Frosty the Snowman is a 1969 American animated Christmas television special produced by Rankin/Bass Productions. It is the first television special featuring the character Frosty the Snowman. The special first aired on December 7, 1969, on the CBS television network in the United States, airing immediately after the fifth showing of A Charlie Brown Christmas;[1] both scored high ratings.[2] The special has aired annually for the network's Christmas and holiday season every year since.

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The special was based on the Walter E. Rollins and Steve Nelson song of the same name. It featured the voices of comedians Jimmy Durante (in his final film role) as the film's narrator, Billy De Wolfe as Professor Hinkle, and Jackie Vernon as Frosty.[3]

The special's story follows a group of school children, led by a girl named Karen, who build a snowman called Frosty and place a magician's hat on his head, which makes him come to life. Unfortunately, however after noticing the high temperature and fearing that he would melt, Frosty, along with Karen and a rabbit named Hocus Pocus, must go to the North Pole to be safe from melting.


Arthur Rankin Jr. and Jules Bass wanted to give the show and its characters the look of a Christmas card, so Paul Coker Jr., a greeting card and Mad magazine artist, was hired to do the character and background drawings. The animation was produced by Mushi Production in Tokyo, Japan, with Yusaku "Steve" Nakagawa and then-Mushi staffer Osamu Dezaki (who is uncredited) among the animation staff. Durante was one of the first people to record the song when it was released in 1950 (though at the time the song had slightly different lyrics); he re-recorded the song for the special.

Rankin/Bass veteran writer Romeo Muller adapted and expanded the story for television, as he had done with the "Animagic" stop-motion production of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.


In a schoolhouse on Christmas Eve, inept magician Professor Hinkle unsuccessfully performs his tricks during a Christmas party. Disgraced and ridiculed by the children, Professor Hinkle throws his top hat away. Upon being dismissed, the children go outside to play in the snow and build a snowman they name "Frosty." Professor Hinkle chases his rabbit Hocus Pocus, who has absconded with his hat. The hat is blown off by the wind and caught by Karen, a student who puts it on Frosty's head and brings him to life. Hinkle realizes the hat is actually magic and sees this as a chance to become wealthy. Hinkle reclaims the hat when it gets blown off and ignores their protests that he threw it away. He also dismisses the children's claim that Frosty came to life. Later, Hocus switches the hat with a Christmas wreath and brings it back to the children. They use the hat to revive Frosty again, and the snowman is immediately delighted by his newfound life.>

However, the temperature begins to rise, and Frosty fears he will melt unless he can get to the North Pole. The children suggest putting him on a train to get there and they parade through town on the way to the train station, shocking several townspeople, including the traffic cop. Because they have no money for tickets, Hocus, Frosty, and Karen secretly board a northbound freight train's refrigerator car filled with ice cream and Christmas cakes while Professor Hinkle follows them to reclaim the hat.


As the train continues northward, Karen starts to freeze, and Frosty realizes she cannot withstand the extremely cold temperatures. When the train stops to let a passenger train pass, the group disembarks in search of somewhere to warm Karen, with Hinkle following in pursuit. By nightfall, Frosty and Hocus struggle to bring Karen through the forest. Hocus asks the forest animals to build a campfire for Karen, which they succeed in doing. Fearing that the fire will not be good enough, Frosty decides to look for Santa Claus, whom he assumes can save Karen and bring him to the North Pole. While Hocus searches for Santa, Professor Hinkle arrives and puts out Karen's fire. Karen and Frosty flee and arrive at a greenhouse, which Frosty brings Karen inside to warm up. Hinkle arrives and shuts the door, locking them inside.


When Hocus and Santa arrive at the greenhouse, Frosty has melted into a puddle. Santa comforts a heartbroken Karen, explaining that Frosty is made of magical Christmas snow and will return every winter. He then opens the door and the winter wind blows in magic snow to remake Frosty into a snowman. As they are about to put the hat on his head, Hinkle arrives demanding his hat back. Santa intervenes and threatens to never bring him another Christmas present unless he gives up the hat and writes "I am sorry" 100 zillion times. A contrite Hinkle leaves to write his apologies. They put the hat on Frosty reviving him and Santa drops Karen off at her house. He then takes Frosty to the North Pole, promising that he will return every year with the magical Christmas snow.

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As the credits roll, Frosty leads a parade with the children, Hocus, the narrator (Jimmy Durante), the traffic cop, and the rest of the town, including Professor Hinkle, sporting a new hat. As the parade ends, Frosty boards Santa's sleigh, and they fly off to the North Pole, with Frosty altering the song's last line, saying, “I’ll be back on Christmas Day!”