The Rankin-Bass version of “The Little Drummer Boy” came out 50 years ago this Christmas season, on December 19th 1968. The climactic last five minutes are shown above complete with the song of the same name. Rankin-Bass is best known for “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” (1964).
The song itself only goes back to 1941 and did not become popular till the 1950s. So back then it was a newish Christmas song. https://youtu.be/dZvjPCcHI4g
