tv star collector
12-01-2005, 07:44 PM
As long as there is a thread devoted to RUDOLPH THE RED-NOSED REINDEER, I
thought I'd start one for FROSTY THE SNOWMAN. Frosty was created in
response to Rudolph's popularity. Song writers Jack Nelson and Steve Rollins
saw Gene Autry's success with his recording of "Rudolph" in 1949. In 1951,
Gene recorded "Frosty," which also made the top of the charts.
Frosty wasn't as big a hit as Rudolph, but it was big enough to become a cross-media phenomenon and an enduring classic.
Frosty appeared in a Little Golden Book and in a Dell comic book every winter,
from 1951 to 1962.
The next big break came on Dec. 7, 1969, when CBS aired "FROSTY THE SNOWMAN," produced by Rankin/Bass (the producers of "RUDOLPH THE RED-
NOSED REINDEER"). Frosty's voice was done by comedian Jackie Vernon. It
was narrated by Jimmy Durante, whose rendition of Frosty's song has become
as familiar as Autry's. (Jimmy had first recorded the song in 1950, a year
before Autry.)
Rankin/Bass followed it with "FROSTY'S WINTER WONDERLAND" on Dec. 2,
1976, in which Vernon reprised his role as Frosty and Shelley Winters was
cast as his girlfriend, Crystal. It was narrated by Andy Griffith.
Finally, the studio produced a feature-length TV-movie, RUDOLPH AND
FROSTY'S CHRISTMAS IN JULY (the only time Frosty appeared in stop-
motion animation).
In 1992, Bill Melendez (of PEANUTS fame) produced "FROSTY RETURNS,"
starring John Goodman as Frosty and narrated by Jonathan Winters.
(Sources: Don Markstein's Toonopedia website; THE ENCHANTED WORLD
OF RANKIN/BASS, by Rick Goldschmidt; and the GOLDMINE STANDARD
CATALOG OF AMERICAN RECORDS, by Tim Neely)
thought I'd start one for FROSTY THE SNOWMAN. Frosty was created in
response to Rudolph's popularity. Song writers Jack Nelson and Steve Rollins
saw Gene Autry's success with his recording of "Rudolph" in 1949. In 1951,
Gene recorded "Frosty," which also made the top of the charts.
Frosty wasn't as big a hit as Rudolph, but it was big enough to become a cross-media phenomenon and an enduring classic.
Frosty appeared in a Little Golden Book and in a Dell comic book every winter,
from 1951 to 1962.
The next big break came on Dec. 7, 1969, when CBS aired "FROSTY THE SNOWMAN," produced by Rankin/Bass (the producers of "RUDOLPH THE RED-
NOSED REINDEER"). Frosty's voice was done by comedian Jackie Vernon. It
was narrated by Jimmy Durante, whose rendition of Frosty's song has become
as familiar as Autry's. (Jimmy had first recorded the song in 1950, a year
before Autry.)
Rankin/Bass followed it with "FROSTY'S WINTER WONDERLAND" on Dec. 2,
1976, in which Vernon reprised his role as Frosty and Shelley Winters was
cast as his girlfriend, Crystal. It was narrated by Andy Griffith.
Finally, the studio produced a feature-length TV-movie, RUDOLPH AND
FROSTY'S CHRISTMAS IN JULY (the only time Frosty appeared in stop-
motion animation).
In 1992, Bill Melendez (of PEANUTS fame) produced "FROSTY RETURNS,"
starring John Goodman as Frosty and narrated by Jonathan Winters.
(Sources: Don Markstein's Toonopedia website; THE ENCHANTED WORLD
OF RANKIN/BASS, by Rick Goldschmidt; and the GOLDMINE STANDARD
CATALOG OF AMERICAN RECORDS, by Tim Neely)