Thursday, January 30, 2014

Arthur Rankin Jr obit



Arthur Rankin, animator of 'Rudolph,' dies in Bermuda


He was not on the list.

Arthur Rankin, Jr., a prolific animator, producer and director behind holiday TV classics, including "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer," has died at his home in Bermuda at the age of 89, a close friend and associate said on Saturday.


Rankin passed away this week after a brief illness, Tom Butterfield, head of the Masterworks Foundation in Bermuda, told Reuters.


Born in New York in 1924, Rankin teamed with Jules Bass to form a company known as Rankin/Bass that made its mark in the industry for its stop-motion animation and use of celebrity voices in its productions.


Rankin had dozens of credits as a producer or director for movies and TV shows spanning six decades that included the "Jackson 5ive" animated TV series in the early 1970s, the TV short "Frosty the Snowman" and the "Thundercats" TV series.


"He was warm and funny, and was also incredibly intense. Arthur Rankin never lost that creativity that came from the child that was in him. He had the most amazing business acumen, as well," Butterfield said.


Rankin's death was also reported in The Royal Gazette of Bermuda.


Animated feature films

    Willy McBean and His Magic Machine (1965)
    Mad Monster Party? (1967)
    The Hobbit (1977) (TV movie)
    The Return of the King (1980) (TV movie)
    The Last Unicorn (1982)
    The Flight of Dragons (1982) (TV movie)
    The Wind in the Willows (1987) (TV movie)
    The King and I (1999)

Live-action

    King Kong Escapes (1968)
    Marco (1973)
    The Last Dinosaur (1977)
    The Bermuda Depths (1977) (TV movie)
    The Ivory Ape (1980)
    The Bushido Blade (1981)

Animated TV specials

    Return to Oz (1964) (produced as Videocraft)
    Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1964, Burl Ives) (produced as Videocraft)
    The Edgar Bergen & Charlie McCarthy Show (1965)
    The Ballad of Smokey the Bear (1966, James Cagney)
    Cricket on the Hearth (1967, Danny Thomas)
    Mouse on the Mayflower (1968, Tennessee Ernie Ford, Eddie Albert, Jack Cassidy, Joanie Sommers)
    The Little Drummer Boy (1968, Greer Garson)
    Frosty the Snowman (1969, Jimmy Durante)
    Santa Claus is Comin' to Town (1970, Fred Astaire, Mickey Rooney)
    Here Comes Peter Cottontail (1971, Danny Kaye)
    Puss in Boots (1972 TV special)
    The Year Without a Santa Claus (1974, Shirley Booth)
    Frosty's Winter Wonderland (1976, Andy Griffith)
    Rudolph’s Shiny New Year (1976, Red Skelton)
    Jack Frost (1979, Buddy Hackett)

Animated series

    The New Adventures of Pinocchio (1960)
    Tales of the Wizard of Oz (1961)
    The King Kong Show (1966–69)
    The Tomfoolery Show (1970–71)
    The Reluctant Dragon and Mr. Toad Show (1970)
    The Jackson 5ive (1971)
    The Osmonds (1972)
    Festival of Family Classics (1972-1973)
    Kid Power (1972-1973)
    ThunderCats (1985–87)
    SilverHawks (1986)
    TigerSharks (1987)
 

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