How Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer, King Kong, and the Coneheads are Related
It all started in 1964! That’s when Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer, the stop-animation Rankin/Bass production Co. Christmas classic was made. The short Christmas animation narrated by Burl Ives is now a staple for many during Holiday TV viewing.
But, did you know there’s a connection between Rudolf, King Kong, and even the Coneheads from Saturday Night Live (SNL)?
The Back Story
Rankin/Bass was founded in 1960 as Videocraft International by Arthur Rankin Jr. and Jules Bass. The company used production facilities in Japan and Canada for the majority of its work. Between 1960 and 1987 they released eighteen stop motion animation titles and eleven traditional animated shorts designed for viewing in a 30-minute time slot.
Some of the stop motion classics included the aforementioned Rudolf, Santa Claus is Coming to Town, and The Little Drummer Boy. The list also includes a few semi-forgotten titles such as The Ballad of Smokey Bear and The Little Drummer Boy – Book II… because sometimes you just need a good sequel.
But Rankin/Bass was also involved in the production of full length animated and live-action movies. Their most popular animated movies may be The Hobbit (1977) and the followup The Return of the King in 1980. They also made several prime-time TV movies including one based on the 1890 novel Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde.
Rankin and Bass may have made some classics we all Cherish, but there are a few that you may not know about. That’s where King Kong and the Coneheads from SNL come into play.
King Kong Escapes: This full-length picture released in 1967 features King Kong as well as a giant Kong robot controlled by a super-villain named Dr. Who. No relation to the BBC version of Dr. Who. The movie includes fights in model versions of metropolitan areas, a huge dinosaur that’s kinda like Godzilla… but not, and a mystery element called ELEMENT X!
The Coneheads: Yep, the SNL classic sketches featuring Dan Aykroyd and Jane Curtain were turned into an animated special by Rankin/Bass in 1983 – a decade before the movie version which was released in 1993. And yes, Aykroyd and Curtain voiced their characters.
The Jackson 5ive and The Osmonds: In 1971 Rankin/Bass teamed up with Motown Productions for a two-year (1971-1972) run of cartoons based on the Jackson Five but using 5ive as the spelling in the title. I guess you can’t pass up a good thing as The Osmonds ran for one season in 1972.
There are plenty of other titles in the Rankin/Bass catalog worth seeking out. It may be one of the most eclectic bodies of TV and Movie work ever created.
You may be surprised to find out that they also dove into the Wizard of Oz for several titles, Featured the voice acting of MLB legend Willie Mays in the animated title The Say-Hey Kid (1972), and ended their long run with a multi-cultural cast in 2001’s Santa, Baby featuring Patti LaBelle.
Oh yea, they also did ThunderCats!
About the Author
