Frosty the Snowman



Frosty the Snowman is Rankin/Bass's fourth animated Christmas television special, originally aired on CBS on December 7, 1969. This special, written by Romeo Muller and produced and directed by Arthur Rankin, Jr. and Jules Bass, is based on the holiday song of the same name, first performed by Gene Autry in the 1950s and originally written by Jack Rollins and Steve Nelson.

Synopsis
In a schoolhouse on Christmas Eve, year 1953, the teacher hires inept magician Professor Hinkle to entertain her class for their Christmas party. After fumbling a trick, he throws his hat away in disgust. It then bounces off the trash can and releases his rabbit, Hocus Pocus. Class is dismissed and the children go out to play in the snow where they build a snowman. After suggesting several names, a girl named Karen names him Frosty. Hocus hops out of the school with the hat, which is then caught in a gust of wind until Karen grabs it and puts it on Frosty's head, bringing him to life. When Hinkle sees this, he takes the hat back after another wind blows it off Frosty's head. When Karen and the other kids demand it back, Hinkle refuses, saying when they grow up, they'll learn that snowmen can't come to life and leaves until Hocus brings the hat back to the children, who bring Frosty back to life. While celebrating with the children, he feels the temperature rising and fears he will melt. The children then suggest putting him on a train to the North Pole and parade through town on the way to the train station. This shocks several townspeople, including a police officer who accidentally swallows his whistle. Because they have no money for tickets, Hocus, Frosty, and Karen board a northbound train's refrigerator car while Hinkle schemes to steal the hat back.

As the train continues northward, Frosty notices Karen getting colder. When the freight train stops to let a passenger train pass, they disembark in search of somewhere to warm Karen, with Hinkle following in pursuit. By nightfall, Frosty, Karen, and Hocus struggle through the woods. Hocus convinces the forest animals to build a campfire for Karen. Fearing that she still cannot survive for long in the cold weather, Frosty asks Hocus who else might be able to help them. Hocus suggests the United States Marines and President of the United States before they agree upon looking for Santa Claus. Hocus then goes off in search of him, and soon after, Hinkle catches up to Frosty and Karen, extinguishes the fire, and forcefully tries to steal Frosty's hat. Karen flees, riding on Frosty's back as he belly-whops down the hill. At the bottom of the slope, they discover a greenhouse filled with poinsettias. Despite Karen's objections, Frosty steps inside with her, only for Hinkle to lock the door and trap them inside.

Meanwhile, Hocus leads Santa to the greenhouse, only to find Karen crying over a melted Frosty. Santa explains that Frosty is made of Christmas snow and will return every winter. He then opens the greenhouse door and lets in a winter wind, reviving Frosty. Just as they are about to put his hat back on, Hinkle arrives and demands its return. Santa intervenes, threatening to never bring him any gifts if he steals the hat. After Hinkle runs home to write his apologies, hoping to get a new hat for Christmas, Santa brings Frosty back to life with the hat, drops Karen off at her house, and takes Frosty to the North Pole, promising Karen that he will return every year with the magical Christmas snow.

As the end credits roll, Frosty leads a parade with the children, Hocus, Jimmy Durante (The narrator), and the rest of the town, including Professor Hinkle, wearing his new hat. At the end of the parade, Frosty boards Santa's sleigh and they fly off to the North Pole with Frosty altering the song's last lyric, saying, "I'll be back on Christmas Day!"

Songs

 * Frosty the Snowman

Television rights
NBC has broadcast this special in the USA since its debut, even after the pre-1974 Rankin-Bass library was sold first to Broadway Media, then to Golden Books and currently with Classic Media, a successor of the British-owned Entertainment Rights company, which was purchased by Classic Media's own successor, Boomerang Media. In Canada, CBC holds broadcasting rights.