60 years today!

*Today is the 60th Anniversary for Rankin/Bass' first feature film, Willy McBean and his magic machine!  It was shot simultaneously with Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, and designed and co-written by Antony Peters and featured the same voice cast with some additions, like James Doohan (Scotty from Star Trek).  Antony Peters was the original artist at Rankin/Bass and left the studio after this production.  He and I became great friends and he gave me great insight into the early days at Videocraft International,  which later became Rankin/Bass Productions .  I loved his UPA, streamlined style, for the work he did at Rankin/Bass.  This is why Rudolph and Willy McBean are among my favorites.  Tony also designed all of the Animagic commercials Rankin/Bass Produced for GE and others.  You can read much more about Antony Peters in my books. #Willymcbeanandhismagicmachine

Today is the 60th Anniversary of Rankin/Bass' Willy McBean and his magic machine (their first feature film) and it is in my etsy shop! Many don't realize it was shot simultaneously with Rudolph and features the same voice cast!

Willy McBean and his magic machine (Click link)

https://miserbros.etsy.com/listing/795671930

Happy Columbus day!

 

Happy Christopher Columbus day!

Peabody's Improbable history, has a close resemblance to Rankin/Bass' Willy McBean and his magic machine. Antony Peters told me he wrote it while in the army and Videocraft International shopped it around as a series in the late 1950s. Trans-Lux television corp. bought it as a series, when it was a boy with a time machine and his parrot, who smoked a pipe. The series was never made, Arthur Rankin, Jr. Decided to make The new adventures of Pinocchio instead. Willy McBean and his magic machine was made as their first Animagic feature in 1965 (A boy and his monkey Pablo). The film was shot simultaneously with Rankin/Bass' Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and used most of the same Canadian voice actors, with the addition of James Doohan (Scotty from Star Trek). Not sure who came up with the idea first...Jay Ward or Videocraft International 😁 #shermanandpeabody

Woooo hooo! Books are selling out, so order soon 😁🎃 #christophercolumbus #Monday #holiday

Rankin/Bass Friday!

Alfie Scopp was the voice of the Dragon 🐉 #rankinbassproductions

Sunday

Len Korobkin R.I.P.

Sad news, I got word from Len Korobkin's son Daniel, that my friend Len passed away Monday afternoon (April 26th, 2021). He was a writer on all of the early Rankin/Bass Productions including The New Adventures of Pinocchio and Tales of the Wizard of Oz. Then he moved on to their 1965 feature film Willy McBean and His Magic Machine and was given screen credit for additional dialogue. The most famous Production he is known for, is writing the Rankin/Bass feature film Mad Monster Party? (The only writing credit IMDB gives him credit for? Always incomplete). Len was the one who told me that Forest Ackerman did not participate in the writing and Harvey Kurtzman was brought in at the end, to punch up the humor and add a few gags. When I appeared at The Shag Stores a few years back, I tried to arrange for Len to be there, but the timing did not work out. He was always very nice to me and I made sure he had copies of his work over the years. Daniel says: My dads primary career was as an entertainment lawyer. He had a successful 60+ year career representing artists in the music and film industry. Great husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather. Pillar of his community in Los Angeles. #Leonardkorobkin #Rankinbassproductions #madmonsterparty
 

I wrote a little something on Willy tonight...

Willy McBean

Dvd https://www.etsy.com/listing/795671930/rankinbass-willy-mcbean-and-his-magic?ref=shop_home_active_23&sca=1

Popular right now! Lots of new Rankin/Bass fans this holiday season!!! #rankinbassproductions

"The world, she is a roooooooouuuuuuunnnnnnndddd!" (On-camera Animagic stop-motion fall) Happy Columbus day! Rankin/Bass' Willy McBean & His Magic Machine C. 2012 MISER BROS PRESS/RICK GOLDSCHMIDT ARCHIVES #ColumbusDay #monday #holiday #willymcbeanandhismagicmachine

The great Tad Mochinaga works on RANKIN/BASS' WILLY McBEAN & HIS MAGIC MACHINE (1965) c. 1965 RANKIN/BASS PRODUCTIONS/RICK GOLDSCHMIDT ARCHIVES #rankinbassproductions #animagic

#thursday limited sight art🎁

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Rankin/Bass' Willy McBean & His Magic Machine

C. 2012 Miser Bros Press/Rick Goldschmidt Archives

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