MAD DOCTOR'S NOTE: This is the final review of a three-part series by our own witch, Punkin Nightshade, who has been investigating the Rankin-Bass specials about Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. She ends this series with a review of the 1979 special Rudolph And Frosty's Christmas In July.Hey, y'all, this here is Petronella Nightshade, what am called Punkin by her friends, and since you's all friends you shall know me so. I have been reviewin some movin pictures about Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer, what's made by the Rankin-Bass folks, and if you have been followin with me then you know we's about done. Today the last one of this bunch of movin pictures is called Rudolph And Frosty's Christmas In July, and it may sound uncommon strange to you to be havin Christmas in July, but I can only suppose they was tryin to avoid the rush.
This here is a different story from the others in that it takes up with another famous character what has his own Christmas song, too--Frosty The Snowman. Frosty had him some Christmas movin pictures made by Rankin-Bass too, and they told all about how he come to be and got married up to a snow-woman named Crystal, but I suppose that is all for another review. In this picture he is teamed up with Rudolph probly because somebody thought it would be a good idea to put them together in a picture.Anyway, this one starts out tellin the story of how Rudolph's nose got its glow. It is that long ago, before Santa Claus moved up to the North Pole, there was a real mean old wizard named Winterbolt who spent all his time devilin folks with his Ice Sceptre and snow dragons, and just bein an ornery cuss. There was another magical sort named Lady Borealis who's the spirit of the Northern Lights, and she saw what was goin on and got mad, and she took on a human form and put old Winterbolt in a deep sleep. Soon after that, when folks started comin round again Santa Claus come and built his workshop, and things was all right for awhile. But Lady Borealis knew that someday old Winterbolt was goin to wake up and start bein ornery again, so she visited one of Santa's reindeer what had just had a new little buck, and put the last of the power of the Northern Lights in his nose. That little buck was Rudolph, and I bet if folks had known all this that was goin on they wouldn't have treated him so mean in the first movin picture, but of course Lady Borealis tells him to not say nothin.
So I am tellin you that story to tell you that when this picture gets goin, old Winterbolt has woke up, found out
that Santa Claus and Rudolph and Frosty, who has him a couple of snow younguns by now, is all livin on his old stompin grounds, and of course he is upset. He sees old Rudolph and starts usin magic on him to dim his nose and make him worry, but Rudolph is pretty headstrong and gets his nose workin all right. Then a feller named Milton who sells ice cream from a hot-air balloon shows up and tells Rudolph that his lady-love Lanie, who is a trapeze artist in her mama Lilly's seaside circus, is in trouble, cause a evil feller named Sam Spangles is tryin to foreclose the circus out from under them. Winterbolt casts a spell and gives Milton the idea that Rudolph and Frosty and his family should all go up and help out in the circus show, cause it is most the Fourth Of July and ain't nobody doin nothin at the North Pole, but Frosty and his family can't go cause of course they'll melt. Then old Winterbolt shows up and starts wheedlin them, and gives them some magic amulets what will keep them from meltin, but they's only good until the last firework dies down on the Fourth of July. Rudolph talks to Santa about it all and Santa says he'll come get them before this happens, but of course old Winterbolt has got him a plan to mess up everythin, and it's so convoluted that even Bethany, who's the vampire Grrl of us MonsterGrrls, was impressed when she heard about it. Vampires is a natural connivin sort, so we wondered for a little while if old Winterbolt was part vampire. The thing of it is that Rudolph got his lightin-up nose from a power of good and so must use it for good, and if he don't, then it won't work no more. So Winterbolt has to get Rudolph to use his nose for somethin bad, and he gets him a mean scrawny little old reindeer named Scratcher to help him out with this.Cause this is a Christmas picture, everythin turns out all right at the end, but it is a sore trial for Rudolph and Frosty before it's all over with. But they stick together through thick and thin, so that is all right. More famous folks is doin voices in this picture, includin another comedian feller named Red Buttons what plays Milton the ice cream man, and Ethel Merman, who is a famous singer and is playin Lilly, the woman what runs the circus. Mickey Rooney, who is a short little comedian feller, is doin Santa Claus, and Paul Frees is back doin Winterbolt.
So I am done here with reindeers for awhile, and shall settle down to rest some before I review somethin else. In the meantime, I wish blessins on all of you, and hope you shall be back tomorrow for The MonsterGrrls' 25 Days Of Christmas, cause with it bein Christmas time it is first one thing and then another and I do not know what shall happen next. Blessed be to you all!
Sincerely,
Petronella Nightshade
POST-MORTEM: Rudolph And Frosty's Christmas In July is currently available on the Classic Christmas Favorites DVD set. Click here for an ordering link.
