but Hairy is not at all keen on the idea, since he thinks ghosts cannot be friends with anyone. After Casper tries to tell Hairy all about Santa Claus, Hairy takes Casper with him to go looking for some other old house to haunt.

ComingUpChristmastime

Yogi and friends driving through the countryside.

Meanwhile, Yogi Bear, Boo Boo, Huckleberry Hound, Snagglepuss, Quick Draw McGraw, Augie Doggie and Doggie Daddy have been driving through the snow, looking for the mountain lodge they were planning to spend Christmas Eve at. They come upon the house that Casper and Hairy Scary were in and decide to spend Christmas there. Once inside, they get to work cleaning the place and decorating it for Christmas.

Casper meets Yogi and Boo Boo

Casper meets Yogi and Boo Boo.

When Hairy and Casper return, having had no luck finding another old house, Casper points out that someone has come to visit them. The two ghosts see that the house has been spruced up and a Christmas tree has been brought in, to Hairy's disgust. Outraged at the idea of Yogi and his friends having a Christmas party in his house, Hairy decides he wants to teach them a lesson. Casper goes inside and starts helping Yogi and Boo Boo hang ornaments on the Christmas tree, almost scaring the two bears. Casper explains to them that he wants to join the party, since he fears this may be the last Christmas the house will be around for, so Yogi and Boo Boo (who think Casper is a kid wearing a bedsheet) agree to let him join in.

Meanwhile, Hairy Scary scares Doggie Daddy out of the kitchen while he was busy cooking. Casper comes in and scolds Hairy for doing so, but Hairy takes off, after which Yogi introduces Casper to Augie Doggie and Doggie Daddy. Meanwhile, Huck, Snagglepuss, and Quick Draw have been gathering firewood in the basement when Hairy literally drops in on them and scares them out of there. When they try to explain it to Doggie Daddy, he thinks they just met Casper, but when he goes down to the basement, he crosses paths with Hairy, who scares him off too. Hairy then approaches Yogi, Boo Boo, and Augie, and tears down the Christmas decorations, telling them that they can "take this Christmas foolishness and clear out of here!" In Hairy's rampage, Yogi and his friends, along with Casper, dash out of the house.

Hairy opening his present

Hairy opening his present from Santa.

After returning the house to its messed-up state, Hairy notices the stocking Casper left over the fireplace. Taking a look at Casper's letter to Santa, he finds that Casper's wish was for Santa to save their house. Hairy, touched that Casper made a wish for him, decides to make amends and, accompanied by a pair of mice, redecorates the house and then invites Casper, Yogi, and friends back inside. Afterward, Santa Claus arrives outside and gives presents to everyone. Casper asks him if he got the letter he wrote, at which point Santa calls out to Hairy and gives him his present - the deed to the house, allowing him to live in it as long as he wants. Santa then transforms the house into Hairy's Haunting Lodge, and Hairy declares that Yogi and friends can now join him and Casper for Christmas every year. As Santa is about to leave, Hairy wishes him a Merry Christmas, while accidentally scaring the reindeer.

Songs

Both songs were reused in Yogi's First Christmas, released the following year.

Availability

Casper's First Christmas was first released on VHS by Kids Klassics Home Video in 1987. It was released on VHS again by Turner Home Entertainment in 1995 and by Warner Home Video in 2000. Warner Home Video later featured the special, along with A Christmas Story and The Town Santa Forgot, on Warner Archive's Hanna-Barbera Christmas Classics Collection manufacture-on-demand DVD, released on July 30, 2012.

Cast

Voice actor/actress Character(s)
Julie McWhirter Casper
Daws Butler Yogi Bear
Huckleberry Hound
Augie Doggie
Quick Draw McGraw
Snagglepuss
Don Messick Boo Boo Bear
John Stephenson Doggie Daddy
Hairy Scary
Hal Smith Santa Claus

See also

External links

Hanna-Barbera
Productions
Shorts and episodes The Night Before ChristmasGood Will to Men • "Christmas Flintstone" • "A Dickens of a Christmas" • "Baby's First Christmas" • "The Nutcracker Scoob" • "Insanity Claus" • "A Jetson Christmas Carol" • "Happy Howlidays" • "The Nativity" • "The Magic Sack of Mr. Nicholas" • "The Ghost of Christmas Paddington" • "Santanapped" • "Don Coyote and the Christmas Bell" • "George and Junior's Christmas Spectacular" • "Santa Klutz" • "A Cavekid Christmas" • "Dexter Vs. Santa's Claws" • "Twas the Night" • "Happy Baboon Holidays" • "Scary Christmas" • "Scroogey Doo" • "It's a Wacky Life" • "Dashing Thru the Snow" • "Signed, Sealed and Wacky" • "The Spirit of Frostnos"
Specials and movies A Christmas StorySilent Night, Holy NightA Flintstone ChristmasCasper's First ChristmasYogi's First ChristmasThe Smurfs' Christmas SpecialChristmas Comes to Pac-LandYogi Bear's All-Star Comedy Christmas CaperThe Little Troll PrinceThe Tom and Jerry Christmas Special'Tis the Season to Be SmurfyThe Town Santa ForgotA Flintstone Family ChristmasA Flintstones' Christmas CarolA Scooby-Doo! ChristmasTom and Jerry: A Nutcracker TaleScooby-Doo! Haunted HolidaysTom and Jerry: Santa's Little HelpersTom and Jerry: Snowman's Land
Albums
Merry ChristmasPebbles & Bamm-Bamm Singing Songs of ChristmasExciting Christmas Stories with Scooby-Doo and FriendsHanna-Barbera's Christmas Sing-A-LongA Christmas in BedrockA Flintstones Motown Christmas
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