Frosty the Snowman is a 1969 animated Christmas special produced by Rankin/Bass Productions, and the first television special featuring the character Frosty the Snowman, and is based on the Steve Nelson and Jack Rollins song of the same name. It is the company’s second most prominent special to be aired on broadcast channels, behind Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.
Plot[]
On Christmas Eve in a schoolhouse, a group of children, led by a girl named Karen, are waiting for the end of the school day. The teacher introduces the magician Professor Hinkle, who unsuccessfully performs his tricks during a Christmas party. Disgraced and ridiculed by the children, Hinkle throws his top hat away. After class, the children go outside to enjoy the newly-fallen snow. They build a snowman and, after several suggestions of what to name him (including “Christopher Columbus” and “Oatmeal”), Karen decides on “Frosty.” They then acquire Hinkle’s now-discarded top hat, and when Karen places it on top of Frosty’s head, a magical transformation takes place as he comes to life and says “Happy Birthday!” Hinkle, realizing the hat is actually magic, takes it back, seeing this as a chance to become wealthy. He ignores the children’s protests that he threw the hat away and then departs, pretending that he did not see Frosty come to life. However, his pet rabbit, Hocus Pocus who is not like his owner, soon switches the hat with a Christmas wreath and happily brings it back to the children. They use the hat to revive Frosty again, and the snowman is immediately delighted by his newfound life.
However, the temperature begins to rise, and Frosty fears he will melt unless he can get to the North Pole. The children suggest putting him on a train to get there, and they all parade into the way to the train station, shocking several townspeople, including the Traffic Cop mentioned in the song’s lyrics. When Karen explains that Frosty just came to life and is just coming to terms with his surroundings, the cop lets Frosty go. Because they have no money for tickets, Frosty stows away aboard a refrigerated boxcar filled with ice cream and Christmas cakes. As the train is about to depart, Karen and Hocus decide to join Frosty for the ride to keep him company. With that, they wave goodbye to the other children as the train departs, unaware that Hinkle has also hitched a ride on it, intending to reclaim his hat.
As the train continues northward, Frosty notices that Karen is freezing and starting to catch a cold. Realizing that she cannot withstand the extremely cold temperatures, when the train stops to let a passenger train pass, the group disembarks in search of somewhere to warm Karen, leaving Hinkle behind once again. Seeing them escape, Hinkle jumps off the train to follow them, but ends up falling down a mountain and crashing into a tree where a pile of snow falls on him. By nightfall, Frosty, Karen and Hocus find themselves in the middle of a blizzard out in the woods. At Frosty’s request, Hocus convinces some forest animals who are preparing for Christmas to build a campfire of Karen. Fearing that the fire will not be good enough, Frosty decides to look for Santa Claus, whom he assumes can save Karen and bring him to the North Pole. While Hocus searches for Santa, Professor Hinkle turns up unexpectedly and blows out Karen’s campfire. They are forced to flee again, this time with Karen riding on Frosty’s back as he slides headfirst down a hill. At the bottom of the slope, they discover a greenhouse filled with Christmas poinsettias. Despite Karen’s objections, Frosty steps inside with her to warm her up. Unfortunately, Hinkle catches up to them immediately after and locks them inside.
When Santa shows up, Hocus explains the situation to him (as Santa, according to the narrator, “speaks a fluent rabbit.”) Upon entering the greenhouse, they find Karen crying over a puddle of water that used to be Frosty. Santa comforts her, explaining that Frosty is made of magical Christmas snow that can never completely disappear, only take the form of summer rain until next December. He then opens the door and with a gust of cold wind, the puddle that was Frosty blows out the door and magically changes back into his inanimate snowman form. As they are about to put the hat on his head, Hinkle arrives on the scene demanding his hat back. Santa intervenes, warning him unless he gives up the hat, he’ll never bring him another Christmas present. He also tells Hinkle to write his apologies 100 zillion times, and if he does, he might find something in his stocking the next day. Thinking he might get a new hat, a repentant Hinke leaves to write his apologies. Santa then places the hat back on top of Frosty’s head and brings him back to life. After celebrating, he takes a tired Karen home, then brings Frosty back with him to the North Pole, promising that Frosty will return every year with the magical Christmas snow.
The closing credits show Frosty leading a parade with the children, Hocus, the narrator (Jimmy Durante), the traffic cop, and the rest of the town through the town square, singing the title song. Among them is a redeemed Hinkle, who is proudly wearing his new hat, revealing that Santa kept his promise to him. As the parade ends, Frosty boards Santa’s sleigh, and they fly off to the North Pole, with Frosty proclaiming, “I’ll be back on Christmas Day!”
Songs[]
"Frosty the Snowman"
Cast[]
- Jimmy Durante—as himself (Narrator)
- Jackie Vernon—Frosty
- Billy De Wolfe—Professor Hinkle
- June Foray—Teacher
- Paul Frees—Santa Claus, Traffic Cop, Ticket agent
- Suzanne Davidson—Karen
- Greg Thomas—Karen’s friends