By Michael Lyons
A Studio that has given us iconic characters with stories that run mythologically deep and return every Christmas. Nope, it’s not LucasFilm...it’s Rankin/Bass, who have provided us with Christmas memories for over fifty years, producing some of the most famous and enduring TV specials ever.
This Holiday Season, four of Rankin/Bass’ most celebrated specials reach milestones and with just a few days left until Christmas, it’s the perfect time to look back and celebrate them!
‘”Twas the Night Before Christmas” (originally broadcast December 8, 1974) – Celebrating 45 Years
Taking loose, very loose, inspiration from the famous Clement C. Moore Christmas poem, this 2-D special focuses on the fictional town of Junctionville, New York. Santa actually returns his gifts to the town, when he receives an insulting, anonymous letter from the town stating that he doesn’t exist. Several of the town folk (including a small, mouse family) band together to build a clock that will chime a welcoming song for Santa.
A different, and more original take, on the classic tale, the special features some very warm and comforting animation (particularly that of the mice family), as well as some nice vocal performances from Joel Grey and comedian George Goebel. There’s also a great “earworm” of a song entitled “Even a Miracle Needs a Hand,” that you will be singing long after the special ends.
One of the Studio’s “forgotten” Christmas specials “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas” has a charm all its own and deserves to be re-discovered.
“The Year Without a Santa Claus” (originally broadcast December 10, 1974) – Celebrating 45 Years
“The Empire Strikes back” of Rankin/Bass’ Santa Claus saga! This is a follow-up to “Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town” and features Mickey Rooney returning as the voice of Santa. In this special, told through the Studio’s trademark “AniMagic” stop motion, Santa develops a cold and, feeling that the majority of the world no longer believes in him, he decides to take Christmas off this particular year. When both he and his elves venture to the “real world,” Santa eventually sees the difference he has made and how there are still enough children who believe in the spirit of the Season.
Most famous for the special that introduced us to the Snow Miser and the Heat Miser (and their catchy theme songs), these characters have become Rankin/Bass favorites, remembered fondly by the original generation who grew up with the special and now immortalized on various pieces of merchandise including T-Shirts and Christmas ornaments.
This is a really fun, well-crafted hour that feels like a movie, with its adventurous plot that brings the characters outside of their usual North Pole setting. It also has a wonderful theme about having the faith to believe in things that you can’t easily see. There’s a reason many consider this a must watch during the Season.
“Frosty the Snowman” (originally broadcast December 7, 1969) – Celebrating 50 Years.
One of the most beloved of all of the Rankin/Bass specials and with reason, as “Frosty” is pure TV comfort food, with some of the nicest animation and character design to come out of the Studio.
Like many Rankin/Bass specials, it’s based on a popular song, but thanks to the Studio’s gifted writer Romeo Mueller, the song is fleshed-out into a fully realized story that includes a villain, conflict and a little mythology. The unmistakable voice of the legendary comedian and singer Jimmy Durante narrates the 2-D animated tale of young Karen who creates and befriends Frosty (voiced by comedian Jackie Vernon) after a magic top hat by a nasty magician named Hinkle (Billy DeWolfe) brings Frosty to life. What follows is a venture to the North Pole to make sure that the rising temperatures don’t melt Frosty and a conclusion that still packs an emotional impact, even if you think you’ve outgrown the special.
No matter how many times you see it, year after year and whether you grew up with it on the CBS network or now through DVD and Blu-Ray, “Frosty the Snowman’s” annual airing on TV is like a welcome return home at Christmas for an old friend.
“Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer” (Originally broadcast December 6, 1964) – Celebrating 55 years
The “Snow White” of the Rankin/Bass Studio. Just as the “fairest of them all” kicked off a genre of animated features for Disney, “Rudolph” is the one that launched Rankin/Bass as the Christmas special Studio.
With stop motion animation that creates a world that reminds one of Christmas ornaments and decorations come to life, this adaptation of the already popular Christmas song about the red nosed reindeer, who is at first ridiculed and then the hero who saves Christmas, has not only become embraced by generation after generation, it’s become iconic in so many ways.
From Hermey the Elf who really wants to be a dentist, to Sam the Snowman (voiced by Burl Ives) who was copied for the hit 2003 film “Elf” and from the Bumble snow monster to the Island of Misfit Toys and the version of Santa audiences have come to despise, so much of this special has seeped into our Christmas pop culture DNA.
“Rudolph” also has tremendous heart (“There’s Always Tomorrow for Dreams to Come True”) and an epic, adventurous feel (thanks again to Mueller) that it feels more like a fable that’s been around forever and less like a TV special that’s only slightly over five decades old.
It’s also become one of those rare TV sightings that let’s audiences know: when it’s on…it’s Christmas time.
These and so many other Rankin/Bass Christmas specials endure like the season itself. Like Christmas, they bring joy, laughter and warmth back into the world exactly when we need it.
Merry Christmas everyone!
Sources:
“The Enchanted World of Rankin Bass: A Portfolio” by Rick Goldschmidt
IMDb
Wikipedia
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