Frosty's Winter Wonderland
Encyclopedia
Frosty's Winter Wonderland is an animated Christmas television special produced in 1976
by Rankin-Bass. It is a sequel to the 1969
Frosty the Snowman
special, also written by Romeo Muller, with narration provided by Andy Griffith
. Jackie Vernon reprised his role as the voice of Frosty
.
(voiced by Paul Frees
) sees the fun that the children are having with Frosty and becomes jealous. Despite the fun he has, Frosty ends up feeling lonely again at the end of each day when his friends go home for the night. They make him a wife (suggested names included Cleopatra and Corn Flakes
) named Crystal (voiced by Shelley Winters
) for him, but she is not alive like he is. The children try placing a ladies' hat on her head, but to no avail. Late that night, Frosty presents his stationary sweetheart with a bouquet of frost flowers. His gift of love brings her to life, and she immediately says his trademark line: "Happy Birthday". The two joyously frolic through the snow, until Jack uses a gust of icy wind
to blow off Frosty's hat
. As he taunts Crystal with cries of "No more Frosty! No more Frosty!", she refuses to believe that her frozen fiance is truly gone for good. Sculpting a corsage out of snow, she places it on Frosty's chest and gives him a kiss which immediately brings him back to life with his usual cheerful birthday cry. That's the only time Frosty is living without his hat.
Jack is befuddled at Frosty's reanimation
, and the snow-couple begins to slide down the slope of the hill they were on. Angered, Jack throws Frosty's hat, which returns to its rightful place on the snowman's head. Frosty and Crystal run through the town shouting their wedding announcement to the children. The children gather together with Parson Brown, the local preacher, in town to marry them. Parson Brown says that he can't perform the ceremony, as he can only legally marry real people, not snowpeople. Everyone is dejected until Parson Brown suggests they build a "snow parson" with his assistance. After the minister is constructed from snow, Parson Brown states that "A parson is not a parson 'til he holds the good book in his hand." He places a Bible into the snow parson's hand, and he is immediately vivified (and once again, stating the "Happy Birthday" line). Jack Frost witnesses this and decides to spoil the wedding with a blizzard
. Crystal decides to reason with him and pleas for him to stop the blizzard. He complies, and she asks for him to be the best man at the wedding
(after all, the whole wedding should be wintry, and so it would only be appropriate for him to be the best man). Finally feeling appreciated, Jack agrees and even he calls out "Happy Birthday!" The wedding goes on without a hitch, to the song "Winter Wonderland
".
Frosty, Crystal, and Jack have fun with the children all winter, but they notice the weather
is starting to grow warm again. Jack decides to make it so that winter lasts forever and Frosty and Crystal can stay. As the overly long winter continues and worries adults, Parson Brown decides to talk with everyone. He tells that winter can never last forever, or the trees will never sprout leaves and flowers will never grow. Frosty, Crystal, and Jack are saddened, but acknowledge it's time for them to leave. They once again head for the train to the North Pole (But not before one last skate through town and one more scare for the local policeman). All traces of winter melt away, but everyone remembered that the winter wonderland was a good memory and good memories can never die, so the narrator (Voiced by Andy Griffith
) said. Because everyone knows that on one not so faraway day, that first snowflake will fall. The scene then shows Jack Frost up in a tree. And in a few months, the whole town becomes a winter wonderland again. The special ends with the narrator saying to the viewers, "May all your winters be wonderful." And Frosty and Crystal responding, "And frosty, too!"
, which licenses the show to ABC
and ABC Family
. The latter airs the special annually on its "25 Days of Christmas" marathon.
in 1987, as well as on DVD
in 2003 paired with the 1974 special 'Twas the Night Before Christmas.
1976 in television
The year 1976 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1976.-Global television events:*The Olympics, broadcast from Montreal, Canada, draw an estimated one billion viewers worldwide....
by Rankin-Bass. It is a sequel to the 1969
1969 in television
The year 1969 in television involved some significant events. Below is a list of television-related events in 1969.For the American TV schedule, see: 1969-70 American network television schedule.-Events:...
Frosty the Snowman
Frosty the Snowman (TV program)
Frosty the Snowman is an American animated television special based on the popular song of the same title. The program, which first aired on December 7, 1969 on CBS , was produced for television by Rankin/Bass and featured the voices of comedians Jimmy Durante as narrator and Jackie Vernon as the...
special, also written by Romeo Muller, with narration provided by Andy Griffith
Andy Griffith
Andy Samuel Griffith is an American actor, director, producer, Grammy Award-winning Southern-gospel singer, and writer. He gained prominence in the starring role in director Elia Kazan's epic film A Face in the Crowd before he became better known for his television roles, playing the lead...
. Jackie Vernon reprised his role as the voice of Frosty
Frosty the Snowman
"Frosty the Snowman" is a popular song written by Walter "Jack" Rollins and Steve Nelson, and first recorded by Gene Autry and the Cass County Boys in 1950. It was written after the success of Autry's recording of "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" the previous year; Rollins and Nelson shipped the...
.
Plot
Years have passed since Frosty left for the North Pole, but kept his promise to the children that he'd be back again someday. When he hears the news about the first snowfall of the season, he decides to come back to the children. The children are excited to hear about Frosty's return and are overjoyed when he comes back to play with them, but when Jack FrostJack Frost
Jack Frost is a sprite-like character with roots in Viking lore. There, he is known as Jokul Frosti . In Britain and United States, Jack is a variant of Old Man Winter and is held responsible for frosty weather, for nipping the nose and toes in such weather, coloring the foliage in autumn, and...
(voiced by Paul Frees
Paul Frees
Paul Frees was an American voice actor and character actor.-Biography:He was born Solomon Hersh Frees in Chicago...
) sees the fun that the children are having with Frosty and becomes jealous. Despite the fun he has, Frosty ends up feeling lonely again at the end of each day when his friends go home for the night. They make him a wife (suggested names included Cleopatra and Corn Flakes
Corn flakes
Corn flakes are a popular breakfast cereal originally manufactured by Kellogg's through the treatment of maize. A patent for the product was filed on May 31, 1895, and issued on April 14, 1896.-History:...
) named Crystal (voiced by Shelley Winters
Shelley Winters
Shelley Winters was an American actress who appeared in dozens of films, as well as on stage and television; her career spanned over 50 years until her death in 2006...
) for him, but she is not alive like he is. The children try placing a ladies' hat on her head, but to no avail. Late that night, Frosty presents his stationary sweetheart with a bouquet of frost flowers. His gift of love brings her to life, and she immediately says his trademark line: "Happy Birthday". The two joyously frolic through the snow, until Jack uses a gust of icy wind
Wind
Wind is the flow of gases on a large scale. On Earth, wind consists of the bulk movement of air. In outer space, solar wind is the movement of gases or charged particles from the sun through space, while planetary wind is the outgassing of light chemical elements from a planet's atmosphere into space...
to blow off Frosty's hat
Hat
A hat is a head covering. It can be worn for protection against the elements, for ceremonial or religious reasons, for safety, or as a fashion accessory. In the past, hats were an indicator of social status...
. As he taunts Crystal with cries of "No more Frosty! No more Frosty!", she refuses to believe that her frozen fiance is truly gone for good. Sculpting a corsage out of snow, she places it on Frosty's chest and gives him a kiss which immediately brings him back to life with his usual cheerful birthday cry. That's the only time Frosty is living without his hat.
Jack is befuddled at Frosty's reanimation
Reanimation
Reanimation helped the many underground hip-hop artists that it featured reach a larger audience, as well as changing the nature of the work so significantly that it could be considered an entirely new album...
, and the snow-couple begins to slide down the slope of the hill they were on. Angered, Jack throws Frosty's hat, which returns to its rightful place on the snowman's head. Frosty and Crystal run through the town shouting their wedding announcement to the children. The children gather together with Parson Brown, the local preacher, in town to marry them. Parson Brown says that he can't perform the ceremony, as he can only legally marry real people, not snowpeople. Everyone is dejected until Parson Brown suggests they build a "snow parson" with his assistance. After the minister is constructed from snow, Parson Brown states that "A parson is not a parson 'til he holds the good book in his hand." He places a Bible into the snow parson's hand, and he is immediately vivified (and once again, stating the "Happy Birthday" line). Jack Frost witnesses this and decides to spoil the wedding with a blizzard
Blizzard
A blizzard is a severe snowstorm characterized by strong winds. By definition, the difference between blizzard and a snowstorm is the strength of the wind. To be a blizzard, a snow storm must have winds in excess of with blowing or drifting snow which reduces visibility to 400 meters or ¼ mile or...
. Crystal decides to reason with him and pleas for him to stop the blizzard. He complies, and she asks for him to be the best man at the wedding
Wedding
A wedding is the ceremony in which two people are united in marriage or a similar institution. Wedding traditions and customs vary greatly between cultures, ethnic groups, religions, countries, and social classes...
(after all, the whole wedding should be wintry, and so it would only be appropriate for him to be the best man). Finally feeling appreciated, Jack agrees and even he calls out "Happy Birthday!" The wedding goes on without a hitch, to the song "Winter Wonderland
Winter Wonderland
"Winter Wonderland" is a winter song, popularly treated as a Christmastime pop standard, written in 1934 by Felix Bernard and Richard B. Smith . Through the decades it has been recorded by over 150 different artists.-History:...
".
Frosty, Crystal, and Jack have fun with the children all winter, but they notice the weather
Weather
Weather is the state of the atmosphere, to the degree that it is hot or cold, wet or dry, calm or stormy, clear or cloudy. Most weather phenomena occur in the troposphere, just below the stratosphere. Weather refers, generally, to day-to-day temperature and precipitation activity, whereas climate...
is starting to grow warm again. Jack decides to make it so that winter lasts forever and Frosty and Crystal can stay. As the overly long winter continues and worries adults, Parson Brown decides to talk with everyone. He tells that winter can never last forever, or the trees will never sprout leaves and flowers will never grow. Frosty, Crystal, and Jack are saddened, but acknowledge it's time for them to leave. They once again head for the train to the North Pole (But not before one last skate through town and one more scare for the local policeman). All traces of winter melt away, but everyone remembered that the winter wonderland was a good memory and good memories can never die, so the narrator (Voiced by Andy Griffith
Andy Griffith
Andy Samuel Griffith is an American actor, director, producer, Grammy Award-winning Southern-gospel singer, and writer. He gained prominence in the starring role in director Elia Kazan's epic film A Face in the Crowd before he became better known for his television roles, playing the lead...
) said. Because everyone knows that on one not so faraway day, that first snowflake will fall. The scene then shows Jack Frost up in a tree. And in a few months, the whole town becomes a winter wonderland again. The special ends with the narrator saying to the viewers, "May all your winters be wonderful." And Frosty and Crystal responding, "And frosty, too!"
Television rights
The rights to this special are held by Warner Bros. Television DistributionWarner Bros. Television Distribution
Warner Bros. Television Distribution is an American television distribution arm of Warner Bros. Television, itself a part of Time Warner formed circa 1960. In 1989, the studio formed Warner Bros...
, which licenses the show to ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
and ABC Family
ABC Family
ABC Family, stylized as abc family, is an American television network, owned by ABC Family Worldwide Inc., a subsidiary of the Disney-ABC Television Group division of The Walt Disney Company...
. The latter airs the special annually on its "25 Days of Christmas" marathon.
Home video
Frosty's Winter Wonderland has been issued on VHSVHS
The Video Home System is a consumer-level analog recording videocassette standard developed by Victor Company of Japan ....
in 1987, as well as on DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
in 2003 paired with the 1974 special 'Twas the Night Before Christmas.
Cast
- Dennis DayDennis DayDennis Day born Owen Patrick Eugene McNulty, was an Irish-American singer and radio, television and film personality.-Early life:...
- Parson Brown/Snow Parson - Barbara Jo Ewing - Child
- Paul FreesPaul FreesPaul Frees was an American voice actor and character actor.-Biography:He was born Solomon Hersh Frees in Chicago...
- Jack Frost/Traffic Cop - Shelly Hines - Child
- Manfreed Olea - Child
- Eric SternEric SternEric Stern is the Director of Operations for the Career Development Office at the University of California, Berkeley School of Law . Before re-locating to California, Stern worked at The George Washington School of Law. He is the former Executive Director of the National Stonewall Democrats. Eric...
- Child - Jackie Vernon - Frosty the Snowman
- Shelley WintersShelley WintersShelley Winters was an American actress who appeared in dozens of films, as well as on stage and television; her career spanned over 50 years until her death in 2006...
- Crystal the Snow Woman - Andy GriffithAndy GriffithAndy Samuel Griffith is an American actor, director, producer, Grammy Award-winning Southern-gospel singer, and writer. He gained prominence in the starring role in director Elia Kazan's epic film A Face in the Crowd before he became better known for his television roles, playing the lead...
- Narrator
External links
- Frosty's Winter Wonderland at The Internet Movie Database