Jack Frost (TV special)

1979 Christmas television special by Jules Bass

Jack FrostTitle pageWritten byRomeo MullerDirected byJules BassArthur Rankin Jr.Voices ofBuddy HackettRobert MorseDebra ClingerPaul FreesNarrated byBuddy HackettTheme music composerMaury LawsCountries of origin United States Japan Original languageEnglishProductionProducersJules BassArthur Rankin Jr.CinematographyAkikazu KonoIchiro KomuroHiroshi TabataSeiichi ArakiRunning time48 minutesProduction companyRankin/Bass ProductionsOriginal releaseNetworkNBCReleaseDecember 13, 1979 (1979-12-13)Related Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1964) Frosty the Snowman (1969) Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town (1970) Here Comes Peter Cottontail (1971) 'Twas the Night Before Christmas (1974) The Year Without a Santa Claus (1974) The First Easter Rabbit (1976) Frosty's Winter Wonderland (1976) Rudolph's Shiny New Year (1976) The Easter Bunny Is Comin' to Town (1977) Nestor, the Long-Eared Christmas Donkey (1977) The Stingiest Man in Town (1978) Jack Frost (1979) Rudolph and Frosty's Christmas in July (1979) Pinocchio's Christmas (1980) Frosty Returns (1992) Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and the Island of Misfit Toys (2001) The Legend of Frosty the Snowman (2005) A Miser Brothers' Christmas (2008)

Jack Frost is a 1979 stop motion animated television special produced by Rankin/Bass Productions. It is directed by Jules Bass and Arthur Rankin Jr., written by Romeo Muller, narrated by Buddy Hackett, and starring the voices of Robert Morse, Debra Clinger and Paul Frees. The special premiered on NBC on December 13, 1979, and tells the tale of Jack Frost and his adventures as a human. It airs annually on AMC as part of its Best Christmas Ever programming block.

[edit] The story is narrated by a groundhog named Pardon-Me-Pete who has a deal with Jack Frost to extend winter by 6 weeks, letting him sleep that much longer. Pete starts to talk about the legend of Jack Frost. It all starts when Jack Frost, an immortal winter sprite, falls in love with a human girl named Elisa, who proclaims her love for Jack after he rescues her when Kubla Kraus, an evil Cossack king, cracks the ice she is standing on. Jack asks Father Winter if he can become human in order to be with her. Father Winter gives him a chance but warns that Jack must prove he can succeed as a human, by earning a house, a horse, a bag of gold, and a wife by the first sign of spring. Jack agrees and turns human, assuming the identity of Jack Snip. He runs a tailor shop in the town of January Junction with two friends who also turned human, Snip the snowflake maker and Holly the snow gypsy, the latter two having been sent by Father Winter to ensure Jack does not get into trouble. Elisa is charmed by "Jack Snip", but she harbors romantic dreams of Sir Ravenal Rightfellow, a "knight in golden armor". Around this time Jack is informed that Kubla Kraus lives alone in his castle on Miserable Mountain with his iron horse Klangstomper, his clockwork butler Fetch-Kvetch, his army of Keh-Nights, and a ventriloquist's dummy named Dommy as his sidekick, all made of iron since no human or animal could stand to live with him due to his arrogance and greed. Kraus also possesses all the brick, gold, and timber that January Junction used to have. Elisa is soon kidnapped by Kraus and taken to his castle. After Elisa is rescued by Sir Ravenal, Kraus vows to destroy January Junction by sending one-thousand Keh-Nights in an attempt to recapture his bride and throws Jack, Snip, and Holly in the dungeon. Jack gives up his humanity in order to whip up the biggest blizzard ever, freezing Kraus and his 1,000 Keh-Nights in the castle. Snip and Holly change back to sprites as well. This tactic works until Groundhog Day arrives. As the sky is overcast with no sun to cast shadows, Jack Frost uses his magic shadow to scare Pete back into hibernation, and continues whipping up the storm. Finally with only 1 hour left before the arrival of spring, Jack returns to human form to stop Kraus by tricking his Keh-Nights into walking off the icy mountain to their destruction by imitating Dommy. Afterward, Jack causes Kraus to fall out of his castle and Father Winter literally blows him far away from Miserable Mountain, leaving Jack to claim the gold for himself as he makes Klangstomper his horse and claims the castle. He races off to ask Elisa's parents for her hand in marriage. During his absence, she has fallen in love with Sir Ravenal and he with her. Jack becomes a sprite again for good and blows ice onto Elisa's wedding bouquet, turning it white. When asked about the change, she sheds a tear saying "An old friend just kissed the bride." Snip calls out to Jack that winter wouldn't be the same without him. Before heading back to sleep, Pete says that Jack Frost still plays his tricks on him to ensure that there are 6 more weeks of winter, but he doesn't mind because he enjoys the extra sleep.

[edit] One of the original advertisements for the television special. Robert Morse as Jack Frost Buddy Hackett as Pardon-Me-Pete Debra Clinger as Elisa Paul Frees as Father Winter, Kubla Kraus Dave Garroway as Groundhog Day Reporter Dina Lynn as Holly Sonny Melendrez as Sir Ravenal Rightfellow Don Messick as Snip Larry Storch as Papa Dee Stratton as Mama

[edit] Produced and Directed by Arthur Rankin, Jr. and Jules Bass Written by Romeo Muller Music and Lyrics by Maury Laws and Jules Bass Design: Paul Coker, Jr. Associate Producer: Masaki Iizuka "Animagic" Production Supervisors: Akikazu Kono, Ichiro Komuro, Hiroshi Tabata, Seiichi Araki Sound Recording: John Curcio, Dave Iveland, Glenn Berger, Robert Elder Sound Effects: Tom Clack Music Arranged and Conducted by Maury Laws © 1979 Rankin/Bass Productions, Inc.

[edit] The licensing for Jack Frost was relatively lax for many years and as early as the early 1990s, independent discount home video distributors produced VHS (and later DVD) copies from 16 mm prints. The special did not, as occasionally stated, lapse into the public domain; the Copyright Act of 1976 had taken effect by the time the special was published, which granted Rankin/Bass and its successors automatic copyrights of 75 years, and the program had a valid copyright notice to begin with. In the fall of 2008, Warner Bros. via Warner Home Video (owners of the post-September 1974 Rankin/Bass library) re-released the special as an "official version" on DVD, using a digitally remastered 35 mm print as the master.

[edit] Writer John Witiw of MovieWeb noted the story's similarities with The Little Mermaid and praised Jack as the special's hero, noting he "retains viewers' sympathy as he fights for his impossible wish."

While most families queue up the perennial favourites like "Rudolph" or "Frosty", "Jack Frost" offers a slightly edgier take on the winter mythos. Its protagonist is a mischievous sprite who becomes a human hero, a narrative twist that appeals to kids tired of the same old snowman storyline. The special’s sleek stop‑motion style, a hallmark of Rankin/Bass, feels richer than the simpler cut‑out animation of earlier holiday fare, making it a perfect filler when you need something fresh but still familiar. Pair it with a cosy blanket and a mug of mulled cider for a snugly, slightly off‑beat Christmas night.

At just under an hour, "Jack Frost" slides neatly into the pre‑bedtime window without overstaying its welcome. Start with a short warm‑up – perhaps a classic carol or a quick recap of the year's highlights – then cue the special. Because the story builds quickly, pause halfway for a quick snack or a family poll: which character would you trust to guard the North Pole? The brisk pacing means there’s little downtime, so you won’t need a filler programme. Finish with a brief discussion about the moral of responsibility versus freedom, turning a simple cartoon into a memorable teachable moment.

Beyond the surface of snowflakes and sleight‑of‑hand, the special embeds a quiet commentary on seasonal change. Jack’s transition from air‑sprite to mortal mirrors the way winter transforms the landscape – fleeting, beautiful, then gone. The colour palette shifts from icy blues to warm golds as Jack discovers humanity, hinting at the hope that holidays bring to a world otherwise locked in cold routine. Many viewers skim past these visual cues, yet they enrich the experience for older children and adults. A second viewing, perhaps with the lights dimmed, reveals the layers of metaphor that keep the story resonant year after year.