Frosty the Snowman (1969)
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A magical hat brings a snowman to life, leading to a perilous journey to the North Pole.
The story
On Christmas Eve, an inept magician named Professor Hinkle accidentally brings a snowman named Frosty to life using a magic hat. When Hinkle tries to steal the hat for profit, the children manage to retrieve it, reviving Frosty. However, as the temperature rises, Frosty realizes he must reach the North Pole to avoid melting. He, a rabbit named Hocus Pocus, and a girl named Karen board a freight train to head north. The journey becomes dangerous as they face extreme cold and various obstacles while trying to reach safety.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
On Christmas Eve, Professor Hinkle's magic hat brings a snowman named Frosty to life. Hinkle attempts to steal the hat, but the children reclaim it to revive Frosty. Fearing he will melt, Frosty, a rabbit named Hocus Pocus, and a girl named Karen board a freight train heading for the North Pole. During the trip, Karen develops hypothermia from the cold. The trio seeks warmth, and Hocus builds a campfire for her, but Hinkle arrives and puts it out. Frosty seeks out Santa Claus for help. Hinkle locks Frosty and Karen in a greenhouse, where Frosty eventually melts. Santa arrives, comforts Karen, and uses magic snow to remake Frosty. Santa then takes Frosty to the North Pole, promising his return every year. The special ends with a parade featuring the townspeople and a redeemed Hinkle.
- First release year
- 1969
- Runtime (minutes)
- 25
- Production countries
- United States; Japan
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Arthur Rankin Jr.; Jules Bass
- Writers
- Romeo Muller · writer; Steve Nelson · source material; Jack Rollins · source material
- Cast and characters
- Jimmy Durante · Narrator; Jackie Vernon · Frosty; Billy De Wolfe · Professor Hinkle; June Foray · Karen (first airing), the children (first airing), and the school teacher; Paul Frees · the children (first airing), The traffic cop, The ticket master, Hocus Pocus, and Santa Claus; Suzanne Davidson · Karen (later airings); Greg Thomas · the children (later airings); Jeff Thomas · the children (later airings)
- Genres
- Christmas
- Themes
- Magic; Friendship; Selflessness
- Setting
- A town and a journey toward the North Pole during Christmas time.
- Premise and plot tags
- Animated; Musical; Fantasy; Holiday
- Source material / true-story basis
- The Walter E. Rollins and Steve Nelson song of the same name.
- Franchise connections
- Rankin/Bass Christmas specials
- Reception
- The special received positive reviews, albeit more modest than most of its contemporary specials. It was ranked as the No. 1 television program for the week of December 1–7, 1969, by Nielsen Media Research. It has been a staple of holiday programming for over 50 years.
- Production trivia
- It was the first television special featuring the character Frosty the Snowman.; The animation was produced by Mushi Production in Tokyo, Japan.; Jimmy Durante was one of the first people to record the song when it was released in 1950.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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