Jules Bass is responsible for some of the all-time greatest Christmas specials ever made. Although he’s passed away, his work will live on. Jules Bass worked on classics like The Little Drummer Boy, Frosty the Snowman, and Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town. While he’s perhaps most well-known for that body of work, he was also a composer and lyricist. He also co-directed and produced a little series called Thundercats with Arthur Rankin Jr.
Back in the ’60s and ’70s, Bass and Rankin truly began making a name for themselves with some extremely impressive stop-motion work. Before that, Bass paid the bills by working at an advertising agency in New York after graduating from New York University. On the other hand, Rankin worked mostly as an art director. In 1955, Rankin and Bass met, and they started their own advertising company. A few years later in 1960, they really found their calling with animation. Their very first project was a television series about Pinocchio.
Their 1969 TV special of Frosty the Snowman remains one of the most beloved television shows in history.
Their 1964 version of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer remains almost as famous and as popular as their Frosty TV special.
Unfortunately, Rankin passed away back in 2014. He fell ill at his home in Bermuda and passed away shortly thereafter. Jules Bass passed away on October 25, 2022 at an assisted living facility in New York. While life may be fleeting, the legacy the pair left behind will survive for decades to come.
The Most Popular Christmas Movies of All-Time
