Frosty the Snowman/Returns

Family, Rated-G, 1Disc/49:12
Content:
- Frosty the Snowman (1969, Animation) 25:27
- Frosty Returns (1992, Animation) 22:56
- Pencil Test :49
Frosty the Snowman (IMDB Yahoo All CBS): Crew. Netflix summary.
Frosty Returns (IMDB Yahoo All CBS): Crew. Netflix summary.
Eggs: None
Factoids: (IMDB, Moviemistakes)
1. The song was written by Steve "Jack" Rollins and Steve Nelson in 1950. It was written after Gene Autry recorded "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" (which as a single sold 2 million copies). Rollins and Nelson shipped the new song to Autry, who recorded "Frosty" in search of another seasonal hit.
- Frosty the Snowman
Was a jolly happy soul
With a corncob pipe and a button nose
And two eyes made out of coal
- Frosty the Snowman
Is a fairytale they say
He was made of snow
But the children know
How he came to life one day
- There must have been some magic
In that old silk hat they found
For when they placed it on his head
He began to dance around
- Frosty the Snowman
Was alive as he could be
And the children say
He could laugh and play
Just the same as you and me
- Frosty the Snowman
Knew the sun was hot that day
So he said let's run
And we'll have some fun
Now before I melt away
- Down to the village
With a broomstick in his hand
Running here and there all around the square
Saying catch me if you can
He led them down the streets of town
Right to the traffic cop
And he only paused a moment when
He heard him holler stop
- Frosty the Snowman
Had to hurry on his way
But he waved goodbye
Saying don't you cry
I'll be back again some day
- Thumpety thump thump
Thumpety thump thump
Look at Frosty go
Thumpety thump thump
Thumpety thump thump
Over the hills of snow!
2. This special marked the first use of traditional cel animation for Rankin-Bass. Arthur Rankin, Jr. and Jules Bass wanted to give the show and its characters the look of a Christmas card, so Paul Coker, Jr., a greeting card artist who would later be known for his work in MAD Magazine, was hired to do the animation.
3. The sequel, Frosty's Winter Wonderland, aired in 1976. In 1979, to cap on the success of the company's two biggest specials, another sequel, Rudolph and Frosty's Christmas in July, was released running at a staggering 97 minutes in Animagic format! Frosty Returns, produced in 1992 by CBS marks has often times been treated as if it is the sequel to the original, but it is not. Frosty returned again in 2005 with a made-for-video animated film produced by Classic Media (the current rights holder for the original Rankin/Bass special and the remainder of their pre-1974 library) titled, The Legend of Frosty the Snowman.
Comments: The ad at the begining of the disc is an ad for the promotional ad which follows immediately after it! Too funny. However, the other element that is scary, is the narrating voice is the same guy who voiced over ads for the Gilmore Girls and other WB shows. The disc also includes a quick pencil test short.
Frosty the Snowman: As for the original 1969 Frosty the Snowman animated special, if Frosty coming to life and saying "Happy Birthday" is funny, then you are totally old enough to view this. Litterally using a magicians hat, the police man stopping them, and including a rabbit (confusing because it's not Easter, but probably more acurately pulled from the snow melting portion of the song "thumpity thump thump) to tell the story is a little bit of a stretch. But again, this ties back to the age thing...was it a deliberate move to make the magician look like Peter Sellars?
Frosty Returns: This animated special feels like it mimics with Peanut's (even a raspy character similar to Linus, but named Charles!). The effort placed in to accommodate parents watching it was nice, but too Ruggrat-ish in snappiness. John Goodman is Frosty, and the evil voice is Brian Doyle-Murray, and that's alright. The plot of this particular special is markedly more political than its predecessors and successors, alluding to climate change, environmentalism, and corporate enterprise. The program also uses more political correctness than the other Frosty specials; for instance, instead of a Christmas celebration, the term "winter carnival" is used.