The Small One (album)
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''The Small One'' is a studio album of Deccalite
phonograph record A phonograph record (also known as a gramophone record, especially in British English), or simply a record, is an analog sound storage medium in the form of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove. The groove usually starts nea ...
s by
Bing Crosby Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby Jr. (May 3, 1903 – October 14, 1977) was an American singer, musician and actor. The first multimedia star, he was one of the most popular and influential musical artists of the 20th century worldwide. He was a ...
of a
Charles Tazewell Charles Tazewell (June 2, 1900 – June 26, 1972) was an actor, radio playwright, and children's book author, whose work has been adapted multiple times for film. Life Charles Tazewell was born in 1900 in Des Moines, Iowa, and began acting wh ...
story. It was produced and directed by
Paramount Pictures Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film and television production company, production and Distribution (marketing), distribution company and the main namesake division of Paramount Global (formerly ViacomCBS). It is the fifth-oldes ...
producer Robert Welch with musical accompaniment from Victor Young and His Orchestra.


Background and reception

"The Small One", one of the most touching of all Christmas stories, was first produced in 1939 on the
Kate Smith Kathryn Elizabeth Smith (May 1, 1907 – June 17, 1986) was an American contralto. Referred to as The First Lady of Radio, Smith is well known for her renditions of Irving Berlin's "God Bless America" & "When The Moon Comes Over The Mountain". ...
radio show by Robert Welch, who later became a Paramount producer. It was featured in Bing Crosby's
Philco Radio Time ''Philco Radio Time'' was an old-time radio radio series starring entertainer Bing Crosby. The series ran over ABC Radio with episodes airing from October 16, 1946–June 1, 1949. The series also was syndicated for a period of time over the ...
broadcast of December 25, 1946 and Decca Records soon arranged to make a new recording of it. This took place on March 20, 1947. The album was released on September 2, 1947 and in due course it was ordered by more than 1,500 private schools in the USA. Crosby researcher Fred Reynolds outlined the story: :This Christmas story is narrated by Crosby when, in Old Mexico at the hour of siesta, he sees the boy Pablo berating a disreputable looking donkey. He explains that what is mistaken for stubbornness in the breed is, in fact, the pride that was brought by one that fulfilled their destiny. He relates how, many years ago, a boy was sent by his father to take an old donkey (the "Small One") to the tanner and obtain a piece of silver for its hide; of how the boy first tried to save the animal by selling it to a new owner at an auction where he was scoffed at and re-buffed; of how, entering the tanner's gate he is stopped by a stranger asking if he will sell the donkey to him as he has to undertake a long journey and his wife is not well; of how, when the new owner is stopped at the town gate by a soldier and asked his identity, replies that he is Joseph, his wife is Mary and that they are on their way to Bethlehem. There, in a stable, a King was born and the Small One was envied for becoming part of a great miracle. :Bing tells the charming story with conviction and he is well supported by the other actors and the background effects and music provided by Victor Young with a "Silent Night, Holy Night" conclusion. The "hoofbeats" effects (the same notes that the angels sang in their rejoicing) are adroitly interpolated. Crosby repeated ''The Small One'' on his Philco shows of December 24, 1947 and December 22, 1948.


Track listing

These songs were featured on a 2-disc, 78 rpm album set, Decca Album No. A-553. which was auto-coupled for ease of playing with a record changer. Disc 1: (40040) Disc 2: (40041)


Other releases

Decca released a dual 10" LP of '' The Happy Prince'' and ''The Small One'' on Decca DL 6000 in 1949. "The Small One" first appeared on CD on Jonzo's ''The Chronological Bing Crosby'' Vol. 44 (JZCD-44).


Film version

In 1978, Walt Disney Productions produced an animated Christmas short film version called ''
The Small One ''The Small One'' (also known as ''A Christmas Miracle'' in the UK) is a 1978 American animated featurette produced by Walt Disney Productions and released theatrically by Buena Vista Distribution on December 16, 1978 with a re-issue of ''Pinocch ...
'', directed by Don Bluth (an animator who would end up leaving Disney the following year, due to creative differences), who animated the auction scene for the movie.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Small One Bing Crosby albums Decca Records albums 1947 Christmas albums Christmas albums by American artists Pop Christmas albums