When watching all the RANKIN/BASS shows over the Holiday season...keep in mind that most of them include the late, great voice actor PAUL FREES! Arthur Rankin calls him "My good luck charm!" PAUL can be heard as the BURGERMEISTER, MEISTERBURGER, SANTA CLAUS and the TRAFFIC COP in FROSTY THE SNOWMAN, JACK FROST in FROSTY'S WINTER WONDERLAND, ARRON's father and the KINGS in THE LITTLE DRUMMER BOY and so much more!
So far, the BIG questions for me this Holiday season have been: Which RUDOLPH DVD should I buy? Answer: The 2000 release of the TV Special by GOLDEN BOOKS/SONY WONDER. Why? It has the correct credit on the front cover "RANKIN/BASS PRESENTS," They graciously and properly credited me for the image I lent them for the cover AND it has content that is not included on recent releases. The NEW version has DESTINY'S CHILD? This 2000 version was actually the 2nd time the special was issued on DVD, the first version had a poorly designed, illustrated cover and no extras at all. When will THE LIFE & ADVENTURES OF SANTA CLAUS come out on DVD? Many RANKIN/BASS fans want to see this released on DVD! I was talking with the company that Produces the extras for WARNER BROTHERS DVD box sets. There was some talk of doing a proper RANKIN/BASS box set with interviews with both ARTHUR RANKIN, JR. and JULES BASS plus others. I offered to help and that was the last I heard. Obviously, WARNER BROTHERS could be selling these sets like hot cakes with all the interest....I literally get hundreds of e-mails requesting this special and all the others WB is sitting on. Let's keep our fingers crossed for 2007!
Looks like we will be on CBS MORNING NEWS Channel 2 in Chicago 11-24 at 6:45am, so you may want to set your DVR. Then it is still on to WGN MORNING NEWS but it may be a little earlier on there...possibly around 7:40am. We think we will still be on CBS NEWS the evening before (THANKSGIVING) too. It is possible now that we may be doing a book signing at BORDERS BOOKS & MUSIC earlier in the day 11-24 and then late in the day at AMAZING FANTASY BOOKS & COMICS in Tinley Park, IL at 5pm. More NEWS to come!
With the November 21st DVD release of a 2-disc expanded MIRACLE ON 34th STREET coming....I HIGHLY RECOMMEND the CD soundtrack from www.percepto.com ! It has all the store and parade songs complete and uncut! It has the wonderful score and even the music from the trailer and it is paired with another GREAT soundtrack to COME TO THE STABLE! TAYLOR WHITE released the MAD MONSTER PARTY soundtrack that I worked on and we have a few more RANKIN/BASS soundtracks planned. Check out his VIC MIZZY CD releases too!
I heard from HARVEY MOSHMAN Senior Producer at CBS NEWS in Chicago and it looks like we will be on CBS NEWS THANKSGIVING DAY with SANTA & RUDOLPH! Harvey was the former Producer of WILD CHICAGO on WTTW Ch. 11. I was lucky enough to be featured as a guest on one of the last episodes that aired on PBS! Harvey Produced that HIGHLY ACCLAIMED show for many years! It is possible that other CBS Affiliates may show something on their broadcasts the night of the annual RUDOLPH airing on CBS 11-30-06!
So far, the BIG questions for me this Holiday season have been: Which RUDOLPH DVD should I buy? Answer: The 2000 release of the TV Special by GOLDEN BOOKS/SONY WONDER. Why? It has the correct credit on the front cover "RANKIN/BASS PRESENTS," They graciously and properly credited me for the image I lent them for the cover AND it has content that is not included on recent releases. The NEW version has DESTINY'S CHILD? This 2000 version was actually the 2nd time the special was issued on DVD, the first version had a poorly designed, illustrated cover and no extras at all. When will THE LIFE & ADVENTURES OF SANTA CLAUS come out on DVD? Many RANKIN/BASS fans want to see this released on DVD! I was talking with the company that Produces the extras for WARNER BROTHERS DVD box sets. There was some talk of doing a proper RANKIN/BASS box set with interviews with both ARTHUR RANKIN, JR. and JULES BASS plus others. I offered to help and that was the last I heard. Obviously, WARNER BROTHERS could be selling these sets like hot cakes with all the interest....I literally get hundreds of e-mails requesting this special and all the others WB is sitting on. Let's keep our fingers crossed for 2007!
I am going to DISNEYLAND a week from this weekend to pick up my friend SHAG's new PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN figure! SHAG has done alot of work for DISNEYLAND over the past few years! All of it good! Check out www.shagmart.com for some SHAG goodies!