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Arthur Rankin Jr.
Born
Arthur Gardner Rankin Jr.

(1924-07-19)July 19, 1924
New York City, U.S.
Died January 30, 2014(2014-01-30) (aged 89)
Harrington Sound, Bermuda
Occupation Director, producer, writer
Spouse(s)
Elizabeth Shuldiner
​
(m. 1947)​

Olga Karlatos
​
(m. 1983)​
Children 2
Parent(s) Arthur Rankin
Marian Mansfield
Relatives Harry Davenport (grandfather)
Phyllis Rankin (grandmother)
Sidney Rankin Drew
(first cousin once removed)
Signature
ArthurRankinJr.png

Arthur Gardner Rankin Jr. (born July 19, 1924 – died January 30, 2014) was an American director, producer, and writer. He was best known for his work in animation. Arthur Rankin Jr. co-created Rankin/Bass Productions with his friend Jules Bass. Together, they brought many beloved stop-motion and cartoon specials to life.

Some of their most famous creations include Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Frosty the Snowman, and Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town. They also made the 1977 cartoon special of The Hobbit. Arthur Rankin Jr. worked on over 1,000 television shows and films.

Early Life and Family

Arthur Rankin Jr. was born in New York City. His parents, Arthur Rankin and Marian Mansfield, were both actors. His grandmother, Phyllis Rankin, was also an actress. His step-grandfather, Harry Davenport, was a famous actor too. Harry Davenport played Dr. Meade in the classic movie Gone with the Wind.

Creating Animated Worlds

Arthur Rankin Jr. started his career in the 1940s at the American Broadcasting Company. In 1955, he and Jules Bass started a company called Videocraft International. They first made TV commercials. In 1960, they changed their company's name to Rankin/Bass Productions and began making animated shows.

Rankin and Bass worked closely for many years. They directed and produced many animated features. These included both stop-motion and traditional cartoons. Rankin called their special stop-motion style "Animagic."

The Magic of Animagic

Arthur Rankin Jr. often wrote the stories and drew the first ideas for characters. Japanese artists then turned these drawings into wooden puppets. These puppets were used for the stop-motion animation. A music director for Rankin/Bass, Maury Laws, said that Rankin was inspired by the movie King Kong. He wanted every detail to be perfect in their animated shorts.

Some of their most famous works were holiday TV specials. These include Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and Santa Claus is Comin' to Town. Other popular ones are The Year Without a Santa Claus, Frosty the Snowman, and Jack Frost. Many of these holiday specials are still loved by families today.

Beyond Holiday Specials

Rankin also helped create stories for other Rankin/Bass productions. These included feature films like The Daydreamer and Mad Monster Party?.

In 1977, Rankin and Bass made an animated version of J. R. R. Tolkien's book The Hobbit. They won a special award called the Peabody Award for this film. The duo also worked on popular animated TV series. These include ThunderCats and SilverHawks. Their last project together was a TV special based on The Wind in the Willows in 1987. Arthur Rankin Jr.'s last producing credit was for the 1999 animated movie The King and I.

Later Life and Passing

Arthur Rankin Jr. met his second wife, Olga Karlatos, when he cast her in a TV show in 1983. They had two sons, Arthur Gardner Rankin III and Todd Rankin.

They made their home in Bermuda. There, Rankin continued to work on stage shows. He also taught classes about film and entertainment at Bermuda College.

Arthur Rankin Jr. passed away on January 30, 2014, at the age of 89. He died after a short illness at his home in Harrington Sound, Bermuda. He was remembered as an "animation legend." During his career, he worked with many famous actors. These included Fred Astaire, Burl Ives, James Earl Jones, and Christopher Lee. He was buried in Sunnyside, Bermuda's Holy Trinity Church Cemetery.

Selected Works

Arthur Rankin Jr. was involved in over 1,000 TV shows and films. Here are some of his notable works:

Animated Feature Films

Live-Action Films

  • King Kong Escapes (1968)
  • Marco (1973)
  • The Last Dinosaur (1977)
  • The Bermuda Depths (1977) (TV movie)

Animated TV Specials

Animated Series

See Also

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