Rankin/Bass-historian: 11/29/09

Monday, December 07, 2009

I absolutely love this!

This is sensational (Love having them all on one DVD)! Wonderful quality and a great DVD to relax to when it is snowing outside (We are expecting about 3 inches tomorrow:)) I just watched THAT GIRL "Christmas and the hard luck kid" from 1966 with Chris Shea, one year after he did the voice of Linus in A CHARLIE BROWN CHRISTMAS which airs on ABC this Tuesday night.

posted by Thomas Frederick

MAURY LAWS: The man who made all of that enchanting RANKIN/BASS music!

Heavily Edited!

I did tune into the ABC Network airing of RANKIN/BASS' SANTA CLAUS IS COMIN' TO TOWN and they started editing it about 2 minutes into the classic special? It looked like they showed the ABC FAMILY cut of the special that leaves time for about 100 annoying commercials including McDonald's and some awful looking Disney thing called PREP & LANDING? Great name for a holiday special. At least they did show the RANKIN/BASS logo at the end this time but had some crazy announcement over it.

posted by Thomas Frederick

MARVELMANIA

from Ron Murphy

c. 1976 RANKIN/BASS PRODUCTIONS/RICK GOLDSCHMIDT ARCHIVES

RANKIN/BASS' THE LITTLE DRUMMER BOY, BOOK 2 is always fun to watch this time of year! I have it on a collector's DVD and am watching it right now!
posted by Thomas Frederick

KODAK Commercial RANKIN/BASS style figures

From our friend Gary

ROCKY, THE FLYING SQUIRREL

from Ron Murphy

www.mitchoconnell.com

I asked Rich Koz about Jerry G. Bishop the other day. It has been a while since I have been out to his San Diego restaurants. Apparently Jerry had a stroke a while back and has retired from radio completely now. Rich said he asked Jerry if he misses it and he said "No."

RANKIN/BASS' SANTA CLAUS IS COMIN' TO TOWN is on ABC tonight at 7pm Central

I'm glad they brought this one back to network television in recent years...it never should have left!

posted by Thomas Frederick

Sunday, December 06, 2009

Also from THE MAKING OF THE RANKIN/BASS HOLIDAY CLASSIC: RUDOLPH THE RED-NOSED REINDEER. Hiroshi Tabata works on RANKIN/BASS' SANTA CLAUS IS COMIN' TO TOWN
c. 1970 RANKIN/BASS PRODUCTIONS/RICK GOLDSCHMIDT ARCHIVES

from the book THE MAKING OF THE RANKIN/BASS HOLIDAY CLASSIC: RUDOLPH THE RED-NOSED REINDEER

WALGREENS has the older DVDs I was talking about with RANKIN/BASS on the cover for $9.99. We saw FROSTY THE SNOWMAN and SANTA CLAUS IS COMIN' TO TOWN. They also have some RANKIN/BASS popcorn tins.

www.dirtydragon.com

Kyoko Kita works on RANKIN/BASS' RUDOLPH

c. 1964 RANKIN/BASS PRODUCTIONS/RICK GOLDSCHMIDT ARCHIVES

Email Rickgoldsc@aol.com

THE BEATLES CHRISTMAS

I have this original VEE JAY sleeve and love it! I love listening to all of THE BEATLES Christmas messages and songs on CD this time of year! They were great to their fans!

HAPPY KRINGLE!

Saturday, December 05, 2009

HIROSHI animates the Kringles

in RANKIN/BASS' SANTA CLAUS IS COMIN' TO TOWN

c. 1970 RANKIN/BASS PRODUCTIONS/RICK GOLDSCHMIDT ARCHIVES

LEE PHILLIP Christmas 1959

Ron Murphy gave this to me..

BILL JACKSON: Chicago TV Legend

Bill Jackson as FRECKLES THE CLOWN from his first visit to Chicago!

BILL with Josh on his last visit to Chicago!

I brought him some RANKIN/BASS Drummer Boy figures and he said they have sentimental value to him because that character was one of the first he drew on the air.

RICH KOZ (SVENGOOLIE/STOOGAPALOOZA) from ME TV (one of our favorites channels...ME TOO too!) Rich has been a friend and very kind over the years with plugs for my books, etc.

Jim Engel's collage from the program and event poster!

Santa leaves Dean Richards (WGN TV/Radio) a surprise!

BJ signed my DVD cover!

Bill says something amusing to George Pappas and Dean. He enjoyed his appearance on WGN MORNING NEWS!

My friend David Plier (MUSEUM OF BROADCAST COMMUNICATIONS) has a bloody mary. David and I were on the MANCOW Radio show together last Christmas.

I wrote a chapter on BILL JACKSON that was featured in this book! I think it is still available at http://www.amazon.com/ and at http://www.tvparty.com/ I also have several articles on Chicago Kid's TV at http://www.tvparty.com/

Bill with his lovely wife Jo

Santa visits David and his son Josh

Bill visits with my son Josh

Two of my favorites together!

Leonard Kohl talks to Santa. I haven't seen him since our days at COLUMBIA COLLEGE in Gordon Sheehan's Animation class. Gordon worked on all the classic Fleischer cartoons and I believe Leonard wrote a book on the POPEYE cartoons.