Rudolph and Frosty’s Christmas In July (1979)

          Beginning in the mid-1960s, Rankin-Bass Productions generated so many animated holiday specials—including the beloved stop-motion classics Rudolph the Red-Nose Reindeer (1964), Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town (1970), and The Year Without a Santa Claus (1974)—that it’s unsurprising the company developed a feature-length crossover project involving its most popular characters and targeted for theatrical release. Alas, ambition was not accompanied by inspiration, so Rudolph and Frosty’s Christmas in July suffers from an overabundance of weak ideas. In lieu of a solid core, the movie introduces an endless parade of characters and concepts, making it difficult for viewers to know (or care) what the movie is actually about. And because the Rankin-Bass style was already antiquated when the first holiday special was released (once upon a time, the kitsch was charming), this exhausting movie probably struck 1979 audiences as an unwelcome transmission from a bygone era. Viewed from a modern perspective, this thing also anticipates the Marvel Cinematic Universe inasmuch as one of the featured characters, Jack Frost, was introduced in a Rankin-Bass special released the same year as this feature. There’s a sense of Rankin-Bass forcing new brands onto the consumer, much as how Marvel movies always feature come-ons for future Marvel movies.

          Here’s a quick gloss on the plot. An ancient wizard called Winterbolt wakes from a long sleep to discover Santa has replaced him as lord of the North Pole. Winterbolt contrives a plan to undercut Santa’s power (which emanates from his goodness) by tricking Santa’s pal Rudolph into doing something evil. Somehow this leads to Rudolph (and Frosty the Snowman) joining a circus, ostensibly in Florida. Through Winterbolt’s machinations, Rudolph takes the blame when the circus’s bankroll gets stolen, leading to Rudolph falling from grace and (don’t ask why) Frosty and his entire family melting. Enter Jack Frost, Santa, and a magic whale (again, don’t ask why), all of whom save the day. Somehow, there’s room in the mix for the circus owner, voiced by Ethel Merman, to belt a few interminable songs. (Also featured are the golden throats of Red Buttons, Mickey Rooney, and Shelley Winters.)

          Rudolph and Frosty’s Christmas in July is a tough watch because viewers get bludgeoned with recaps of origin stories, lengthy introductions to new characters, myriad subplots, and way too many songs. Whereas the best Rankin-Bass specials rocket through purposeful storylines, Rudolph and Frosty’s Christmas in July slogs through one inconsequential event after another. Oddly, the only scenes that really hold interest involve villains. The design aesthetic for Winterbolt and his world is fantastic, something out of a snowy nightmare—his chariot is pulled by a quartet of blue snakes!—and the great Paul Frees voices the character with authority. Yet the most interesting character here is Scratcher, an embittered reindeer with a grudge against Rudolph, who is vocally coded as a bitchy queen and voiced by Alan Sues to evoke Paul Lynde’s signature whine. In some parallel dimension, Scratcher got his own Rankin-Bass special and it was divine. In this dimension, Rudolph and Frosty’s Christmas in July lasted just one week in a single theater before finding its way to television, where it fizzled again.  

Rudolph and Frosty’s Christmas in July: FUNKY