PMM: Rankin/Bass TV Specials
by dbd1988 | created - 5 months ago | updated - 5 months ago | PublicA list of TV specials produced by the Rankin/Bass Productions. Created for use with Plex Meta Manager (PMM).
- Instant Watch Options
- Genres
- Movies or TV
- IMDb Rating
- In Theaters
- Release Year
- Keywords
1. Return to Oz (1964 TV Movie)
51 min | Animation, Family, Musical
After Dorothy's friends are robbed of their prizes by a revived Wicked Witch, she is sent back to Oz to set things straight once again.
Directors: F.R. Crawley, Thomas Glynn, Larry Roemer | Stars: Larry D. Mann, Alfie Scopp, Carl Banas, Susan Morse
Votes: 200
2. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1964 TV Movie)
TV-G | 47 min | Animation, Adventure, Comedy
A young reindeer Rudolph lives at the North Pole. His father is one of Santa's reindeer and it is expected that Rudolph will eventually be one too. However, he has a feature which is a setback and causes him to be ostracized: his red nose.
Director: Larry Roemer | Stars: Billie Mae Richards, Burl Ives, Larry D. Mann, Paul Soles
Votes: 37,489
3. The Ballad of Smokey the Bear (1966 TV Movie)
TV-G | 60 min | Animation, Adventure, Family
The origin of the great bear forest conservation crusader.
Director: Larry Roemer | Stars: James Cagney, William Marine, Rose Marie Jun, Herb Duncan
Votes: 83
4. Cricket on the Hearth (1967 TV Movie)
TV-G | 60 min | Animation, Adventure, Comedy
A cricket seeks to rescue a poor toymaker and his blind daughter from an exploitative miser.
Directors: Jules Bass, Arthur Rankin Jr. | Stars: Danny Thomas, Marlo Thomas, Ed Ames, Hans Conried
Votes: 828
5. Mouse on the Mayflower (1968 TV Movie)
TV-G | 45 min | Animation, Adventure, Comedy
The Mayflower journey as seen through the experiences of a church mouse.
Directors: Jules Bass, Arthur Rankin Jr. | Stars: Tennessee Ernie Ford, Eddie Albert, John Gary, Joanie Sommers
Votes: 197
6. The Little Drummer Boy (1968 TV Movie)
Not Rated | 25 min | Animation, Drama, Family
An orphan drummer boy who hates humanity finds his life changed forever when he meets three wise men en route to Bethlehem.
Directors: Jules Bass, Arthur Rankin Jr., Takeo Nakamura | Stars: José Ferrer, Paul Frees, June Foray, Ted Eccles
Votes: 6,399
7. Frosty the Snowman (1969 TV Short)
TV-G | 25 min | Animation, Short, Comedy
A living snowman and a little girl struggle to elude a greedy magician who is after the snowman's magic hat.
Directors: Jules Bass, Arthur Rankin Jr. | Stars: Jackie Vernon, Billy De Wolfe, Jimmy Durante, Paul Frees
Votes: 21,471
8. The Mad, Mad, Mad Comedians (1970 TV Movie)
60 min | Animation, Comedy
Animated TV special by Rankin/Bass depicting famous vaudeville acts such as Flip Wilson's Columbus, Jack Benny and George Burns' Maxwell, Groucho Marx's Napoleon, W. C. Fields' Sportsman and The Smothers Brothers' song to woo a princess.
Directors: Jules Bass, Arthur Rankin Jr. | Stars: Jack Benny, George Burns, Phyllis Diller, George Jessel
Votes: 63
9. Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town (1970 TV Movie)
TV-G | 48 min | Animation, Adventure, Comedy
A mailman reveals the origin of Santa Claus.
Directors: Jules Bass, Arthur Rankin Jr. | Stars: Fred Astaire, Mickey Rooney, Keenan Wynn, Paul Frees
Votes: 17,513
10. Here Comes Peter Cottontail (1971 TV Movie)
TV-G | 60 min | Animation, Adventure, Comedy
With the help of a time machine, Peter Cottontail must rescue Easter from the hands of the malicious Irontail.
Directors: Jules Bass, Arthur Rankin Jr. | Stars: Danny Kaye, Paul Frees, Joan Gardner, Casey Kasem
Votes: 1,534
11. The Enchanted World of Danny Kaye: The Emperor's New Clothes (1972 TV Movie)
TV-PG | 60 min | Animation, Comedy, Family
This is one of the 'Animagical' titles from the children's film archive of Rankin/Bass. The story line is reminiscent of an earlier 1966 R/B Animagic film, 'The Daydreamer', both of which ... See full summary »
Directors: Jules Bass, Arthur Rankin Jr. | Stars: Danny Kaye, Cyril Ritchard, Imogene Coca, Allen Swift
Votes: 83
12. 'Twas the Night Before Christmas (1974 TV Movie)
TV-G | 25 min | Animation, Comedy, Family
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.
Directors: Jules Bass, Arthur Rankin Jr. | Stars: Joel Grey, Tammy Grimes, John McGiver, George Gobel
Votes: 3,786
13. The Year Without a Santa Claus (1974 TV Movie)
TV-G | 51 min | Animation, Comedy, Family
When a weary and discouraged Santa Claus considers skipping his Christmas Eve run one year, Mrs. Claus and his elves set out to change his mind.
Directors: Jules Bass, Arthur Rankin Jr. | Stars: Shirley Booth, Mickey Rooney, Dick Shawn, George S. Irving
Votes: 11,643
14. The First Christmas: The Story of the First Christmas Snow (1975 TV Movie)
Not Rated | 22 min | Animation, Family, Fantasy
A young shepherd, Lucas (David Kelley), is blinded by lightning, and some kindly nuns at a nearby abbey take him in. Sister Catherine (Iris Rainer) describes snow to Lucas, who has never ... See full summary »
Directors: Jules Bass, Arthur Rankin Jr. | Stars: Angela Lansbury, Cyril Ritchard, David Kelley, Dina Lynn
Votes: 625
15. The First Easter Rabbit (1976 TV Short)
TV-G | 25 min | Animation, Short, Adventure
A beloved toy stuffed rabbit is rescued by a fairy to be the first Easter Rabbit. After his owner falls ill.
Directors: Jules Bass, Arthur Rankin Jr. | Stars: Burl Ives, Robert Morse, Stan Freberg, Paul Frees
Votes: 322
16. Frosty's Winter Wonderland (1976 TV Movie)
TV-G | 25 min | Animation, Comedy, Family
Frosty's kind of lonely, so the kids think of making him a wife, Crystal. But will Jack Frost let them be happy?
Directors: Jules Bass, Arthur Rankin Jr. | Stars: Andy Griffith, Shelley Winters, Dennis Day, Paul Frees
Votes: 3,625
17. Rudolph's Shiny New Year (1976 TV Movie)
TV-G | 60 min | Animation, Adventure, Comedy
Rudolph must find Happy, the baby New Year, before midnight on New Year's Eve.
Directors: Jules Bass, Arthur Rankin Jr. | Stars: Red Skelton, Frank Gorshin, Morey Amsterdam, Harold Peary
Votes: 4,578
18. The Little Drummer Boy Book II (1976 TV Movie)
TV-G | 30 min | Animation, Adventure, Drama
Aaron, the drummer boy, struggles to protect a bellmaker's great silver bells from seizure by Roman soldiers.
Directors: Jules Bass, Arthur Rankin Jr. | Stars: Greer Garson, Zero Mostel, David Jay, Bob McFadden
Votes: 880
19. The Easter Bunny Is Comin' to Town (1977 TV Movie)
TV-G | 50 min | Animation, Adventure, Comedy
The Mailman decides to stop another deluge of letters by answering questions about the Easter Bunny: Sunny, a baby rabbit found and adopted by Kidville (a town of only kids--even a kid ... See full summary »
Directors: Jules Bass, Arthur Rankin Jr. | Stars: Fred Astaire, Skip Hinnant, Bob McFadden, Allen Swift
Votes: 1,014
20. The Hobbit (1977 TV Movie)
TV-PG | 90 min | Animation, Adventure, Family
A homebody hobbit in Middle Earth gets talked into joining a quest with a group of dwarves to recover their treasure from a dragon.
Directors: Jules Bass, Arthur Rankin Jr. | Stars: Orson Bean, John Huston, Theodore Gottlieb, Cyril Ritchard
Votes: 16,359
21. Nestor, the Long-Eared Christmas Donkey (1977 TV Movie)
TV-G | 30 min | Animation, Drama, Family
An outcast donkey in Roman era Judea with overlong ears finds his destiny on the way to Bethlehem.
Directors: Jules Bass, Arthur Rankin Jr. | Stars: Roger Miller, Brenda Vaccaro, Paul Frees, Don Messick
Votes: 2,450
22. The Stingiest Man in Town (1978 TV Movie)
TV-PG | 60 min | Animation, Drama, Family
This version of the story is told from the perspective of B.A.H. Humbug. After Ebenezer Scrooge refuses to assist the poor or have Christmas Dinner with his nephew, he is visited by the ... See full summary »
Directors: Jules Bass, Arthur Rankin Jr. | Stars: Walter Matthau, Tom Bosley, Theodore Bikel, Robert Morse
Votes: 553
23. Jack Frost (1979 TV Movie)
TV-G | 48 min | Animation, Adventure, Comedy
The Groundhog tells the story of how, for once, Jack Frost became human, and helped a knight win his lady love.
Directors: Jules Bass, Arthur Rankin Jr. | Stars: Buddy Hackett, Robert Morse, Paul Frees, Larry Storch
Votes: 4,518
24. The Return of the King (1980 TV Movie)
Not Rated | 98 min | Animation, Adventure, Family
Two Hobbits struggle to destroy the Ring in Mount Doom while their friends desperately fight evil Lord Sauron's forces in a final battle.
Directors: Jules Bass, Arthur Rankin Jr. | Stars: Orson Bean, John Huston, Theodore Bikel, William Conrad
Votes: 4,630
25. Rudolph and Frosty's Christmas in July (1979 TV Movie)
G | 97 min | Animation, Adventure, Comedy
The Winterbolt is trying to make North Pole his evil wonderland, and it is up to Frosty the Snowman, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and other icons to stop him.
Directors: Jules Bass, Arthur Rankin Jr. | Stars: Red Buttons, Ethel Merman, Mickey Rooney, Alan Sues
Votes: 2,670
26. Pinocchio's Christmas (1980 TV Movie)
Not Rated | 60 min | Animation, Comedy, Family
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.
Directors: Jules Bass, Arthur Rankin Jr. | Stars: Alan King, George S. Irving, Bob McFadden, Patricia Bright
Votes: 801
27. The Leprechauns' Christmas Gold (1981 TV Movie)
TV-G | 25 min | Animation, Comedy, Family
An Irish sailor is stranded on an island full of Leprechauns and soon finds himself aiding them in protecting their gold from a greedy Hag.
Directors: Jules Bass, Arthur Rankin Jr. | Stars: Art Carney, Peggy Cass, Bob McFadden, Ken Jennings
Votes: 766
28. The Flight of Dragons (1982 Video)
Passed | 95 min | Animation, Adventure, Family
A young Boston writer goes back in time into an era where wizards and dragon reign and science is just barely known.
Directors: Jules Bass, Arthur Rankin Jr. | Stars: Victor Buono, James Gregory, James Earl Jones, Harry Morgan
Votes: 6,089
29. The Coneheads (1983 TV Movie)
PG | 30 min | Animation, Comedy, Sci-Fi
In this animated pilot based on the SNL sketch, The Coneheads come to conquer Earth but they soon find themselves becoming domesticated.
Directors: Jules Bass, Arthur Rankin Jr. | Stars: Dan Aykroyd, Jane Curtin, Laraine Newman, Cynthia Adler
Votes: 516
30. The Life & Adventures of Santa Claus (1985 TV Movie)
TV-G | 50 min | Animation, Adventure, Family
At a council convened by The Great Ak, the forest being tells the story of Santa Claus to explain why he deserves to be made immortal.
Directors: Jules Bass, Arthur Rankin Jr. | Stars: Earl Hammond, Earle Hyman, Larry Kenney, Lynne Lipton
Votes: 1,418
31. Santa, Baby! (2001 TV Movie)
TV-G | 60 min | Animation, Comedy, Family
Noel Royce (GREGORY HINES), a onetime successful songwriter, becomes a sidewalk Santa in the hope of breaking his writer's block. With the help of a wisecracking Christmas partridge named ... See full summary »
Director: Lee Dannacher | Stars: Gregory Hines, Patti LaBelle, Vanessa Williams, Eartha Kitt
Votes: 119
Tell Your Friends