How did stop motion animation movies become an integral part of modern day Christmas celebrations in the United States?

How did stop motion animation movies become an integral part of modern day Christmas celebrations in the United States? Read this article to find out.

Growing up, the Christmas season was always a magical time of year. I fondly remember engaging in holiday themed activities in school, gazing at the night sky on Christmas Eve wondering where Santa and his eight tiny reindeer might be, and watching Rankin Bass Christmas specials with my family.

Watching the many Rankin Bass Christmas specials was a tradition in my household. My parents grew up watching these specials, and they passed down this tradition to their children. To me, seeing these stop motion holiday specials appear in television ads symbolized the official arrival of the holiday season.

These holiday specials have been around for generations, and for many people like myself, they have become holiday mainstays in American culture.

So how did this happen?

First, we have to start by talking about the creation of the Rankin Bass Studios. The company was founded in 1960 under the name Videocraft International Lft. by Arthur Rankin Jr. and Jules Bass. At first, the company produced television series based on books such as Pinocchio and The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.

Their first Christmas special, Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, was released in 1964. The film was inspired by the famous Christmas carol written by Johnny Marks. (CBC) Johnny Marks, according to Smithsonian Magazine, was the brother-in-law to the person who originally created the story of Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, Robert May. Robert May persuaded Johnny Marks to write a song based on his story, and the song was eventually presented to Gene Autry. Gene Autry recorded the song just in time for the 1949 holiday season, and it became a big hit. In fact, the song was so popular that years later Arthur Rankin Jr. reached out to Johnny Marks about the possibility of turning his song into a made for television holiday special.

The television special was made for the Fantasy Hour series sponsored by General Electric. General Electric used the production and release of the Rudolph television special as an opportunity for marketing and advertising.

Arthur Rankin Jr. and Jules Bass entrusted Tadahito "Tad" Mochinaga with the animation of the Christmas special. Tadahito Mochinaga was the founder of the Puppet Animation Studio in Tokyo, Japan. His ability to move puppets in such a way on camera that made them look lifelike became a technique known as Animagic. The Rankin Bass studio would become known for its use of Animagic, even though most of animation for their iconic series and specials were not even done at the studio. Most of the animation was done in Tokyo.

The special was a massive hit. which led to annual rebroadcasts of the special for almost 60 years. It is the longest-running Christmas special in television history. (Smithsonian Magazine)

The success of Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer led to the creation of many other Christmas specials by the Rankin Bass company. In fact from 1964 to 1985, Rankin Bass released eighteen Christmas specials. The time frame in which Rankin Bass produced their original Christmas specials overlapped with three different generations: Baby Boomers (1945-1964), Generation X (1965-1980), and Millennials (1981-1996). This meant that millions of people, like my parents, grew up anticipating a new Rankin Bass Christmas special almost every year during their childhood and therefore developed feelings of nostalgia and comfort towards these specials. The release of a new special had become a holiday tradition.

When Rankin Bass shut down production in 1987, the specials lived on through the power of rebroadcasting and home videos. Many of the specials were rebroadcasted annually after their initial release allowing for new generations to experience and enjoy the magic of Rankin Bass Christmas specials. To this day, millions of people still tune in to watch rebroadcasts of Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer every year making it one of the most watched television programs of the year.

However, some of the specials did not withstand the test of time. Several specials have come under scrutiny for their subliminal messages and negative portrayals of minorities. For example, the first part of The Little Drummer Boy is no longer rebroadcasted because it reinforces negative and racist stereotypes towards the Arab community. (Orlando Sentinel)

In conclusion, stop motion animation became synonymous with Christmas celebrations in America because of the success of Rankin Bass' Christmas specials. As long as these specials are viewed with nostalgia and available for consumption, they will remain as a Christmas tradition for millions of Americans.

Sources:

CBC/Radio Canada. (n.d.). The Real Story Behind Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer. CBC News.

            https://www.cbc.ca/documentarychannel/features/the-real-story-behind-rudolph-the-red-nosed-reindeer

Delgado, M. (2019, December 23). The Magical Animation of “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.” Smithsonian Magazine. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/magical-animation-rudolph-red-nosed-reindeer-180973841/

Orlando Sentinel. (2021, July 26). Christmas “Drummer Boy” Movie is Racist, Arabs Say. Orlando Sentinel. https://www.orlandosentinel.com/1991/12/15/christmas-drummer-boy-movie-is-racist-arabs-say/