Rankin/Bass Productions was an American production company, best known for its animated seasonal television specials. Television series and films pre-1974 are owned by NBCUniversal through DreamWorks Animation, and those after September 1974 are owned by Warner Bros. Entertainment through Telepictures.
Television specials Title Year Directed by Written by Music Animation Production Style Network Ref Return to Oz 1964 F.R. CrawleyThomas GlynnLarry Roemer Romeo Muller Gene ForrellEdward ThomasJames Polack Crawley Films Traditional NBC Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer Larry Roemer Johnny Marks MOM Production Stop-motion The Ballad of Smokey the Bear 1966 Joseph Schrank The Cricket on the Hearth 1967 Arthur Rankin, Jr.Jules Bass Romeo MullerArthur Rankin Jr. Maury Laws TCJ Animation Center Traditional The Mouse on the Mayflower 1968 Romeo Muller Toei Animation The Little Drummer Boy Colin Romoff MOM Production Stop-motion Frosty the Snowman 1969 Maury LawsJack RollinsSteve Nelson Mushi Production Traditional CBS The Mad, Mad, Mad Comedians 1970 Maury Laws ABC Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town Jules BassMaury Laws Video Tokyo Production Stop-motion Here Comes Peter Cottontail 1971 Jack Rollins Hans Christian Andersen's The Emperor's New Clothes 1972 Maury Laws Mad Mad Mad Monsters William J. KeenanLou Silverstone Mushi Production Traditional Willie Mays and the Say-Hey Kid Romeo Muller Topcraft The Red Baron Leonard Starr That Girl in Wonderland 1973 Stu Hample 'Twas the Night Before Christmas 1974 Jerome Coopersmith CBS The Year Without a Santa Claus William J. Keenan Video Tokyo Production Stop-motion ABC The First Christmas: The Story of the First Christmas Snow 1975 Julian P. Gardner NBC The First Easter Rabbit 1976 Topcraft Traditional Frosty's Winter Wonderland Romeo Muller Jack RollinsSteve Nelson ABC Rudolph's Shiny New Year Johnny Marks Video Tokyo Production Stop-motion The Little Drummer Boy: Book II Julian P. Gardner Maury Laws NBC The Easter Bunny Is Comin' to Town 1977 Romeo Muller ABC The Hobbit Topcraft Traditional NBC Nestor, the Long-Eared Christmas Donkey Video Tokyo Production Stop-motion ABC The Stingiest Man in Town 1978 Fred Spielman Topcraft Traditional NBC Jack Frost1979Maury LawsVideo Tokyo ProductionStop-motion The Return of the King 1980Maury Laws Topcraft Traditional ABC Pinocchio's ChristmasVideo Tokyo ProductionStop-motion The Leprechauns' Christmas Gold 1981 The Flight of Dragons 1982 Topcraft Traditional The Coneheads 1983 Al FrankenTom Davis Bernard Hoffer NBC The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus 1985 Julian P. Gardner Pacific Animation Corporation Stop-motion CBS The Wind in the Willows 1987 Romeo Muller Maury Laws Cuckoo's Nest Traditional ABC Santa, Baby! 2001 Lee Dannacher Peter BakalianSuzanne Collins Glen Roven Pacific Animation CorporationHanho Heung-Up Fox
Feature films Title Year Directed by Written by MusicAnimation Production Style Distribution Willy McBean and His Magic Machine1965Arthur Rankin Jr.Arthur Rankin Jr.Edward ThomasMOM ProductionStop-motion Magna Pictures Distribution Corporation The Daydreamer1966Jules BassMaury LawsEmbassy Pictures Mad Monster Party?1967Len KorobkinHarvey Kurtzman The Wacky World of Mother GooseRomeo MullerGeorge WilkinsTCJ Animation CenterTraditional Rudolph and Frosty's Christmas in July 1979Arthur Rankin Jr.Jules Bass Johnny MarksMaury Laws Video Tokyo Production Stop-motion Avco Embassy Pictures (limited)ABC (television) The Last Unicorn1982Peter S. BeagleJimmy WebbTopcraftTraditionalJensen Farley Pictures The King and I1999Richard RichPeter BakalianJacqueline FeatherDavid SeidlerWilliam KiddRich Animation StudiosTraditionalWarner Bros. Pictures
Animated TV series With the exception of The New Adventures of Pinocchio (stop-motion), all of the TV shows were traditionally animated. Title Year Animation Production Network No. ofepisodesThe New Adventures of Pinocchio1961MOM ProductionSyndication130Tales of the Wizard of Oz1961Crawley Films110The King Kong Show1966Toei AnimationABC26The Smokey Bear Show196917The Tomfoolery Show1970Halas and BatchelorNBCThe Reluctant Dragon & Mr. Toad ShowMushi ProductionABCJackson 5ive1971Halas and BatchelorPegbar Production23The Osmonds1972Halas and Batchelor17Kid PowerTopcraftFestival of Family ClassicsMushi Production (17 episodes)Topcraft (3 episodes)Syndication20ThunderCats1985Pacific Animation Corporation130SilverHawks198665The Comic Strip TigerSharks Street Frogs The Mini-Monsters Karate Kat1987
Live-action productions +Title YearDirected byWritten byMusicDistributionKing Kong Escapes1967Ishirō HondaTakeshi KimuraAkira IfukubeUniversal Pictures (theatrical)Marco1973Seymour RobbieRomeo MullerMaury LawsCinerama Releasing Corporation (theatrical)The Last Dinosaur1977Alexander GrasshoffShusei KotaniWilliam OvergardABC (television)The Bermuda Depths1978Tom KotaniThe Ivory Ape1980Bernard HofferMaury LawsThe Bushido Blade1981Maury LawsAquarius Releasing (theatrical)The Sins of Dorian Gray1983Tony MaylamKen AugustPeter LawrenceBernard HofferABC (television)
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