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Wonderful World of Rankin/Bass

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Ranked #2010 in Movies & TV, #42645 overall

Rated G. (Control what you see)

The Wonderful World of Rankin/Bass

 

Over the years Rankin/Bass has produced timeless holiday specials that  generations have grown to love. Using animation, and stop-motion animation, they have created a vast library of treasures.

Arthur Rankin Jr and Jules Bass 

Arthur Rankin and Jules Bass founded VideoCraft International in the early 1960's. In 1964 the company produced a stop-motion animated version of the song "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer". Rudolph was a great success and was narrated by Burl Ives as "Sam the Snowman".

Throughout the 60's the company produced many other regular animation and stop-motion films and specials. In 1968 VideoCraft officially became Rankin/Bass Productions.

They continued to create films, specials and Saturday morning shows until 1987 when the company ceased production until 2001 when the Christmas special "Santa Baby" debuted on FOX.

Books by Jules Bass 

Jules Bass became a vegetarian later in life and recently wrote a series of children's books on the subject. Check them out!
Peace, Love And Vegetables (Herb the Vegetarian Dragon)(book and toy gift set)
Peace, Love And Vegetable...
Headhunters
Headhunters
Herb, the Vegetarian Dragon
Herb, the Vegetarian Drag...
Cooking with Herb, the Vegetarian Dragon
Cooking with Herb, the Ve...

Mad Monster Party Now Available on Dvd! 

Makes a great gift for the Rankin/Bass fan!!
Mad Monster Party

Mad Monster Party

Rankin/Bass Stop-Motion Animation 


The New Adventures of Pinocchio - Duck Luck


Willy McBean & His Magic Machine (Theatrical Trailer)


Little Drummer Boy


Father Time's Song

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More Rankin/Bass Lenses 

featured lens Santa Claus is Comin' to Town

Another excellent title from Rankin/Bass. Learn the story of how Santa got started, the obsticles he had to hurtle and how he met Mrs. Claus!

featured lens Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer

Perhaps the most beloved Christmas special of all time. A little misfit reindeer is shunned for his physical defect but goes on to prove everyone wrong and spread the Christmas spirit!

featured lens The Year Without A Santa Claus

Rankin/Bass does it again with the much adored "The Year Without A Santa Claus". Will Santa really skip Christmas this year?

featured lens 'Twas The Night Before Christmas

Another Rankin/Bass Production, 'Twas the night before Christmas is a classic tale of two families trying to right a terrible wrong. Released in 1974, this heartwarming story is a holiday favorite.

Rankin/Bass Animation 


The Reluctant Dragon and Mr. Toad Show open/close


Tomfoolery


The Hobbit (1977) - Part 2 of 8


The Jackson 5ive Cartoon - "A Rare Pearl" Pt. 1


Tales of the Wizard of Oz

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Rankin/Bass Filmography 

Feature films
  • Willy McBean and his Magic Machine (1965)

  • The Daydreamer (1966)

  • The Wacky World of Mother Goose (1966)

  • Mad Monster Party? (1967)

  • King Kong Escapes (1968)

  • Marco (1973)

  • The Last Dinosaur (1976)

  • The Bermuda Depths (1977)

  • The Bushido Blade (1979)

  • The Ivory Ape (1980)

  • The Last Unicorn (1982)

  • The Sins of Dorian Gray (1983)



    • Animated TV specials
  • Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer(1964,BurlIves)

  • Return to Oz (1964)

  • The Edgar Bergen & Charlie McCarthy Show(1965)

  • The Ballad of Smokey the Bear (1966)

  • The Cricket on the Hearth (1967, Danny Thomas)

  • The Mouse on the Mayflower (1968, Tennessee Ernie Ford)

  • The Little Drummer Boy (1968, Greer Garson)

  • Frosty the Snowman (1969, Jimmy Durante)

  • The Mad, Mad, Mad Comedians (1970)

  • Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town (1970, Fred Astaire)

  • Here Comes Peter Cottontail (1971, Danny Kaye)

  • The Enchanted World of Danny Kaye: The Emperor's New Clothes (1972)

  • Mad, Mad, Mad Monsters (1972)

  • Willie Mays and the Say-Hey Kid (1972)

  • 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1972)

  • Red Baron (1972)

  • That Girl in Wonderland (1974)

  • 'Twas the Night Before Christmas (1974, Joel Grey)

  • The Year Without a Santa Claus (1974, Shirley Booth)

  • The First Christmas (1975, Angela Lansbury)

  • The First Easter Rabbit (1976, Burl Ives)

  • Frosty's Winter Wonderland (1976, Andy Griffith)

  • Rudolph's Shiny New Year (1976, Red Skelton)

  • The Little Drummer Boy, Book II (1976, Greer Garson)

  • The Easter Bunny is Comin' To Town (1977, Fred Astaire)

  • The Hobbit (1977)

  • Nestor, The Long-Eared Christmas Donkey (1977, Roger Miller)

  • The Stingiest Man in Town (1978, Tom Bosley)

  • Rudolph and Frosty's Christmas in July (1979)

  • Jack Frost (1979, Buddy Hackett)

  • The Return of the King (1980)

  • Pinocchio's Christmas (1980)

  • The Leprechaun's Christmas Gold (1981, Art Carney)

  • The Coneheads (1983)

  • Wind in the Willows (1985)

  • The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus (1985)

  • The Flight of Dragons (1986)

  • Santa Baby! (2001, Patti LaBelle)



    • Animated series
  • The New Adventures of Pinocchio (1960)

  • Tales of the Wizard of Oz (1961)

  • The King Kong Show (1966)

  • The Smokey Bear Show (1969)

  • Tomfoolery (1970)

  • The Reluctant Dragon and Mr. Toad Show (1970)

  • The Jackson 5ive (1971)

  • The Osmonds (1972)

  • Kid Power (1972)

  • Festival of Family Classics (1972)

  • ThunderCats (1985)

  • SilverHawks (1986)

  • The Comic Strip (featuring TigerSharks, Street Frogs, Mini Monsters and Karate Kat) (1987)

    • Rankin/Bass Links 

    Enchanted Word of Rankin/Bass
    rankinbass.com
    Rankin/Bass Productions IMDB
    List of shows

    Guestbook 

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    Related topics: Rankin Bass Specials,  1960s christmas specials,  animated christmas special,  Movies & TV,  more

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    Hello! I'm a 37 year old stay at home mom. Married to a great guy. I like Classic Tv, Christmas, animals, spending time with my family guilty pleasures and so much more!

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