Rankin/Bass Christmas Specials (1 Viewer)

Mike Miskulin · Oct 26, 2002

UPDATE 10/2008:
Here's an update on the currently available/released Rankin/Bass Christmas specials.
With this month's annual release of another Rankin/Bass box set from Warner Bros., fifteen of the eighteen Rankin/Bass specials are now on DVD! The new titles are found on disc one of the Classic Christmas Favorites set and include The Leprechaun's Christmas Gold (1981), Pinocchio's Christmas (1980), and The Stingiest Man in Town (1978).
This leaves only three titles still M.I.A.:

The First Christmas (1975)
The Little Drummer Boy, Book II (1976)
The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus (1985)

Hopefully, these last three specials will see the light of day next year; maybe in yet another box set so consumers can re-purchase the ones they already own!

FYI, the specials currently available can be purchased in these sets/singles:
Classic Christmas Favorites (Amazon Link)

The Leprechaun's Christmas Gold (1981)
Pinocchio's Christmas (1980)
The Stingiest Man in Town (1978)
The Year Without a Santa Claus Deluxe Edition (1974)
Rudolph's Shiny New Year (1976)
Nestor, The Long-Eared Christmas Donkey ((1977)
Frosty's Winter Wonderland ((1976)
'Twas the Night Before Christmas (1974)
Rudolph and Frosty's Christmas in July (1979)
Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas Deluxe Edition (not Rankin/Bass, but included in this set!) (1966)

The Original Christmas Classics (Amazon Link)

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1964)
Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town (1970)
Frosty the Snowman (1969)
The Little Drummer Boy (1968)
Cricket on the Hearth (1967)
Frosty Returns (not Rankin/Bass, but included in this set!) (1992)
Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol (not Rankin/Bass, but included in this set!) (1962)

And not available in either set:

Jack Frost Deluxe Edition (1979) (Amazon Link)

(original post):
As far as I can tell these are the only Rankin/Bass Christmas specials available on DVD now:

The Year Without a Santa Claus/Nestor, the Long-Eared Christmas Donkey/Rudolph's Shiny New Year

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer

Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town/The Little Drummer Boy

Frosty the Snowman/Frosty Returns

Jack Frost (Canadian release)

Are there any plans for any more Rankin/Bass classic releases? There are quite a few more specials out there begging to be released on disc (The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus, Pinnochio's Christmas, The First Christmas, Leprechaun's Christmas Gold, Rudolph and Frosty's Christmas in July, The Little Drummer Boy: Book 2, Twas the Night Before Christmas, The Stingiest Man in Town, and maybe a couple more I can't think of right now - whew!).
Any info would be greatly appreciated. Are any of these available in other regions?
mike.

Sarah S · Oct 26, 2002

I would definitely love some of these on dvd. Sorry no news, just support.

Qui-Gon John · Oct 26, 2002

I'd like Little Drummer 2. Also T'was the Night Before XMAS, but on this one, I remember long ago, a version of it true to the story of the father writing the poem, not the stupid one with the mice. Does any else remember this one? And can we get that one on DVD?

Mike Miskulin · Oct 26, 2002

Hey, I happen to like "the stupid one with the mice."

Jo_C · Oct 26, 2002

Let us figure out together who we make our requests to...

Classic Media owns all the R/B material up to 1974 (this includes the "classic four" already available on DVD), except the Embassy Pictures-distributed feature films, which are owned by MGM/Studio Canal (Anchor Bay, under separate sub-license with Studio Canal, has already released "Mad Monster Party", and soon "The Storyteller" and "The Wacky World of Mother Goose", on DVD). Sony Wonder has a video output deal with Classic Media, so it is Sony you should write to on that part of the library.

Everything past 1974 belongs to Warner Bros. OK, 'nuff said?

Eric F · Oct 26, 2002

Let's just get The Flight of Dragons out, it's one of their best productions. I know they show it on Disney occasionally but I don't have cable.

Jesse Skeen · Oct 26, 2002

South Park does one of the songs from the "stupid one with the mice"

Lafe F · Oct 26, 2002

I want "Frosty's Winter Wonderland" - the real Frosty sequel (where Frosty and Crystal get married, and Jack Frost tries to mess things up...) - not that lame "Frosty Returns".

"Christmas in July" would be totally cool on disc also.

JohnDMoore · Oct 26, 2002

Just supporting here. I'd really love to see "Life and Adventures of Santa Claus," my longtime favorite Christmas special available on DVD.

Scott Leopold · Oct 27, 2002

I'd love a DVD with the 'Twas... with the mice. We have a crappy old VHS copy, and it's really showing its age.

Brenton · Oct 27, 2002

I want "Frosty's Winter Wonderland" - the real Frosty sequel (where Frosty and Crystal get married, and Jack Frost tries to mess things up...) - not that lame "Frosty Returns".

Me too. I think that Winter Wonderland should've been on the Frosty DVD instead of Frosty Returns. It bugs the heck out of me to wonder why in the world R/B seems to adopt Frosty Returns as the "official" sequel to Frosty.

Click to expand...

Brian W. · Oct 27, 2002

a version of it true to the story of the father writing the poem, not the stupid one with the mice.

I know the one you're talking about, John. I had actually forgotten about it, but when I was a kid I preferred the "true" version, too. But I like them both. I don't think that one is Rankin/Bass, though.

But are you sure that what it was called? I thought so, too, but I looked up both "'Twas the Night Before Christmas" and "The Night Before Christmas" on the Internet Movie Database and can find no listing for the "true" one. All I know is it first aired sometime in the seventies.

I would LOVE "Rudolph and Frosty Christmas in July." The others I can pass on. I think I was a little bit old when "Life and Adventures of Santa Claus" came out to have an emotional attachment to it. I remember I didn't care for it when it was first broadcast.

On a related note, last night I purchased the new soundtrack CD for "Santa Claus is Comin' To Town" and "Frosty the Snowman" from Rhino. It's got both soundtracks on it, in their original LP versions. No great revelations with "Santa Claus" -- it's just the straight mono soundtrack from the special with dialog and effects. Stereo masters did exist for the special at sometime, because Rick Goldschmidt, who wrote the liner notes, owns a promo red-vinyl LP that was issued for the show back in 1970, and he says that's in stereo. But apparently they couldn't locate the stereo tape masters, because the CD is in mono.

The really interesting thing is the "Frosty" soundtrack. It's identical to the TV special except for the fact that character voiceover legend June Foray does the voice of little Karen. She was was originally cast in the role and recorded her part for the film, but at some point in production it was decided to dub over her dialog with a real little girl. It was either too late or the producers didn't bother replacing her voice when the soundtrack album was released in the mid-sixties. It's interesting to finally hear June Foray's original interpretation of the role after all these years.

Click to expand...

Brian W. · Oct 27, 2002

P.S.

The soundtrack for "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" was recorded in stereo, too. The sountrack album (which is available as a budget CD) was issued (I think years later...seems like I read 1970) with the music tracks in true stereo, but the vocals dubbed in mono from the completed sountrack. (Except Burl Ives, who re-recorded his songs, apparently with the original stereo backing tracks.)

If only they could find these original multi-tracks they could actually remix these special in real surround sound! But I think they were lost years ago.

Qui-Gon John · Oct 28, 2002

Brian W. - Thanks, I knew I wasn't going senile, not yet anyway. I'm not sure of the title, I'll check IMDB too. Perhaps, "A Visit from St. Nicholas"?

Warren_Sc · Oct 28, 2002

I thought I saw the easter bunny one at Costco the other day.

Chris_Morris · Oct 28, 2002

Perhaps, "A Visit from St. Nicholas"?

Checked that and it wasn't there. Also looked under Jules Bass and Arthur Rankin Jr. and did not see it. I have never heard of this version and would be curious to see it, the mouse version is my all-time favorite christmas show. I'm so glad I decided to tape all the christmas shows a few years back, now that the networks deem it unimportant to show them anymore (other than Rudolph, Frosty, and Charlie Brown).

Chris

Click to expand...

Qui-Gon John · Oct 28, 2002

Well I looked for it on IMDB and so far, no luck. But I know it existed and at least one other person has seen it (Brian W.). Maybe more people will chime in. I just could never get into the mouse one, with the whole clock and all, I don't know.

Qui-Gon John · Oct 28, 2002

Dug up some info.

"The Night Before Christmas" 1968 by Elba Productions.

Brian W. · Oct 28, 2002

Where did you get that info, John?

More of the it is coming back to me now. In the show, his daughter is sick and he writes the poem for her. Correct?

Sarah S · Oct 28, 2002

I love 'Twas the Night Before Christmas & would really love to have that on dvd. Also some other "obsucure" ones like "Yes Virginia, There Is A Santa Claus" (an animated re-telling of the Times letter) and "Christmas All Year Round" (I think...at any rate, that was the plot).

Home Theater

Entertainment & Streaming Content

Physical Media

Home Theater Equipment and Hardware

Other Diversions

Bargains and Classifieds

Home Theater Forum

Archives

Rankin/Bass Christmas Specials (1 Viewer)

Second Unit

Second Unit

Second Unit

Second Unit

Screenwriter

Second Unit

Stunt Coordinator

Supporting Actor

Screenwriter

Screenwriter

Screenwriter

Second Unit

Screenwriter

Screenwriter

Second Unit

Similar threads

Users who are viewing this thread

Sign up for our newsletter

and receive essential news, curated deals, and much more

Similar Threads

Forum statistics