Christmastime is here again, and for the occasion, we’ll be
looking at the Christmas-themed works from one of the most acclaimed providers
of animated holiday entertainment of all time:
The Rankin/Bass Christmas Specials
Basic Premise
When thoughts turn to Christmas traditions, one I always make
sure to do every year is watch as many Christmas specials and movies as
possible. This tradition sticks out to
me the most because these kinds of specials capture the day’s feel and spirit the
best. Whenever enough effort goes into one, you just can’t help but get invested and be reminded why Christmas is such a wonderful time of year. Throughout history, there have been a lot of
great Christmas specials, many of which we’ve been watching since childhood and
take a note to watch at least once every December. However, there is one company with a
significant number of Christmas specials in their repertoire. They're what many
families, especially those with big animation fans, note as yearly must-watches,
and are the subject of the coming reviews. They are the specials of Rankin/Bass
Productions.
Throughout the 1960s, 70s, and even part of the 80s, this
company has prided itself on pure imaginative story ideas, mostly based on
popular Christmas stories and songs. They feature a definitive respect for Christmas
hard to find anywhere else. This
means it makes perfect sense that many people have grown up with their stop-motion
and traditionally animated works. Now,
although Rankin/Bass has an impressive 19 Christmas specials for families to
look into every year, not all of them are well-known to the general
public. Sure, there are some really
popular works like Rudolph the Red-Nosed
Reindeer, Frosty the Snowman, Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town, The Year Without a Santa Claus, and more. As we go through the reviews though, don’t be shocked if there are titles you never even heard of.
In the spirit of this blog, this reviewing adventure will
certainly be an interesting mix of looking into the popular and the obscure.
Heck, many titles are fairly new to even me. In addition, in case you may be interested in
viewing any of the specials as part of your Christmas traditions, each review
will include where to find each special on TV, home media, or worst case
scenarios, the internet, as well as fun fact information on who narrates the
specials and their original airdates. So
come along for a special Christmas of looks at traditional favorites
and the potential discovery of works not quite as well-known, all from the
enchanted world of Rankin/Bass.
Now on with the reviews:
Rudolph the
Red-Nosed Reindeer
Told and
Sung by Burl Ives
Original
airdate: December 6, 1964
Airs
annually on CBS
Widely
available on DVD and Blu-ray
This special about “the most famous reindeer of all” is also the
most famous Rankin/Bass special of all. For
over 50 years, it’s been considered a big, must-watch event by many, and I have
proudly been among that group of people.
It’s big on Christmas spirit in its atmosphere and visuals, but also has
the makings of a relatable and inspiring story through the writing and the
characters. In a way, this iconic special presents Rankin/Bass as talented animation storytellers making for strong first impressions when it comes to Christmas specials.
With the basis of the popular song about a reindeer with a
glowing red nose, the special makes the concept imaginative, entertaining, and even mature and honest with its theme.
The latter qualities are felt within the plights of Rudolph himself and many supporting
characters. Throughout the first act, Rudolph puts in a lot of effort to
become part of Santa’s sleigh team, even proving to be a great flyer. Despite
his apparent skills, his unusual nose prevents him from making it big in society. It’s either mocked for being strange and
different by the young deer, or deemed too distracting for him to be on
the team by the adults, including Santa himself. In other words, this poor reindeer is a
victim of prejudice, which is one of the harshest real-world issues for people
of any kind to deal with. This isn't just true for when this special was first released, but it's even the case
now. Plus, a child character like
Rudolph being put through such ridicule is sure to leave a heavy toll. However, the story shows that prejudice is something faced by people of all kinds. Many imaginative
and colorful supporting characters also can’t fit in due to their
differences. There’s Hermey, an elf
who’d rather be a dentist than a toymaker. Yukon Cornelius is
a prospector searching for silver and gold and knows how to fight the infamous snow
monster, Bumble, the best out of anyone. Finally, there's an entire island
filled with toys that function differently than expected. While what the misfits go is harsh, the animosity is present enough to make the theme clear, but
doesn’t last long enough to ruin the experience. The harshness is also lessened by reminders
that there are people out there who aren’t so judgmental, like Rudolph’s love
interest, Clarice. Not only that, but
when all who judged the misfits hear about their adventure, which included the supposed sacrifice of Yukon in a Bumble fight, they regret
their behavior towards them. Just so you know, this all comes before Santa discovers the usefulness
of Rudolph’s nose. Speaking of Santa, it
can be unsettling that he’s easily irritable and judgmental in this special,
which isn’t what we expect from him.
However, while he does act jerky, his behavior feels like he’s just focusing a lot on his job of delivering
gifts to the children of the world and misses certain social cues as a result. In my way of thinking, that can
happen to anyone. So while Santa's portrayal is not the ideal one to associate with the holiday figure, I wouldn't call him malicious or anything. Needless to say, the final moment is an incredibly satisfying happy ending. Rudolph officially proves the value of misfits as he uses his nose to guide Santa’s sleigh
through a foggy night, saving Christmas for everyone. It's a rewarding scene that shows prejudice can be overcome, and Christmas really is a truly special time of
year for miracles.
In addition to the strong, inspiring story that doesn’t shy
away from hard truths of life, this special is also elevated by a specially crafted
atmosphere that solidifies it as a landmark.
The stop-motion animation can be noticeably jittery and awkward in
motion whenever the characters move and talk (which is the case for most
Rankin/Bass specials in this style). Still, the overall look from the designs of places like
Christmas Town and the Island of Misfit Toys and characters like the elves and
reindeer, has the perfect tone to them. It forever shapes what to think of
Christmas. Burl Ives’ narration as Sam
the Snowman gives a special warmth and tenderness to what we see, especially
when it blends in well with the heavier moments. Also, it’s a genius idea to personify the
narrator as a character. However, what
really helps elevate the special to true Christmas greatness are the songs. They’re all jolly and catchy staples of the
season on their own, but each have their own aspects that help them stand out. Some help identify the characters. “Jingle, Jingle, Jingle” highlights Santa’s devotion to his job. “We are Santa’s
Elves” establishes the elf lifestyle Hermey doesn’t fit into. “Silver and
Gold” showcases the benefits of Yukon Cornelius’s desire for the stuff. Other songs like “We’re a Couple of Misfits”
and “The Most Wonderful Day of the Year” help establish the prejudice theme of
the story and its tendency to leave the innocent out. They're balanced by “There’s Always
Tomorrow” offering hope to overcome neglection.
The last two songs of the special, “Holly Jolly Christmas” and the title
song, are the perfect ones to bring on the happy ending where Christmas
goes on and the misfits have their place. Then again, any performance of the
“Rudolph” song is always destined to turn out great, in my opinion anyway.
For all these reasons, it makes perfect sense why this
special is essential Christmas viewing.
Everyone will surely love the songs and atmosphere, but at an older age, you’ll find that it’s one of the most relatable
stories ever. All credit to that goes to how it gives an honest look of one of the biggest
issues in society, and an adventure inspiring how to overcome it. It’s the ultimate Christmas tradition and the
perfect display of Rankin/Bass’s talents.
Highly Recommended
Be sure to stay tuned for the review of the next special, one of the most bizarre Rankin/Bass works and the first of their earliest relatively unknown Christmas specials, Cricket on the Hearth.
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