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Arthur Rankin Jr.

Highest Rated: 100% The Stingiest Man in Town (1978)

Lowest Rated: 13% The King and I (1999)

Birthday: Jul 19, 1924

Birthplace: New York, New York, USA

One half of the celebrated animation production company Rankin/Bass, Arthur Rankin, Jr. produced and directed some of the longest-running, universally adored holiday animated specials, including "Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer" (NBC, 1964) and "Frosty the Snowman" (CBS, 1969), as well as "The Hobbit" (NBC, 1977) and weekly series like "ThunderCats" (syndicated, 1985-89). Rankin/Bass's stop-motion "Animagic" process imbued their efforts with a level of wonder and technical finesse that was underscored by the charm and genuine warmth of their stories, which often surpassed the fabricated emotions of bigger-budgeted studio and network efforts. Rankin/Bass produced an enormous array of animated projects between 1964 and 1987, as well as several live-action features and TV films, though none of these were held in the same regard as their holiday specials, which became an essential part of the season itself through yearly screenings, generation after generation. Arthur Rankin, Jr.'s best work with Jules Bass was not unlike the holiday itself: magical, moving and altogether memorable.

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Highest rated movies

100% 59% The Stingiest Man in Town
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95% 84% Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
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93% 82% Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town
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90% 83% The Year Without a Santa Claus
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75% 86% The Last Unicorn Watchlist
75% 69% The Little Drummer Boy
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73% 73% Frosty the Snowman
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71% 65% The Hobbit
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71% 65% 'Twas the Night Before Christmas
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67% 39% The Return of the King
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Filmography

Movies

Credit
13% 41% The King and I Producer $12.0M 1999
No Score Yet No Score Yet Mumm-Ra Lives Executive Producer - 1987
No Score Yet 70% Wind in the Willows Director,
Producer
- 1987
63% 63% The Life & Adventures of Santa Claus Director,
Producer
- 1985
No Score Yet 92% The Flight of Dragons Director - 1982
75% 86% The Last Unicorn Director,
Producer
- 1982
No Score Yet 33% The Bushido Blade Producer - 1981
No Score Yet 50% The Leprechauns' Christmas Gold Director,
Producer
- 1981
20% 35% Pinocchio's Christmas Director,
Producer
- 1980
67% 39% The Return of the King Director - 1980
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Ivory Ape Producer - 1980
14% 40% Rudolph and Frosty's Christmas in July Director - 1979
57% 62% Jack Frost Director,
Producer
- 1979
100% 59% The Stingiest Man in Town Director,
Producer
- 1978
No Score Yet 42% The Bermuda Depths Producer - 1978
71% 65% The Hobbit Director,
Producer,
Production Design
- 1977
No Score Yet 45% The Last Dinosaur Producer - 1977
56% 59% Nestor, the Long-Eared Christmas Donkey Director - 1977
50% 52% Rudolph's Shiny New Year Director,
Producer
- 1976
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Little Drummer Boy: Book II Director - 1976
No Score Yet 49% Frosty's Winter Wonderland Director,
Producer
- 1976
No Score Yet 43% The First Easter Rabbit Director,
Producer
- 1976
No Score Yet 73% The First Christmas: The First Christmas Snow Director,
Producer
- 1975
90% 83% The Year Without a Santa Claus Director - 1974
71% 65% 'Twas the Night Before Christmas Director,
Producer
- 1974
No Score Yet No Score Yet Marco Producer - 1973
No Score Yet 71% Here Comes Peter Cottontail Director,
Producer
- 1971
93% 82% Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town Director,
Producer
- 1970
73% 73% Frosty the Snowman Director - 1969
75% 69% The Little Drummer Boy Director - 1968
63% 42% King Kong Escapes Producer - 1968
67% 68% Mad Monster Party? Writer,
Producer
- 1967
No Score Yet 29% Cricket on the Hearth Director,
Screenwriter,
Producer
- 1967
No Score Yet 40% The Daydreamer Screenwriter,
Producer
- 1966
No Score Yet 60% Willy McBean and His Magic Machine Director,
Screenwriter,
Producer
- 1965
95% 84% Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer Producer - 1964
No Score Yet No Score Yet Return to Oz Producer - 1964

TV

Credit
No Score Yet No Score Yet The New Saturday Superstar Movie Director 1972