Rankin on Bass

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Welcome to Rankin on Bass, an offhanded joke that became a short-lived podcast where we discuss the stopmotion and animated works of Arthur Rankin Jr. and Jules Bass. Your hosts: Chris Stachiw of The Kulturecast podcast, Richard Hatem of DC's Titans, and Mike White of The Projection Booth podcast. Artwork by Abbie Stabby - https://www.instagram.com/abbiestabby Music by The Great Octopus - http://thegreatoctopus.bandcamp.com

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    • Dec 31, 2023 LATEST EPISODE
    • monthly NEW EPISODES
    • 52m AVG DURATION
    • 39 EPISODES


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    Latest episodes from Rankin on Bass

    Farewell from Rankin on Bass

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 31, 2023 55:33


    Live from the Island of Misfit Toys we record our last episode of Rankin on Bass where Mike, Chris, and Richard recount the bizarre trip they've been on for the last three years going from animagic to animated to live action fare that ranged from the sublime to the bizarre. Thank you to everyone who took this trip with us.This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/4645382/advertisement

    Episode 38: Pinocchio's Christmas and The New Adventures of Pinocchio

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 15, 2023 46:49


    We conclude our discussion of Rankin & Bass works properly with a double dose of animagic for the holidays - Pinocchio's Christmas in which the little wooden boy learns the magic of the season and some of R&B's earliest work, the New Adventures of Pinocchio.This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/4645382/advertisement

    Episode 36: The Stingiest Man in Town and The First Christmas

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 8, 2023 52:06


    Richard Hatem, Chris Stachiw, and Mike White are back in Christmas-town and looking at two more holiday specials from Rankin & Bass; The Stingiest Man in Town -- a re-telling of A Christmas Carol starring the voice of Walter Matthau -- and The First Christmas: The Story of the First Christmas Snow which features Angela Lansbury and a poor blind shepherd.This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/4645382/advertisement

    Episode 37: Santa, Baby! and The Comic Strip

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 25, 2023 63:23


    It's Santa, Baby an animated special from 2001 starring Gregory Hines as a frustrated songwriter and Patti Labelle as the patridge from the pear tree(!). We also discuss "Comic Strip" - a two hour block of cartoons featuring The Mini-Monsters, Street Frogs, Karate Kat and TigerSharks. This would be the last animated TV series produced by Rankin & Bass.You can watch Santa, Baby via Amazon: https://amzn.to/3R7I2MWThis show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/4645382/advertisement

    Episode 35: The Coneheads (1983)

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 27, 2023 56:50


    It's time to consume mass quantities of Coneheads with this 1983 pilot produced by Rankin & Bass for a Coneheads half-hour animated television show. Richard Hatem, Mike White, and Chris Stachiw discuss the strange choices made when trying to bring the Coneheads into America's living room on a weekly basis.This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/4645382/advertisement

    america bass rankin mike white coneheads richard hatem chris stachiw
    Episode 34: That Girl in Wonderland (1973)

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 21, 2023 48:50


    Marlo Thomas returns as "That Girl" in a very "not cannon" episode. Here she's in a Rankin & Bass cartoon where she seems to be having delusions about being inside several familiar fairy tales.This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/4645382/advertisement

    Episode 33: Willie Mays and The Say Hey Kid (1972)

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 19, 2023 47:18


    One of the more rare Rankin & Bass specials we've covered, Willie Mays and the Say-Hey Kid was the sixth episode of the first season of The ABC Saturday Superstar Movie. It's a bizarre story of Willie Mays being saddled with an orphaned child and her guardian angel, KC.This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/4645382/advertisement

    Episode 32: The Red Baron (1972)

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 28, 2023 42:31


    One of the episodes of The ABC Saturday Superstar Movie, The Red Baron (1972) is a canine interpretation of the story of Baron Manfred von Richthofen who, for whatever reason, was having a real resurgence in the late '60s/early '70s (lest we forget the General Mills Baron von Redberry cereal). We get off-target very easily and very quickly in this one. Forgive us, but this one was a real dog!This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/4645382/advertisement

    The Emperor's New Clothes (1972)

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 23, 2023 46:58


    The pilot for a proposed series called "The Enchanted World of Danny Kaye," The Emperor's New Clothes tells a version of Hans Christian Anderson's classic fable wherein a emperor gets swindled by a pair of slick scammers who appeal to his vanity, selling him a suit made of "invisible" thread. Mike, Richard, and Chris discuss this uneven fable and the amazing year Rankin/Bass had in 1972.This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/4645382/advertisement

    Episode 30: The Saga of Smokey the Bear

    Play Episode Listen Later May 26, 2023 50:47


    Mike, Chris, and Richard discuss both 1966's The Ballad of Smokey the Bear wherein we learn the traumatic origin story of the ursine fire-fighter as well as the 1969 cartoon series, The Smokey Bear Show, which was Saturday morning pablum for a much simpler age.This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/4645382/advertisement

    Episode 29: The Wind in the Willows

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 28, 2023 50:27


    We look at the idle rich via Kenneth Grahame's children's classic, The Wind in the WIllows and the 1987 Rankin/Bass animated adaptation. This is a proper bookend for Rankin/Bass's animated features as one of their earliest animates series, The Reluctant Dragon & Mr. Toad Show also brought Grahame's characters to life (albeit in 1970). Richard Hatem, Chris Stachiw, and Mike White discuss both incarnations of Mr. Toad on this final season of Rankin on Bass.This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/4645382/advertisement

    Episode 28: The Mad Mad Mad Comedians (1970)

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 31, 2023 59:48


    Pepsico presents The Mad, Mad, Mad Comedians, an animated special that played before the Academy Awards ceremony in 1970. The cast includes contemporary (Flip Wilson) and older (George Burns, Henny Youngman, Jack Benny, Groucho Marx, etc.) comedians as well as the voice talent of Paul Frees in an uneven TV event.Richard Hatem, Chris Stachiw, and Mike White discuss the state of stand-up comedy in the early '70s as well as what a series of Mad Mad Mad Comedians might have looked like.This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/4645382/advertisement

    Episode 27: The King and I (1999)

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 10, 2023 64:42


    One of the final Rankin/Bass animated features fuses the grandeur and romance of Rodgers and Hammerstein with some sub-par kiddie far including funny monkeys, elephants, and a horribly racist caricature of an Asian man voiced by Darrell Hammond. Possibly released to cash in on the Anna & The King film from the same year, The King and I suffers from an inconsistent tone.Richard Hatem, Chris Stachiw, and Mike White discuss the film and begin planning their exit strategy from the world of Rankin and Bass.This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/4645382/advertisement

    Episode 26: Return to Oz (1964)

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 10, 2023 63:32


    Though we don't remember going there the first time, Richard, Chris, and Mike return to Oz to discuss some of Rankin & Bass's earliest work, the 1961 series Tales of the Wizard of Oz and the 1964 follow-up, Return to Oz. Based on two of the later L. Frank Baum books, it's the story of Dorothy going back to Oz and finding that her old friends aren't what they used to be. Of course, we also discuss the 1985 Walter Murch freaky feature film as well.This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/4645382/advertisement

    Episode 25: Cricket on the Night Before Christmas

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 20, 2022 62:44


    'Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house, not a creature was stirring except for a mouse who has seen The Year Without a Santa Claus too many times. Richard, Mike, and Chris discuss 1974's Twas the Night Before Christmas and 1967's Cricket on the Hearth, a Rankin/Bass special inspired by Charles Dickens.

    Episode 24: The Wacky World of Mother Goose

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 24, 2022 46:59


    We're starting to scrape the bottom of the barrel here, folks, with Rankin & Bass's first feature film, the animated interpretation of Charles Perrault's many nursery rhymes wherein the titular Mother Goose skips town, leaving Old King Cole in charge. The hapless dupe is usurped by the Crooked Man who kidnaps all of the adults in Cole's kingdom, leaving little Jack and Mary to try and save the day. Listen to Richard Hatem, Chris Stachiw, and Mike White lose their minds.

    Episode 23: Marco (1973)

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 21, 2022 70:58


    Are you ready for the heart-stopping action of the totally true tale of Italian tradesman Marco Polo? Are you ready for Desi Arnaz Jr. riding on a kite? Or how about Zero Mostel as Kublai Khan? If you're not ready for all of that then you definitely can't handle the Rankin & Bass-produced epic MARCO from 1973.

    Episode 22: The Ivory Ape (1980)

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 29, 2022 48:21


    Something of a retread of The Last Dinosaur, the usual gang is back -- "Tom" Kotani directing, William Overgard writing, Benni Korzen producing, Maury Laws providing music, and all under the auspices of Rankin & Bass. It's also something of a King Kong story where the titular ape is taken from his home in Africa to Bermuda where he's feared by the local authorities who hire a big game hunter (Jack Palance) to stop the ape from killing innocent victims.

    Episode 21: The Bushido Blade (1981)

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 7, 2022 87:01


    We're discussing "Tom" Kotani's The Bushido Blade. Written by William Overgard, it's the fictionalized account of Admiral Perry (Richard Boone) and his crew making a treaty with Japan. The film fractures into essentially three storylines featuring Frank Converse, Timothy Patrick Murphy, and Mike Starr in his first film role. Interviews include a snippet of an earlier interview with Starr as well as a new interview with producer Benni Korzen who worked on the live action Rankin & Bass pictures going all the way back to The Enchanted World of Danny Kaye.

    Episode 20: The Last Dinosaur (1977)

    Play Episode Listen Later May 12, 2022 61:43


    Richard Boone IS The Last Dinosaur in Rankin & Bass's take on Edgar Rice Burroughs's The Land That Time Forgot in which an eclectic group of explorers find a pocket of primeval creatures. Co-directed by Alexander Grasshoff and Shusei Kotani, this is yet another of the Rankin/Bass Kaiju films.

    Episode 19: The Sins of Dorian Gray (1983)

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 17, 2022 48:20


    We continue to hop around in the filmography of Rankin & Bass as we look at the last live-action film they produced with the 1983 made-for-TV movie The Sins of Dorian Gray, a gender-swapped version of Oscar Wilde's tale wherein Dorian (Belinda Bauer) is a model/actress whose screen test weathers the storm of her myriad sins while Anthony Perkins plays a Mephistophelian character.

    Episode 18: The Bermuda Depths (1978)

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 4, 2022 42:35


    On this episode Richard Hatem, Chris Stachiw, and Mike White discuss the Rankin & Bass film The Bermuda Depths. It's a live action (and stop motion) film about a man, a mysterious woman, and a giant turtle.

    Episode 17: 'Twas the Night Before The Life & Adventures of Santa Claus

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 20, 2021 43:44


    We're scraping the bottom of the Rankin & Bass Christmas barrel with a look at the 1974 animated special 'Twas the Night Before Christmas and 1985 animagic story The Life & Adventures of Santa Claus which re-tells the Santa story by way of L. Frank Baum. Did you know that Santa suckled at the teat of a lioness?

    Episode 16: Mouse on the Mayflower

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 25, 2021 41:11


    Did you know that there are Native American mice? We learned this and other fun facts about the pilgrims coming over on the Mayflower in this Rankin & Bass animated Thanksgiving special.

    Episode 15: The Monsters Come Out

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 25, 2021 56:05


    We really wanted to like Mad Monster Party? and Mad, Mad, Mad Monsters but just couldn't We discuss the lame voices of both spooky specials which celebrate Friday the 13th far more than Halloween.

    Episode 14: The Flight of Dragons

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 7, 2021 45:46


    Based on the first book of Gordon R. Dickson's series, The Flight of Dragons, stars Harry Morgan as a disgruntled wizard whose way of life is threatened. He travels through time to retrieve John Ritter to help defeat James Earl Jones.

    flight dragons dickson james earl jones john ritter harry morgan flight of dragons chris stachiw gordon r dickson
    Episode 13: The Daydreamer

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 16, 2021 38:32


    Rankin & Bass combine live action and animagic in the secret bio-pic of Hans Christian Andersen, The Daydreamer (1966) in which Paul O'Keefe plays the titular role along with a cavalcade of voice talent.

    Episode 12: Willy McBean & His Magic Machine

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 18, 2021 58:30


    We're going back to the first Rankin & Bass animagic feature, Willy McBean & His Magic Machine in which Willy is joined by talking monkey Pablo to defeat the evil Professor Von Rotten by traveling time and making sure history is not rewritten.

    Episode 11: An Unexpected Journey to Middle Earth

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 1, 2021 66:00


    In 1977 Rankin & Bass did one of the first successful adaptation of JRR Tolkien's work with their adaptation of The Hobbit. In 1979 they tried again with The Return of the King. Between those two, Ralph Bakshi's Lord of the Rings complicated matters. We discuss these animated specials in a post Peter Jackson LOTR world.

    Episode 10: The Last Unicorn (1982)

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 8, 2021 51:26


    Directed by Arthur Rankin Jr. and Jules Bass, The Last Unicorn was adapted for the screen by Peter S. Beagle and based on his book. It's an offbeat look at legacy, legend, and immortality. It's the story of a unicorn (Mia Farrow) who thinks she may be the last of her kind and her quest to find the truth.

    directed peters beagle mia farrow last unicorn peter s beagle jules bass arthur rankin jr chris stachiw
    Episode 9: The Easter Chronicles

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 2, 2021 58:56


    Ah, spring is here! Nothing better than to celebrate the martyrdom of Jesus by discussing the origins of the Easter Bunny! Chris, Richard, and Mike delve into Rankin/Bass's three Easter specials: Here Comes Peter Cottontail, The First Easter Rabbit, and The Easter Bunny Is Comin' to Town. They're essentially Santa Claus stories but with a rabbit playing the Santa part. We learn about the importance of bonnets, the Scarlet Fever epidemic, and why we roll Easter eggs across these three celebrity-voiced specials.

    Episode 8: King Kong Escapes (1967)

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 30, 2021 44:59


    Chris Stachiw and Mike White (Richard Hatem was on assignment to the North Pole) talk about the Rankin/Bass-produced King Kong Escapes which is part sequel to the Japanese animated TV-series, part re-telling of the Kong story, and part sequel to the Toho King Kong vs. Godzilla movie from 1962.

    Episode 7: The Leprechauns' Christmas Gold

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 16, 2021 34:59


    Welcome to the second season of Rankin on Bass where we're looking at other holiday-themed specials. The Leprechaun's Christmas gold wasn't a St. Patrick's Day special but it is as much that as a Christmas special where Blarney Kilakilarney (Art Carney) relates a story within a story within a story about the Leprechauns' eternal struggle against an evil banshee who wants their gold.

    Episode 6: Rudolph and Frosty's Christmas in July

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 31, 2020 50:09


    We wrap up the first season of Rankin on Bass with a look at the meeting of two titans: Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer meets Frosty the Snowman in a Christmas special set in July where we learn about the origins of the North Pole and tie together several of the other Rankin & Bass shows.

    Episode 5: The Miser Brothers Return

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 24, 2020 41:48


    We talked about this back on our second episode... It's a discussion of the live action Year Without a Santa Claus and A Miser Brothers Christmas. Ever want to see Harvey Fierstein as the Heat Miser and Michael McKean as Snow Miser? Here's your chance.

    Episode 4: Frosty the Snowman & Jack Frost

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 17, 2020 51:50


    Happy Birthday! We’re talking about the animated adventures of Frosty the Snowman and Jack Frost as we look at Frosty the Snowman, Frosty’s Winter Wonderland, and the Animagic stoy of Jack Frost. Somehow this episode gets into Cossacks, ventriloquism, and Groundhog Day.

    Episode 3: Little Drummer Boy and Nestor the Long-Eared X-Mas Donkey

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 10, 2020 50:03


    We head to the Middle East to look at the The Little Drummer boy story -- along with its sequel -- and Nestor, the Long-Eared Christmas Donkey. It's something of a re-telling of the Nativity Story via side-characters.

    Episode 2: Santa Claus is Coming to Town & The Year Without a Santa Claus

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 3, 2020 44:06


    What's the story behind the Ho Ho Ho? We talk about how Santa came to be in Rankin & Bass's Santa Claus Is Coming to Town and the time when Santa got sick and lost hope in The Year Without a Santa Claus.

    Episode 1: Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer & Rudolph's Shiny New Year

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 26, 2020 60:46


    We kick off the series with a look at Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, talking a bit about the history of character before he appeared on Rankin & Bass's beloved holiday special. We also discuss the sequel wherein Rudolph has to save Baby New Year from the clutches of an evil bird.

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