Rudolph and Frosty's Christmas in July

Rudolph and Frosty's Christmas in July (titled on-screen as Rudolph and Frosty: Christmas in July, or simply Rudolph and Frosty) is an American-Japanese Christmas/Independence Day television special produced by Rankin/Bass Productions, featuring characters from the company's holiday specials Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1964) and Frosty the Snowman (1969), among others.[1] It was filmed in Japan using the company's trademark "Animagic" stop-motion animation style. The film premiered in the US on November 25, 1979 on ABC.[2]

Rudolph and Frosty's Christmas in July
DVD cover depicting Rudolph, Winterbolt, Frosty and Crystal
Screenplay byRomeo Muller
Directed byArthur Rankin Jr.
Jules Bass
Voices ofRed Buttons
Ethel Merman
Mickey Rooney
Alan Sues
Jackie Vernon
Shelley Winters
Paul Frees
Billie Mae Richards
Hal Peary
Shelby Flint
Don Messick
ComposersJohnny Marks
Maury Laws
(arranger and conductor)
Country of originUnited States
Japan
Original languageEnglish
Production
ProducersArthur Rankin, Jr.
Jules Bass
Masaki Iizuka
(associate producer)
CinematographyAkikazu Kono
("Animagic" supervisor)
Running time98 minutes
Production companyRankin/Bass Productions
DistributorTelepictures Corporation (United States)
AVCO Embassy Pictures (International)
Release
Original networkABC
Original releaseNovember 25, 1979
Chronology
Preceded by
Followed by

This was the last Rankin/Bass special to star Canadian actress Billie Mae Richards as Rudolph and American actor Jackie Vernon as Frosty. Mickey Rooney reprised his role as Santa Claus from Santa Claus is Comin' To Town (1970) and The Year Without A Santa Claus (1974).[3] Additional voices were provided by Red Buttons, Ethel Merman, Alan Sues, Paul Frees, and Thurl Ravenscroft. Shelley Winters reprised her role as Frosty's wife Crystal from Frosty's Winter Wonderland, and Hal Peary reprised his role as Big Ben the Clockwork Whale from Rudolph's Shiny New Year.

This was the final Rankin/Bass special to use Rudolph and Frosty. All other specials/movies starring the characters were produced by another company.

Plot

Winterbolt, a powerful, evil snow wizard has caused havoc upon the people who have entered his domain until Lady Boreal, the Queen of the Northern Lights, puts him in a deep sleep. Years later, Winterbolt awakens and in her final act of magic, Boreal transfers the last of her power into Rudolph's red nose when he is born, which will stop glowing if it is ever used for evil. Winterbolt learns of this through his Genie of the Ice Scepter and plans not only to dispose of Rudolph, the only power capable of stopping him, but also to reclaim his territory from Santa Claus. Meanwhile, an ice cream man named Milton from Lily Loraine's Circus by the Sea arrives and tells Rudolph and Frosty the Snowman that he plans to marry his girlfriend and Lily's daughter, Lainie, if they star in the circus.

Winterbolt offers Frosty and his family magic amulets to keep them from melting and enable them to perform in Lily's circus in which Rudolph is to star, but they will only be protected until the final firework fades on the Fourth. Santa agrees to pick them before the magic wears off, but Winterbolt has his ice dragons create a blizzard to prevent Santa from arriving on time. He then goes to the Cave of Lost Rejections and recruits an unintelligent, nasty reindeer named Scratcher, who is jealous because he wanted to be one of Santa's reindeer but got fired when Santa hired Rudolph. Winterbolt recruits him to try to get Rudolph to turn, or at least appear, evil in the eyes of his friends. With the blizzard keeping Santa from getting to the circus, Frosty's family are worried. When Scratcher arrives, he forms an alliance with Sam Spangles during the parade.

Scratcher, taking advantage of Rudolph's kindness, tricks him into stealing money from the circus and giving it to Sam. Rudolph agrees to appear guilty after making a deal with Winterbolt to extend the amulets’ power for an infinite time in exchange. Frosty's family and friends and Lily are upset when Rudolph tells them he stole the money and his nose stops glowing, although Frosty doubts Rudolph would lie to them.

As Rudolph walks along the seashore, Big Ben the Clockwork Whale arrives and Rudolph tells him his problems. Frosty discovers the conspiracy of Sam Spangles and Scratcher, and he wants to restore Rudolph's glowing nose. Winterbolt takes advantage of Frosty as well by lying and agreeing to help Rudolph in exchange for Frosty's hat, with the intention of using its magic powers to create an army of snowmen. Rudolph manages to steal back the hat and his nose regains its glow.

Rudolph returns to the circus with a policeman who tells everyone he is innocent and returns Frosty's hat, who is brought back to life, and everyone apologizes to Rudolph. Winterbolt arrives and tries to attack everyone, but Lily throws her guns at his scepter, breaking it and causing him to turn into a tree. Once Winterbolt is defeated, Scratcher disappears, Sam is arrested, and all the spells that Winterbolt cast wear off, but Frosty and his family melt. However, Jack Frost arrives from South America on Big Ben and brings Frosty and his family back to life with his cold breath. Santa and Mrs. Claus bring them back to the North Pole, but Rudolph stays behind and Lily lets him lead the flying circus parade to thank him for getting the circus out of debt.

Cast

Songs
  • "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" – Chorus
  • "Everything I've Always Wanted" – Crystal
  • "Everything I've Always Wanted (reprise)" – Milton
  • "Everyday Is Just Like Christmas" – Lily
  • "Chicken Today And Feathers Tomorrow" – Lily
  • "I See Rainbows" – Santa, Chorus
  • "Don't Let The Parade Pass You By" – Lily
  • "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day" – Chorus
  • "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" – Lanie, Chorus
  • "Everything I've Always Wanted (second reprise)" – Frosty
  • "No Bed of Roses" – Rudolph
  • "Frosty the Snowman" – Chorus
  • "Now And Then" – Frosty
  • "We're a Couple of Misfits" – Frosty and Rudolph
  • "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (reprise)" – Lily, Chorus

References
  1. Lenburg, Jeff (1999). The Encyclopedia of Animated Cartoons. Checkmark Books. p. 319. ISBN 0-8160-3831-7. Retrieved 6 June 2020.
  2. Woolery, George W. (1989). Animated TV Specials: The Complete Directory to the First Twenty-Five Years, 1962-1987. Scarecrow Press. pp. 352–353. ISBN 0-8108-2198-2. Retrieved 27 March 2020.
  3. Crump, William D. (2019). Happy Holidays—Animated! A Worldwide Encyclopedia of Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and New Year's Cartoons on Television and Film. McFarland & Co. pp. 258–259. ISBN 9781476672939.
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