Just a week ago, I finished reading Ray Bradbury’s 1972 novel The Halloween Tree. It’s a breezy read at about 160 pages, filled with rich history and pastoral imagery, but it doesn’t hold a candle (even in a Jack-o’-lantern) to Hanna-Barbera’s 1993 animated made-for-TV adaptation. I’m biased, being a child of the ’90s, but The Halloween Tree feels tailor-made for animation. The image of a gnarled tree with pumpkins hanging from its branches has to be seen to be appreciated—and after all these years, I still do.
The 69-minute film, which premiered on ABC, is a faithful adaptation of the novel. That’s probably because it was adapted by Bradbury himself and narrated by Bradbury in his deep, comforting, Midwestern drawl. The novel’s oversized cast of nine kids is reduced to five, but the time periods the kids visit and the observations they make remain the same.
Leonard Nimoy plays the mysterious Carapace Clavicle Moundshroud, who guides the kids on a journey through the history of Halloween to retrieve their dying friend Pip’s runaway soul. And man, Nimoy sounds incredible. It’s strange to say, but this might be my favorite Nimoy performance. The way he cackles and quivers makes him sound almost unrecognizable. All the kids are great too, and the writing—though old-fashioned—is charming as hell.
A quick recap of the plot: The Halloween Tree is about four friends—Tom, Jenny, Ralph, and Wally—looking for their best friend Pip so that Halloween can officially begin. The gang goes to Pip’s house and sees an ambulance drive off, but they find a note on his door explaining that he’s been taken to the hospital for an emergency appendectomy. As they make their way to the hospital, they spot a ghost-like presence of Pip wandering through the woods. They follow Pip’s spirit to the Halloween Tree outside the eccentric old Mr. Moundshroud’s house.
Mr. Moundshroud criticizes the children for not knowing the history behind their costumes and reveals that he’s after Pip for stealing one of the pumpkins from the tree—one that contains Pip’s soul. Tom Skelton (want to guess what he’s dressed as?) begs Mr. Moundshroud to let them join him on his journey to retrieve the pumpkin. The group then embarks on a Christmas Carol-like journey through time.
They visit Ancient Egypt and learn about mummies, witness the dark rituals of the Druids at Stonehenge, come across a coven of witches, travel to Notre Dame to learn about demons and gargoyles, and finally, head to Mexico to experience the Day of the Dead. Like a spooky version of The Magic School Bus, The Halloween Tree is packed with fun facts delivered in a way children actually enjoy.
How does it all look? Solid. The character animation is typical for its time, but I love the hand-painted backgrounds. Combined with John Debney’s sweeping orchestral score, these give the humble piece of animation a grand sense of scale. I’m honestly surprised no one has remade this story in live action. The runtime is kept short, and each set piece is brief. It’s the perfect length for a Halloween special.
Going in, I wondered how well this would hold up to my childhood memories. Luckily, it feels as fresh and fun as ever. Is it a little saccharine? Sure, but it’s also scary—because the history of Halloween is, well, scary!
I’m not sure why The Halloween Tree doesn’t get as much attention as something like Charlie Brown and the Great Pumpkin, but it deserves it. It’s a rich tapestry of seasonal storytelling for all ages. Plus, it made the dumb kid version of me wonder whether pumpkins could actually grow on trees… They can’t though, right?