Christine Winter as Girl/Girl Mouse Scott Firestone as Boy/Boy Mouse The Wee Winter Singers as the Chorus Crew Written by Jerome Coopersmith, Larz Bourne Based on the Poem by Clement Moore Music: Maury Laws Lyrics: Jules Bass Produced and Directed by Arthur Rankin Jr. and Jules Bass Associate Producer: Mary Alice Dwyer-Dobbin Editorial Supervision: Irwin Goldress, Vincent Juliano Design: Paul Coker Jr. Sound Engineers: Don Hahn, Tom Brennand, John Curcio Sound Effects: Tom Clack Animation Production - Topcraft, Japan Storyboard Artist: Takashi Hisaoka Animation Direction: Tokiji Kaburaki, Kazuyuki Kobayashi, Hidemi Kubo Key Animation: Katsumi Aoshima, Hiroshi Oikawa Animation: Toru Hara, Tsuguyuki Kubo Layout Artist: Yoshinori Kanemori Background Designs: Minoru Nishida Background Artist: Kazusuke Yoshihara Technical Direction: Kôichi Sasaki, Katsuhisa Yamada Musical Director: Maury Laws Songs There are three musical numbers in the program: "Give Your Heart a Try" - Father Mouse (George Gobel) "Even a Miracle Needs a Hand" - Joshua Trundle (Joel Grey), Albert (Tammy Grimes) "Christmas Chimes are Calling (Santa, Santa)" - Chorus In popular culture "Even a Miracle Needs a Hand" later appeared on South Park in the Season 4 episode "A Very Crappy Christmas". Similar to its use in the original special, the song is sung by Kyle to Stan and Kenny during a seemingly hopeless situation. At one point, Joshua Trundle's face is even superimposed over Kyle's face. Production Like many of Rankin/Bass' other animated TV specials, this special was animated in Japan by the animation studio Topcraft, which was rolled into Studio Ghibli in 1985. Home media The special was originally first issued on VHS by ABC Video Enterprises and Golden Book Video in 1987. After Lorimar was purchased by Time Warner, Warner Home Video/Warner Bros. Family Entertainment (owners of the post-1974 Rankin/Bass library), re-released the special on VHS in 1990, and on DVD in 2004, paired with the 1976 special Frosty's Winter Wonderland. A Blu-ray was released on October 5, 2011. It is also available on iTunes for purchase. See also List of Christmas films References External links Excerpt 1974 in American television 1974 television specials 1970s American animated films 1970s American television specials 1970s animated television specials CBS television specials Christmas television specials Films scored by Maury Laws Television shows directed by Jules Bass Television shows directed by Arthur Rankin Jr. Santa Claus in television Television shows based on poems Topcraft Works based on A Visit from St. Nicholas Rankin/Bass Productions television