Through the years, Arthur Rankin, Jr., and Jules Bass' creations have inspired generation after generation. From local theatre troupe Hell in a Handbag's Rudolph the Red-Hosed Reindeer to Tim Burton's Nightmare Before Christmas, artists continue to pay homage to these classic collaborations.
Oak Lawn's Rick Goldschmidt has been preserving Rankin/Bass history for over 10 years. His book, the Enchanted World of Rankin/Bass, is currently in its third printing.
Goldschmidt took a moment from his busy holiday season to tell Windy City Times how he continues to keep these innovator's ideas alive.
Windy City Times: So when did you first see a Rankin/Bass production?
Rick Goldschmidt: I was a little tyke. The first thing I remember was seeing Rudolph and watching Santa at the end of the show saying "Merry Christmas." That's the kind of impression it left on me at a young age. I also remember The Little Drummer Boy being on all the time.
WCT: Explain what "Ani-magic" is to our readers.
RG: It's the stop-motion technique. The difference between what they did and what is done today is that they brought personality to what they did. Puppets before them were treated as puppets. They didn't have the personality that Rankin/Bass breathed into them with Burl Ives and Fred Astaire and all those great characters. Back then they used actors such as James Cagney in the Ballad of Smokey the Bear, and it was unique.
WCT: I was wondering: Do you still talk to any of the stars that did famous voices from the past?
RG: Yeah, I became friends with a lot of them throughout the years. Art Carney really liked my books. Phyllis Diller is still a good friend of mine. She was in Mad Monster Party and really remembers it fondly.
WCT: How many years has Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer been shown on network television?
RG: The 45th time this week; some people say it's the 44th year, but actually it aired in 1964 and if you count every year this would be the 45th.
WCT: Frosty the Snowman and The Year Without a Santa Claus are still shown also, correct?
RG: Yes. Frosty [ was ] on CBS Dec. 12. I don't know if Santa Claus is Comin' to Town will be on the networks this year. I know it was already on ABC Family, which is pretty much a Rankin/Bass station.
WCT: Hermey and the misfit toys always spoke to me personally as a gay kid because I never fit in just like them. I think that still resonates today.
RG: There's a lot or reasons that they are still popular today. The underdog characters were smart. They showed that these characters were special. Another aspect that made them different is Romeo Muller, Jr., who wrote all those great screenplays. He wrote villains as being reformed and becoming nice by the end of the show. Mentally for the viewer that is so much more appealing for the viewer than killing them, as it would be done today. In Rankin/Bass shows they turned the evil into good.
WCT: Do you have a favorite production or character?
RG: I love Rudolph and I love Mad Monster Party. I am an illustrator and the design of those shows is what I love about them.
WCT: I personally like Jack Frost and the Heat Miser in The Year Without a Santa Claus. Many people don't even realize Rankin/Bass' works include the original Hobbit cartoon and The Thundercats series.
RG: They really branched out as a studio. I don't think there's an animation studio that did as much in so many different areas as Rankin/Bass did. They even did the Jackson 5 and The Osmonds cartoons. That made them very popular. Donny Osmond told me that they owe a lot to Rankin/Bass, which built up their popularity.
WCT: How is it working with the various companies that own the rights to the movies?
RG: Well, Rankin/Bass does not have that much control over them anymore. What is really disheartening is when they try to take the name away and just call it a "holiday classic."
That really irks the creators and me, too. My role in this is to make sure that people get their credit and they don't forget about them. Warner Brothers has underpaid them for years and is now hiding under that statute of limitations.
WCT: Wow, that's frustrating. So, keeping the dream alive is what you hope to accomplish with your books and Web site?
RG: Exactly. I am all about promoting good quality stuff. I sell all the rare items. I have the shows directly from the archives. When I am able to I get the original commercials and put them back into the show. That's the stuff that I am just wild over.
WCT: What's your next big renovation project?
RG: We are working on Nestor the Long-Eared Christmas Donkey figurines. My second book is doing well; [ it's ] called The Making of the Rankin/Bass Holiday Classic Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.
WCT: Well, I am such a fan and have my own collection of Rankin/Bass figures and DVDs to make my Christmas complete!
To get your Rankin/Bass fix visit, www.rankinbass.com . Happy Holidays!
