Rankin-Bass Holiday Classics

Mister Magoo's Christmas Carol is a musical adaptation of Charles Dickens' famous short story A Christmas Carol. It was the first animated holiday special ever produced specifically for television (1962), and the only one until Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer was first shown in December 1964. It later became the first episode of a TV series entitled The Famous Adventures of Mr. Magoo, in which the Mr. Magoo character became an actor in dramatizations of various well-known stories.

Dorothy and Toto arrived back at Oz, after received a letter from one of her Oz friends wanting her back, only to later been warned by a good witch Glinda regarding about the Wicked Witch of the West who got restored back to life, and cast the dark spell by erasing her friends’ abilities and kidnapping the Wizard of Oz for her revenge plot on Dorothy to steal away her magic silver slippers. So along with assist of her Oz pals, Dorothy and Toto must journey out to foil and rid of the Wicked Witch for good.

This classic 1964 television special featuring Rudolph and his misfit buddies set the standard for stop-motion animation for an entire generation before Tim Burton darkly reinvented it in the early 1990s. Burl Ives narrates as Sam the Snowman, telling and singing the story of a rejected reindeer who overcomes prejudice and saves Christmas one particularly blustery year. Along the way, he meets an abundance of unforgettable characters: his dentally obsessed elf pal Hermey; the affable miner Yukon Cornelius and his motley crew of puppies; the scary/adorable Abominable Snow Monster; a legion of abandoned, but still chatty, toys; and a rather grouchy Santa. In addition to the title song that inspired it, this 53-minute tape is crammed with catchy tunes such as "Silver and Gold" and "Holly Jolly Christmas." Those who grew up looking forward to watching Rudolph every Christmas season will undoubtedly be able to recite the quotable quotes ("I'm cuuuute. She said I'm cuuuute." "Herbie doesn't like to make toys.") as well as any Casablanca cult audience.

The Ballad of Smokey the Bear is a television special that first aired on November 24, 1966 on NBC as part of the General Electric Full Color Fantasy Hour's Thanksgiving programming. Narrated by James Cagney, it told the story of US Forest Service safety mascot Smokey Bear.

When Dr Frankenstein decides to retire from the monster-making business, he calls an international roster of monsters to a creepy convention to elect his successor. Everyone is there including Dracula, The Werewolf, The Creature, Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde and many more. But Frankenstein's title is not all that is at stake. The famous doctor has also discovered the secret of total destruction that must not fall into the wrong hands!

A delightful, animated musical version of Charles Dickens' classic tale. A Cricket on the Hearth, tells the story of a poor toymaker and his daughter whom a helpful Cricket named Crocket befriends on Christmas morning. When tragedy strikes the family, it's Crocket who comes to the rescue and restores peace and happiness.

The famous ship called Mayflower is trapped amidst a huge storm. The entire story is narrated by a church-mouse called William, from his viewpoint. The tale begins with the pilgrim preachers deciding to move to America and getting aboard the Mayflower. However, because of the huge storm, the ship gets on the verge of sinking. Then, Willum, the pilgrim mouse, comes up with an idea to save the ship. When the pilgrims land safely, they write the Mayflower Compact and start constructing their new church and colony. However, it is already the autumn season and they do not have much food stored for the winter. The pilgrims then learn to plant crops during the spring season and celebrate a big feast towards the onset of the autumn season or fall. This is their first Thanksgiving celebration.

Animated film version of the legendary song of a boy who lets out all his frustrations on a drum, little knowing how significant this drum will be in the birth of the newborn Jesus.

Jimmy Durante narrates this Christmas story that is based on the song of the same name. To make up for the fact that her students are in school on Christmas Eve, the local schoolteacher hires the magician Professor Hinkle to entertain the kids. Unfortunately, he's not a very good magician. Frustrated in his attempt to pull a rabbit out of his hat, he throws it away in anger. Outside, the kids build a snowman (what to call it? Harold? Oatmeal? Frosty!), and when the hat blows onto it--Happy Birthday!--it comes to life. Professor Hinkle decides he wants the hat back so he can make money off of its newfound magical properties, but the kids want to save Frosty. When the temperature starts to rise, a new problem threatens Frosty's existence. Karen, the leader of the children, comes up with a plan to save him: take him on a train to the North Pole, where it's always cold. With a cameo by Santa Claus, and the promise of Frosty's return every year, this story of life, death, and holiday cheer is glazed with the sweet frosting of hope and happiness. A true holiday classic.

This 53-minute, 1970 animated film may be the most delightful of those sundry, stop-motion animated Christmas perennials that show up on television during the holidays. The clay animation production, boasting a wonderful musical score and art direction that occasionally underscores the flower-power era in which it was born, tells the story of Santa's origins, in which Kris Kringle decides to get toys into the hands of poor children in gloomy Sombertown. Charmingly narrated by Fred Astaire and featuring voices by Mickey Rooney and Keenan Wynn, Santa Claus Is Coming to Town presents a nice bridge between two generations of entertainment, the classic and the hip.

Seymour S. Sassafrass, an eccentric, yet friendly peddler, and inventor, tells the tale of Peter Cottontail, a young Easter Bunny who lives in April Valley, where the Chief Easter Bunny supervises such Easter items as colored eggs and chocolate candy.

When a town learns that Santa Claus has struck it off his delivery schedule due to an insulting letter, a way must be found to change his mind.

Mrs. Claus tells us about the time Santa had a bad cold and decided to take a vacation from Christmas. Two of his elves, Jingle Bells and Jangle Bells decided to go out (with Vixen) to find children to convince Santa that the Christmas spirit is still important to everybody else. But they have to get past Heat Miser and Snow Miser, first, before they land in Southtown, USA, where it never snows for Christmas. But the Miser Brothers can't agree to let it snow in Southtown. But Mrs. Santa knows their mom--Mother Nature.

A young shepherd, Lucas, is blinded by lightening, and some kindly nuns at a nearby abbey take him in. Sister Catherine describes snow to Lucas, who has never seen it. Lucas gets chosen to play an angel in the abbey's Christmas pageant, and the Christmas snow that falls during the pageant works a small miracle.

A beloved toy stuffed rabbit is rescued by a fairy to be the first Easter Rabbit.

Frosty's kind of lonely, so the kids think of making him a wife, Crystal. But will Jack Frost let them be happy?

The story begins precisely where Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer left off, following Santa Claus's return from his trip around the world. As he begins to settle in, he receives a letter from his old friend Father Time who writes that he is in serious trouble: the baby new year Happy has gone missing. If he is not found, the new year cannot begin and the old year will continue on forever. Santa summons Rudolph who he knows is the only one who can make it through the thick fog and across the sands of time.

Aaron, the drummer boy, struggles to protect a bellmaker's great silver bells from seizure by Roman soldiers.

S.D. Kluger from Santa Claus is Comin' to Town (voiced by Fred Astaire) answers questions concerning the origins of the Easter Bunny, better known as Sunny (voiced by Skip Hinnant), who was adopted by the citizens of Kidville, a village where only children live; and how he helped bring happiness to children, starting with young King Bruce the Frail, who rules a nearby, gloomy town called Town. However, the King's aunt, the evil Duchess Lily Longtooth also reigns as regent, until such time as young Bruce comes of age. Along the way, he befriends Hallaluah Jones and Gadzooks the Bear.

Back in the days of the Roman Empire, a small donkey is born with VERY long ears, that keep getting him into trouble. When his owner throws him out of the stable in disgust, his mother sacrifices her life to save him from a blizzard. And, guided only by his guardian cherub (Tilly), he has to find his rightful place and destiny, somewhere on the road to Bethlehem.

The Stingiest Man in Town is the tale of Ebenezer Scrooge, told through the perspective of narrator B.A.H. Humbug (voiced by Tom Bosley) obviously a word play on Scrooge's catch phrase, "bah humbug". Scrooge (performed by Walter Matthau) is portrayed as the tightwad Charles Dickens intended him to be with his consistent resistance to assist the poor or even have Christmas dinner with his nephew Fred, performed by Dennis Day and his family. In hopes of resuscitating the goodness of his one-time friend, the ghost of Jacob Marley (voiced by Theodore Bikel), Scrooge's former business partner, visits Scrooge in his mansion, exhorting him to change his ways. Scrooge deems this to be madness and soon prepares for bed. Nevertheless, Scrooge's attitude soon changes after a fateful night wherein three ghosts also visit him and take him through his past and present, and show him what his future would be like if he does not change. Scrooge sees a younger caricature of himself, voiced by Robert Morse and realizes how greedy and miserly he has become. The Ghost of Christmas Present (performed by Paul Frees) proceeds to take Scrooge to the home of his diligent employee Bob Cratchit and discovers just how much poverty Cratchit and his family wallow in. Cratchit's crippled son Tiny Tim (voiced by Bobby Rolofson) touches Scrooge's heart and instigates a transformation within his personality. The production concludes with Scrooge assisting those less fortunate than himself.

Long ago the Lady Borealis placed the evil Winterbolt under a magic spell, and put the last of her magic into the nose of a newborn reindeer: Rudolph. But now Winterbolt's awake. He gives Frosty's family magic amulets to keep them from melting until the Fourth of July so that Frosty and Rudolph can help Lilly's circus and Milton can marry his girlfriend on the high-wire, and Santa will use his sleigh to make sure everybody gets back to the North Pole in time...which leaves Winterbolt alone at the North Pole on the Fourth...

Jack decides to spend a day on Earth as a human, and winds up falling in love with a mortal girl, in this wonderful, wintry animated tale. Buddy Hackett, Robert Morse and the inimitable Larry Storch supply voices.

It's Pinocchio's first Christmas, and he sells the book Geppetto gives him for present money, but Cat and Fox trick him out of it. So, Pinocchio becomes part of a (Christmas) Marionette show to make present money. He steals a girl puppet when he leaves, and the gendarmes chase him into the Forest of Enchantment. There, he meets Azora, a fairy with a cricket who try to fix Pinocchio's lying and set him on the right track. But then he's sold to a Duke, whom Pinocchio convinces to spend time with his children. And only Santa's reindeer can get Pinocchio home in time for Christmas.

Young Dinty Doyle digs up a pine tree on uncharted Island where leprechauns live. Unfortunately, he unintentionally releases Old Mag the Hag, a banshee seeking gold before Christmas. Now Blarney Kilakilarney's gold is out in the open. Can Dinty keep Mag from taking the gold for her own purpose?

The Great Ak calls a council of the Immortals to ask that Santa Claus be given immortality. And to justify it, he tells the history of Santa Claus. The Ak found an abandoned baby and gave it to a lioness and a fairy to raise, who named him Claus. When Claus grew up, the Great Ak showed him the evil and hardship in world and Claus decides to live there and relieve some of the suffering. He decides to make toys for orphans, but King Agua, the ruler of the valley where Claus lives doesn't want the chidren to be happy. and there is a great battle among Immortals.

In the same way that many a Hollywood sequel has little to do with the first film, Frosty Returns has almost nothing in common with the original Frosty the Snowman, aside from a man made of snow. The biggest difference is that this Frosty doesn't need a magic hat to come to life. The story: In the town of Beansboro, old Mr. Twitchell has invented an aerosol spray that can remove snow without the hassle of shoveling or plows. This frightens Frosty, who enlists the help of amateur magician Holly and her friend Charles to stop the old coot. Made in 1992, Frosty Returns has an animation style that looks like a cross between the old Schoolhouse Rock and Peanuts cartoons, with voice talent that includes Jonathan Winters, Andrea Martin, Jan Hooks, Brian Doyle-Murray, and John Goodman as Frosty. The story may be divisive, pitting children against adults and a pro-snow contingent against anti-snow people, but the songs are catchy and the message is one that ultimately empowers kids. Like a hero from an old Western, this Frosty is a wanderer who leaves when his job is done so he can work his magic elsewhere.

A misfit reindeer and his friends look for a place that will accept them.

When a little girl uses her wish from a Christmas partridge to help her dad over his song-writing slump, he finds his inspiration and even gives the real Santa Claus a helping hand!

The Legend of Frosty the Snowman is a 2005 American/Canadian/Filipino direct-to-video animated film produced by Classic Media, Studio B Productions, and Top Draw Animation. The film is narrated by Burt Reynolds and features Bill Fagerbakke as the voice of Frosty the Snowman, with background music by Jared Faber. It is the fifth television special to feature the Frosty character. The film is presented as a sequel to the original special, though it holds only loose continuity with it and does not mention Christmas but there is small mention of Santa Claus . Besides Professor Hinkle, characters resembling Karen and Hocus Pocus appear and Tinkerton as a child resembles one of the unnamed schoolchildren.

The story begins when Santa's new chief mechanic, Tinsel, creates a speedy, new high tech sleigh for Christmas. But what Santa doesn't know is that North Wind has secretly sabotaged the sleigh in the hope of taking Santa's place that year. When Santa takes it out for a spin, he gets caught in the cross fire between the feuding Snow Miser and Heat Miser Brothers and his sleigh comes crashing down. North Wind frames the Miser Brothers for Santa's accident and, with Santa stuck in bed with a bad back, everything falls into place for North Wind to slyly come to the rescue as a temporary Santa. But much to his chagrin, Mother Nature punishes the Miser Brothers by forcing them to put their differences aside and fill in for Santa. In between comedic squabbles, the Brothers rediscover what it means to be family and, along the way, save Christmas for everyone!