Biography
Arthur Rankin, Jr. (July 19, 1924 - January 30, 2014) was an American-born, Bermudian director, producer and writer, mostly working in animation. The son of actor Arthur Rankin, in the early 1960s he founded the film production company Videocraft International (now called Rankin/Bass) with Jules Bass. The two worked closely together for many years, co-directing and producing a wide array of stop motion animated features and cartoons, perhaps most famously the holiday-themed TV specials, such as Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Santa Claus is Comin' to Town, Rudolph's Shiny New Year, The Year Without a Santa Claus, Frosty the Snowman, Twas the Night Before Christmas (1974 TV special), and Jack Frost. He is also credited with devising the story for many Rankin/Bass productions, including the featurefilms The Daydreamer and Mad Monster Party?. In 1977 Rankin and Bass produced a version of J. R. R. Tolkien's The Hobbit. The pair also teamed on a wide variety of animated TV series, including ThunderCats and Silverhawks. The pair last teamed on the 1987 TV special based on The Wind in the Willows. Rankin's last producing credit was on the 1999 animated version of The King and I, in which Bass was not involved, since Arthur was a supervising animator in The Fox and the Hound and The Black Cauldron. Rankin's grandfather was Harry Davenport, perhaps best known as Dr. Meade in Gone with the Wind (1939). Description above from the Wikipedia article Arthur Rankin, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
Directed 44
2020s
- 2024
The Rudolph, Frosty & Friends Sing Along
Director
1980s
- 1986
SilverHawks: The Origin Story
Director
- 1985
The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus
Director
- 1983
The Wind in the Willows
Director
The Coneheads
Director
- 1982
The Flight of Dragons
Director
- 1981
The Leprechauns' Christmas Gold
Director
- 1980
Pinocchio's Christmas
Director
1970s
- 1979
Rudolph and Frosty's Christmas in July
Director
- 1978
The Stingiest Man in Town
Director
- 1977
Nestor, the Long-Eared Christmas Donkey
Director
The Easter Bunny Is Comin' to Town
Director
- 1976
The Little Drummer Boy: Book II
Director
Rudolph's Shiny New Year
Director
Frosty's Winter Wonderland
Director
The First Easter Rabbit
Director
- 1975
The First Christmas: The Story of the First Christmas Snow
Director
- 1974
'Twas the Night Before Christmas
Director
- 1973
Festival of Family Classics: Alice in Wonderland
Director
That Girl in Wonderland
Director
- 1972
A Christmas Tree
Director
The Red Baron
Director
Jack O'Lantern
Director
Willie Mays and the Say-Hey Kid
Director
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea
Director
The Mad, Mad, Mad Monsters
Director
Festival of Family Classics
Director
The Osmonds
Director
The Emperor's New Clothes
Director
- 1971
The Jackson 5ive
Director
- 1970
The Mad, Mad, Mad Comedians
Director
1960s
- 1969
The Smokey Bear Show
Director
- 1968
The Mouse on the Mayflower
Director
- 1967
Cricket on the Hearth
Director
- 1965
Willy McBean & His Magic Machine
Director
Produced 57
2010s
- 2011
Snarf: Butterfly Blues
Consulting Producer
2000s
- 2001
Santa, Baby!
Executive Producer
1990s
- 1999
1980s
- 1987
TigerSharks
Executive Producer
- 1986
- 1985
The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus
Producer
- 1983
The Wind in the Willows
Producer
The Coneheads
Producer
The Sins of Dorian Gray
Executive Producer
- 1982
The Flight of Dragons
Producer
- 1981
The Leprechauns' Christmas Gold
Producer
The Bushido Blade
Producer
- 1980
Pinocchio's Christmas
Producer
The Ivory Ape
Producer, Executive Producer
1970s
- 1979
Rudolph and Frosty's Christmas in July
Producer
- 1978
The Stingiest Man in Town
Producer
The Bermuda Depths
Producer
- 1977
Nestor, the Long-Eared Christmas Donkey
Producer
The Easter Bunny Is Comin' to Town
Producer
- 1976
The Little Drummer Boy: Book II
Producer
Rudolph's Shiny New Year
Producer
Frosty's Winter Wonderland
Producer
The First Easter Rabbit
Producer
- 1975
The First Christmas: The Story of the First Christmas Snow
Producer
- 1974
'Twas the Night Before Christmas
Producer
- 1973
Marco
Producer
- 1972
The Red Baron
Producer
Jack O'Lantern
Producer
Willie Mays and the Say-Hey Kid
Producer
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea
Producer
The Mad, Mad, Mad Monsters
Producer
Festival of Family Classics
Producer
The Osmonds
Producer
The Emperor's New Clothes
Producer
- 1971
The Jackson 5ive
Producer
- 1970
1960s
- 1969
The Smokey Bear Show
Producer
- 1968
The Mouse on the Mayflower
Producer
- 1967
The Wacky World of Mother Goose
Producer
King Kong Escapes
Executive Producer
Mad Monster Party?
Producer
- 1966
Ballad of Smokey the Bear
Producer
The King Kong Show
Executive Producer
- 1965
Willy McBean & His Magic Machine
Producer
- 1964
Return to Oz
Producer
Wrote 8
1990s
- 1999
1980s
- 1980
The Ivory Ape
Writer
1970s
- 1978
The Bermuda Depths
Story
1960s
- 1967
Cricket on the Hearth
Writer
The Wacky World of Mother Goose
Story
Mad Monster Party?
Story
- 1966
- 1965
Willy McBean & His Magic Machine
Writer
Art department 4
1970s
- 1979
Rudolph and Frosty's Christmas in July
Production Design
- 1977
Created 3
1970s
- 1972
Festival of Family Classics
Creator
- 1971
The Jackson 5ive
Creator
1960s
- 1969
The Smokey Bear Show
Creator
Acted in 2
1930s
- 1939
The Cisco Kid and the Lady
Second Telegraph Operator
1920s
- 1928
Finders Keepers
Percy
Other crew 1
1960s
- 1967
King Kong Escapes
Technical Advisor