 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
  |
||||
 |
 |
|||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||
|
|
|||||
|
Arthur could be seen in the filmed introduction holding my book, THE ENCHANTED WORLD OF RANKIN/BASS: A PORTFOLIO, discussing the story of RUDOLPH complete with behind-the-scenes photos provided by myself - at no charge - to make sure this type of extra reached the DVD for the many fans of RANKIN/BASS and RUDOLPH THE RED-NOSED REINDEER. I also provided the front cover image for that DVD release (for little cost and a photo credit).
After I arrived in New York, we both learned that the newest DVDs no longer featured the RANKIN/BASS name on the front cover. It seemed odd but Mr. Rankin was told it was a mistake that would be corrected the following year. It seems that Alexander Drosin left the company and new
people moved in... none of which showed up to the MUSEUM OF TELEVISION
& RADIO tribute. I will never forget (the show's composer) Maury Laws'
reaction of disbelief to this mess. Some fans are telling me that scenes have been deleted from the 2005 DVDs and from the broadcast on CBS that year (in so-called "HIGH DEFINITION" which is a joke).
The PEPPERMINT MINE sequence has still never aired on
CBS; it hasn't been seen on the networks since 1964 and I am not even
sure if it is on the 2007 release of the DVD.
In late 2005, Billie Mae suffered a stroke and is in the
process of rehabilitation at age 85. Our prayers are with her. I am
hopeful we will be talking about RUDOLPH again in 2007 together!
There is a possibility that they may be used for replications
that could be sold at some point. They will also be traveling around
to various shows at the TIMEANDSPACETOYS.COM booth for all you RANKIN/BASS
fans to enjoy, such as WIZARD WORLD in Chicago. They made their debut
at a convention in PA in late-2005. These are the people responsible for the longest-running, highest-rated TV special of all-time! I did about 100 radio and TV interviews for the holidays and these people are the ones I talk about. The heart and the warmth that makes this show a part of
many families' lives, generation after generation, comes from this group
of people and no one can take that away from them! No one!
READ PART FOUR: Rudolph
the Red-Nosed Reindeer
|
Rudolph
the Red-Nosed Reindeer
Rudolph: Behind the Scenes More Rudolph Mysteries Solved Your Questions Answered Rudolph Rarities Rudolph and Santa Restored Rudolph Merchandise A catalog of classic TV Christmas specials on DVD!
Please consider a donation
so we can continue this work!
Amazon Prime - unlimited streaming PR4 & PR5 Pages for Advertising
|
|
 |
Get it here! SAVE MONEY |
||||||
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
||
|
||||||||||||||
Save money! |
It's
now been a few years since I wrote the first two parts of my TVparty
articles and I thought it was time for an update. In fact, the TVparty
features prompted the release of my book THE MAKING OF THE RANKIN/BASS
HOLIDAY CLASSIC: RUDOLPH THE RED-NOSED REINDEER (MISER BROS PRESS)
in 2001 and this article is an update to that book.
In
1998, Classic Media's then President Alexander Drosin asked Arthur Rankin,
Jr. to do an introduction for the DVD release of both RUDOLPH
and FROSTY THE SNOWMAN. Mr. Rankin graciously agreed to participate
in exchange for the RANKIN/BASS name to be carried on the DVD front
cover (which it was). 
In 2003, Arthur Rankin was graced with a night in his honor at the NEW
YORK MUSEUM OF TELEVISION & RADIO. Mr. Rankin graciously had me
fly out and participate in this great event in RANKIN/BASS history. 
In
2004, not only was the mistake on the DVD front cover not corrected
but a DESTINY'S CHILD DVD and CD were added to the RUDOLPH package and
the special even aired a second time on CBS - with the DESTINY'S CHILD
video over the ending!?!? 
The
soundtrack to the song 'WE'RE A COUPLE OF MISFITS' was placed over the
animated sequence for 'FAME & FORTUNE' and it didn't match up. The
musical section of 'WE ARE SANTA'S ELVES' was missing again as well.
Obviously, this restoration was done by people who didn't care and had
no knowledge of the classic special. It doesn't even sound like they
had a copy of my book. 
Billie
Mae Richards and I became great friends shortly after the 'MAKING
OF RUDOLPH' book was released. She loved the book and even tried
to get her neighbor Paul Soles (Hermey the elf) to come around to enjoying
his RUDOLPH fame. Billie Mae and I appeared on many radio shows
together in 2002-2004 and she could still do the voice. She was also
featured in the Chicago Tribune and TV Guide. 
Many
of the photos you see on this page are new and recently discovered shots
that did not make my book. A few even came from an old NBC TV executive
who sold his slides on Ebay. We also found an extremely rare 45 single
release of Burl Ives' 'Holly Jolly Christmas' from Decca Records. This
cover is even better than the LP cover.
Over
the years, the figures were put out at Christmastime around the family
tree and even played with by the children. They were also stored in
an attic where the other characters (like Sam the Snowman and Yukon
Cornelius) were melted together and discarded. At least Rudolph and
Santa survived and have been restored. I contacted some of the original
ANIMAGIC technicians to try to get parts made for these weathered guys
to get them back to 1964 shape. (
The
future of RUDOLPH THE RED-NOSED REINDEER is not exactly guided
by a red lit nose these days but I will make sure that people don't
forget about the creators ARTHUR RANKIN, JR. and JULES BASS and all
the GREAT people that made the special last like: ROMEO MULLER, MAURY
LAWS, JOHNNY MARKS, TONY PETERS, BILLIE MAE RICHARDS, PAUL SOLES, LARRY
D. MANN, BILL GILES, KYOKO KITA, BARNARD COWAN, ALFIE SCOPP, PAUL KLIGMAN,
HOROSHI TABATA, TAD MOCHINAGA, ICHIRO KOMURO, ROBERT MAY, JANIS ORENSTEIN,
CARL BANAS, PEG DIXON, CORRINE CONLEY, LARRY ROEMER and the many Japanese
animators at MOM Studios. 
HAVE
A HOLLY, 
