Arthur Rankin Jr.

About

Arthur Rankin, Jr. (July 19, 1924 - January 30, 2014) was an American-born, Bermudian director, producer and writer, mostly working in animation. The son of actor Arthur Rankin, in the early 1960s he founded the film production company Videocraft International (now called Rankin/Bass) with Jules Bass. The two worked closely together for many years, co-directing and producing a wide array of stop motion animated features and cartoons, perhaps most famously the holiday-themed TV specials, such as Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Santa Claus is Comin' to Town, Rudolph's Shiny New Year, The Year Without a Santa Claus, Frosty the Snowman, Twas the Night Before Christmas (1974 TV special), and Jack Frost. He is also credited with devising the story for many Rankin/Bass productions, including the featurefilms The Daydreamer and Mad Monster Party?. In 1977 Rankin and Bass produced a version of...

Known for

ThunderCatsSeries • 1985ThunderCatsSeries • 2011SilverHawksSeries • 1986The Last UnicornMovie • 1982Frosty the SnowmanMovie • 1969Rudolph the Red-Nosed ReindeerMovie • 1964The HobbitMovie • 1977Santa Claus Is Comin' to TownMovie • 1970King Kong EscapesMovie • 1967The Flight of DragonsMovie • 1982The Year Without a Santa ClausMovie • 1974The King and IMovie • 1999The Return of the KingMovie • 1980Rudolph's Shiny New YearMovie • 1976The Little Drummer BoyMovie • 1968Frosty's Winter WonderlandMovie • 1976Rudolph and Frosty's Christmas in JulyMovie • 1979Mad Monster Party?Movie • 1967'Twas the Night Before ChristmasMovie • 1974Nestor, the Long-Eared Christmas DonkeyMovie • 1977The Last DinosaurMovie • 1977Here Comes Peter CottontailMovie • 1971Jack FrostMovie • 1979The Bermuda DepthsMovie • 1978