Maurice Richard’s jersey still endures 17 years after his death and nearly six decades after his playing career ended.
Surprisingly enough, the beloved short film The Sweater that immortalized his number nine isn’t at the top of the list of the National Film Board’s (NFB) most viewed holiday-themed productions.
That distinction instead goes to the 1963 animated film The Great Toy Robbery.
Here are the top five most viewed NFB holiday films based on numbers pulled from the streaming platform at nfb.ca:
1. The Great Toy Robbery (1963)
Directed and animated by Jeff Hale, this six-minute short pits Santa Claus against robbers in the style of Wild West storytelling. This nod to the simplicity found in early animation can be viewed here: .
2. The Sweater (1980)
Canadianna at its finest. Who can’t identify with the horror of having to don a Toronto Maple Leafs jersey? Gross. Poor Roch Carrier has to suffer the indignity of wearing a Leafs jersey at a time when the Habs/Buds rivalry was at its height, after his mother mistakenly orders the Toronto jersey instead of the beloved Canadiens sweater he and his friends covet. Watch Carrier’s path to redemption here: .
3. Noël Noël (2003)
Far removed from his “Don’t call me Shirley” days, Leslie Nielsen narrates this 22-minute animated short that speaks to what the heart wants, versus what the wallet wants. A lesson in love and materialism that can be viewed here: .
4. Christmas Cracker (1963)
Another gem of animated nostalgia from the early ’60s. Running at roughly nine minutes, the piece is broken into three segments: paper cut-outs dancing to “Jingle Bells,” tin toys having a rodeo ho-down and a play by play on how to decorate a Christmas tree. Nominated for an Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film, Christmas Cracker is online here: .
5. The Bear’s Christmas (1974)
Who among us hasn’t drowned our sorrows at the neighbourhood watering hole while contemplating the commercialization of Christmas? You can count the main character of this eight-minute piece in that group. Our protagonist sees too many Santas and has too little time to figure out who the real deal is. Spoiler alert: he just might figure it out at the end. The Bear’s Christmas is online here: .
The NFB’s Holiday channel, which consists of 44 films, is online at .
