Rankin Bass' Robin Hood

Let’s finish the series with their last episode in series order with Robin Hood.

The Sheriff of Nottingham is haunting down the rebel Robin Hood. A poor lumberman named Jarvis Green gets arrested by the Sheriff for having the tree land on him and his army, and accused him for working for the rebel. His son, Willow Green (voice by Billie Mae Richard) and his dog, Cecil is finding Robin Hood to save his father.

Robin Hood reveals to Willow why he and his Merry Men are rebellions, because the kingdom is corrupt, as he only robs from the rich…

“And give it to the Criminally Insane! No, No, No. He robs from the rich and gives it to the poor.”

-Stimpy from Ren & Stimpy.

 Robin Hood surrenders himself to the sheriff to save Jarvis, but the Sheriff keeps Jarvis and Willow until Robin Hood died.

Will they escape from execution from the Sheriff of Nottingham?

Believe it or not, this was release around the same time as the Disney in the same month and year of November 1973. However, the Disney version was released first in November 8, while the Rankin Bass was released in November 23. So technically, some people had seen two different Robin Hood at the same time. The difference is the Disney version would have longer air time in theater than TV, unless it was rerun. This make some people question if this show is what caused the Movie to bomb or not. I doubt the Rankin Bass version is the cause of the Disney Movie to bomb, unless they count a week airing off of the box office.

There has been other version with Robin Hood in animation, though realizing they usually go for one of the chapters of the book. Looney Tunes uses about 3 of the angles of Robin Hood; Bugs Bunny deals with the Sheriff of Nottingham, Daffy as Robin Hood to prove Fryer Porky Tuck Pig and some squirrels that was inspired by a tiny book. Of course there’s the Ren & Stimpy version as Robin Hoek, Popeye, and UPA’s Fox and Crow have Fox as Robin Hood (the first fox Robin Hood before we got the Disney version?), though Fox isn’t a good archer, and he’s saved by his Merry Men, because he missed their tea, and I mean they’re “Merry”.

“Faygeles?”

  -Mel Brooks in Robin Hood: Men In Tights.

This is in the angle for Rankin Bass’ Robin Hood, it’s Robin Hood saving the poor from the Sheriff, and we focus on the son of the poor. It’s not a bad idea of an angle. It’s strange they never show the Prince, but if they included him, he’ll mostly be lazy. Robin Hood is interesting, and isn’t boring unlike Clark Kent’s Robin Hood daddies of Costner and Crowe.

“Because unlike all the other Robin Hoods, I speak with an English Accent.”

                   -Robin Hood, played by Cary Elwes in Robin Hood: Men In Tights

For the last episode of Festival of Family Classic, it’s a decent adaptation to end with. That’s pretty much to sum the entire series. It ranges from decent to dull. At their best is Jack O’ Lantern or Robinson Crusoe. At their worst are Sleeping Beauty, Swiss Family Robinson, Tom Sawyer, and Snow White. The series shows Rankin Bass has try the stories they’re interested with the limitation of what the animation can do in their own angle and what was allow on TV at the time. Though when adapting certain stories that has better versions, it’ll be difficult for a big shoe to fill. Having two parts to the story can help with something such as Around the World in 80 Days, but sometimes it doesn’t show much such as 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea. What the series did follow was the stories identity, from the characters to the designs to the time and setting. It would have been too easy to give the characters the name while everyone is dressed the same in black tux to do their business in a dark room in modern day.

If you’re interested to see a storybook series with different stories, this is one of them to check out.

Thus this ends my review for The Festival of Family Classic for a while, until A Christmas Tree arrives as part of the Christmas review. Yankee Doodle & Song of Hiawatha yet had an English version to review. Stay tune for A Mouse of Mayflower, Hobbit, and most of the rest of the non-holiday special before I get to the Christmas Specials.     

Rankin Bass' Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

Now we read on a story, whose hair is the wrong color from hair black as ebony to blonde as the sun. It’s Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.

The evil queen wants her step-daughter, Snow White to be killed. She sends her guard with a jester for witness to execute Snow White, but she easily escaped into the forest.

Snow White safely went to the nearest cottage with the help of Why the Owl and a Yellow Brick Toad. (No, I’m not making this up, and it’s not an All That sketch.)

The 7 Dwarfs came back to their cottage to spot Snow White; they are Clumsy, wimpy, bossy….

“There’s Tipsy, and Queasy. There’s Surly, and Remorseful!

-Bart and Lisa Simpsons at Duff Garden.

The evil queen found out through her magic mirror that Snow White is alive. She tries to kill her with a strap while disguising herself as an old lady, but she saved. So the evil queen disguise as a carney tries to kill her with an apple through bobbing for apples, and “succeed”.

Obviously, Snow White got saved by the prince from Cinderella- I mean Prince Daring from Sleeping Beauty- I mean Prince Maximillion or King Maximillion. (Seriously, is this the only design for prince to reuse three times?) She isn’t awakening by kiss, but by one word she thought last only said by a king.

Snow White was one of those stories I’ve grown to hate, starting with the obvious Disney version. Something I could live without, yet it’s the very first animated feature length film, so it’s impossible to remove it.

Many other versions have tried their versions, and mostly are forgotten. Even the German Live-action version of Snow White was mostly shot for shot, ironically, the Disney version was a half shot for shot from an earlier version that he watched. This version of Snow White isn’t any better. Nothing has proven better, I question the inclusion of Why, and we don’t know who any of the dwarves names are aside from Clumsy. The Dwarves show their one personality, but their personality would have more than one name such as their leader could be Doc, Bossy, Jerky, Cranky, Grampy, Pappy, A Holey, Trumpy, Mandarky, Villainy, Neutrally, Papa Human Smurf, Stricty, or Surly…

“Hey, Surly looks out for one man, SURLY!”

-Surly from The Simpsons

I can’t believe I’m saying this, but this could be worse than Happily Ever After and Snow White Christmas. You read that right; it’s one of the rare animated films that are worse than a Filmation films. One of them that cost the company for being release around the time Disney’s Snow White was rereleased in theater. At least you know the name of the Dwarvelles and the Friendly Giants, they got a better owl to work off the villain, Dom DeLuise and Larry D. Mann (Yukon Cornelius’ voice actor) is a better mirror, and Malcolm McDowell is a menacing villain for semi-weak reason.

I could say this is a standard Snow White story, but Disney’s Snow White has reaches into “The Standard” that anything lowers than that is immediate bad. Any good Snow White that’s better than the Disney version is incredibly rare. I can’t say the Rankin Bass version is the worst of the Snow White, as there’s plenty others such as Happily N’ever After 2, but for me, this isn’t worth mirroring back. If you want a funny one, then go watch Animaniac’s.

How much longer do I have to review this series? I have one episode left? Woo-hoo! Oh boy, I hope this one doesn’t have a previous version that Disney did. What are the chances they would make their own version that came out at the same year as this version?

Robin Hood! 

Robin Hood?

*me screaming as I grabbed my laptop and twist it on a pole. The screen cut to Technical Difficulty.*

Rankin Bass' Tom Sawyer

Let’s go south with Tom Sawyer! 

Mark Twain tells the story of Tom Sawyer. (Oh good, the actual writer that narrate. Wait, Charles Dickens in A Christmas Tree? Oh well, at least this follows through the story with the writer than telling a different stories. You’ve been warned.)

In Mississippi, Tom Sawyer (voiced by Billie Mae Richard) convince a bunch of kids to white wash the fence He has actual friends with Becky, a dog named Shag, and Huck Finn, as they have an adventure at Doogal Cave. (Butch Hartman wishes to bury one of the worst animated films to be redubbed with the Weinsteins.)

6 minutes later, Tom found Desperado Jones discovering gold. 2 ½ minutes later, Tom and Becky got out of the cave. The town thinks they’re dead, but of course they’re not. Tom and Huck got the gold from a dead Desperado to be in the rich life. Will they enjoy this new life, and do we care?

I can’t believe there’s something as boring as Swiss Family Robinson, if not, more boring as that. We spend half the episode in a dark, dull cave with absolutely nothing happening but walking. There have been many films that spends majority of better times in a cave such as Simpsons, Avatar, and even the Fraggle Rocks. The people in this film are just as interesting as the cave. At least Swiss Family Robinson got attention-grabbing with the only girl disguise as a native, before she blends in with the family.

Any of the famous scenes of the book of Tom Sawyer is very minor from painting the fence at the beginning to the raft at the end. Yes, the story has grown more controversial in this PC world, as they can’t show every other recognizable character such as N-Jim. It’s really strange that the animated MGM version even showed that character as the villain, and they’re animals. The Simpsons is probably closer to Tom Sawyer under seven minutes than 20 minutes! It’s probably best to show the friendship of Tom and Huck, but this version mostly shows it at the last third act.

As Billie Mae Richard can be remarkable, it’s the only time she voiced the main character in this series, other than A Christmas Tree. She can hold a film on her own, but I rather follow her as a reindeer than human, and an extent of a Care Bear.

Much like the cave and river in the story, it’s best to go through this film once, and never go there again, unless you can predict every natural moment to make it a better trip. Tom Sawyer is one to it a give it a pass. 

You don’t want to listen to semi-reality, you want to hear another fairy tale, said viewers mostly under 7 that don’t read my blog as much as any over the age of 8. The next one would be grim with poison and psychos with Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. 

Rankin Bass' Robinson Crusoe

Didn’t I already review a Robinson film? Oh, it’s the single version, not the married version. So here’s Robinson Crusoe!

Robinson Crusoe gets stranded on an island with his animal sidekick; a parrot named Paul, a turtle named Bess, dog named Ben, cats named Tisk and Task, and a Dolphin named Fifi. (OK, the dolphin doesn’t have a name as it’s the same one from 20,000 League Under the Sea.)

From 6 months to 20 years later, he rescued a native from the cannibals he named Friday, and they plan to leave the island. (I’m not analyzing this part with an 80 foot pole.)

Robinson Crusoe is an interesting strong willing character, with a strong presence, and a decent voice. It’s funny that I’m more interested in one person than a family that we only focus on half of the family. Fitting that Robinson Crusoe came first, and Swiss Family Robinson was influence after that. Then it hits me why Swiss Family Robinson is dull while Robinson Crusoe is a delight. Crusoe is one person setting off with distant animals and a native, while Swiss Family is one person made into four without anything distant and have one or two breed of animals with a female Crusoe that start blending with the Swiss Family. Its conflict, distinct, and survival is what makes the drama difference, unless there’s something unique or actually good comedic angle. It’s sad realizing that most of the animals at the beginning are dead, but less sad that it doesn’t faze Robinson. Someone such as Ebenezer Scrooge wouldn’t mind the details.

“Robinson Crusoe not real…*he laughs* and Friday and the parrot, with green body with yellow tail not real?”

-Ebenezer Scrooge; played by George C. Scott in A Christmas Carol (1984).

It’s not like Disney did their version of Robinson Crusue and get more awkward…

(One viewing of Mickey’s Man Friday in 1935, later..)

Ohh…..well they briefly did it in Three Caballeros, so it’s neutral?

I rather watch this instead of Wild Life of 2016. One of the few animal focuses on Robinson Crusoe with the animals more generic to each other. It doesn’t help that this Robinson is a major clumsy wimp as we question how he is not dead from a trip from sand. However, that will be one of many crappy animal films, and made worse when it’s a POV of famous or better stories such as The Legend of Titanic, Happy Feet 2 with useless shrimps, Sony’s The Star, etc.

This is good version to check out, if you’re interested.

Let’s go back to America with Tom Sawyer. It can’t get obdurate than that, right? Wait, I’m informing that the controversial character isn’t in that version of Tom Sawyer. Oh good, now I feel safe. Maybe this version has a different angle to the Mark Twain that’ll be good, right?

Rankin Bass' Alice In Wonderland

Strangely enough, Rankin Bass did two versions of Louis “Dodo” Carol classic. One is an animated special of the TV show of That Girl (the name of the show, not the vague specific.), and the other is a story to Family Festival Special episode 14.

Unfortunately, I can only find the opening and tea party scene in That Girl in Wonderland. So I’m reviewing other version.

Alice is bored of reality, until she sees a rabbit in a red coat going down the rabbit hole with curiosity. After figuring out which bottle is the correct size for her to be for the small door, she entered Wonderland. Wonderland is filled with everyone being backwards and mad; featuring the lazy caterpillar, the Cheshire Cat, the Mad Hatter, the barely “March” Hare, Mock Turtle, and the kingdom of the Red Queen of Heart.

Throughout my life, I was looking for a better version of the Wonderland story that isn’t the obvious Disney version I known the longest. The closest I found was a Betty Boop cartoon, the two versions of Lou Bunin’s stop motion version, an anime series, and a Christmas special of the Two Ronnies.

There’s a weird choice of what’s the best age for Alice to be in Wonderland. You have either an 8 year old that would cry too much in the Festival of Family Classics, or around 20 year old that knows too much to either sound pandering in That Girl In Wonderland or being as dull as a frozen piece of grass? Personally I would lean towards Marlo Thomas of That Girl in Wonderland in terms of design, voice, and cries the least than assuming Peggi Loder in the Festival of Family Classic version.

Weird enough, Disney’s version is probably the right age of 14-16. She’s not young enough to know little, but she not old enough, unless the remastered version would edit her lips rosie red to show an age difference somehow. It’s very similar to Judy Garland being Dorothy in Wizard of Oz. Both characters were originally a little girl in a blue dress at a magical world, but child actors were mostly difficult to work with at the time, with the exception of Shirley Temple as the one of the first choice of casting. So they use choose teen actors to play the character. If the actors are good, then they make a landmark, and both Garland and Kathryn Beamount has set the bar at their highest.

Wonderland’s background is decent, but naturally it’s inpassible to go beyond the background of Mary Blair. It went further with Wonderland being Wonderful than having Wonderland to just be a land of giant mushroom without inviting Mario Mario. Yet somehow they were closest to get the March Hare (voiced by Jerry Colona) to go by his name, and in a moment you’ll realize is creepy after his certain question. (Thanks, Bobsheaux!)

This is just a decent short TV version. The colors have more life than Golden Time’s mostly orange Wonderland or Tim Burton’s Grown Up Alice Return to Gray Underland and the foamed in sequel. It’s definitely more living than the animated 2010 MS Paint version with the 1940’s recording with Dinah Shore and Arthur Q. Bryan; the voice of Elmer Fudd.

If you can find That Girl in Wonderland in full, that would be something to be curiouser and curiouser to check out. If you’re interested to see the Festival of Family Classic version, you’ll have your short fill. Otherwise, it’s best to move down to a better door to a different Wonderland.

Next time, I’ll review a Robinson film, this time is Robinson Crusoe. There’s that awkward feeling again that’s slightly different here. 

Rankin Bass' Arabian Nights

Finally, a set change! After so much repetitions and forgot to put in a Segway from the previous review to this one due to going on for about 900 words, it’s time to move on through the sands of time to The Arabian Nights.

Pindar is commissioned by Omar to get the treasure at the Enchanted Hideout Cave of Aladdin. (Yeah, you thought the main character is Aladdin, but it’s not.)

Pindar got the treasure and magic lamp away from the guarding Genie. The magic lamp would cast the first wish for a magic carpet, even without saying “wish” but “grant”. Pindar loses a ruby from a Guhgah Bird. (It’s not the evolve form of a Chattot.) Since he lost the ruby, he lost the deal with Omar to marry his daughter, Princess Aouda- I mean Jasmine- I mean Fatah. (OK, the reusing design character is still happening minor.)

Omar would give Pindar a second chance to get the slippers of the Cruel Kalief of the Blue City across the Steaming Desert. Will he succeed in his mission and win the hand of Fatah?

This one is different visually in term of setting, but story wise is same as any related love story. We’ve seen plenty of medieval setting, but this time it’s in Baghdad, which may or not interest enough to people. You know this story; boy meet girl, boy does something to win the girl, and he win the girl at the end most unrealistically. I wouldn’t mind them, if we didn’t them many times in episodes as much as a romance genre film in a year. I wish for variety where it’s the female focus without any predictable romance.

Genie from this version of Arabian Night: As you wish, fool! *he clap his hands*

Me: What just happened? Anyway, back to the review.

As far as I know, Disney hasn’t done an Arabian Nights story before this version. Closest thing they did was the Magic Serape in Three Caballeros. Other cartoons did their Arabian Night story such as Popeye as Aladdin, the Puppetoons version, Bugs Bunny has a magic lamp with a genie voiced by Mr. Magoo, who has a point to his comedy, and even Mr. Magoo in 1001 Arabian Nights where Mr. Magoo has little to no point in the film. Nowadays, 2/3 of people will immediately watch Disney’s Aladdin, while the 1/3 of people would watch The Thief and the Cobbler, the Recobbled Cut.

This is a decent version of the Arabian Night story. It’s not the worst version of the tale, which position either goes to Mr. Magoo in Aladdin, Miramax’s Thief and the Cobbler, Ali Babba & The Gold Raiders, Aladdin and the Adventure of All Times, and maybe Return of Jafar. Take the Arabian Night as it is, as you wish.

Now we’ll sail to something vaguely awkward to a story that may get awkward with Robins...wait a minute. Episode 14 is what? *sigh* I delay this review long enough. It’s time to review one and half version of Alice In Wonderland. It did spare me from an awkward moment. Thank and Curse you, Genie!

Rankin Bass' The Sleeping Beauty

OK, let’s get this royal pain out of the way with Rankin Bass’ Sleeping Beauty.

An evil witch Zelda- I mean Glenda has cast a spell on needle and pins for when the princess touches it on her 20^th birthday, she dies.

“Only bad witches are ugly!”

-Glenda from Wizard of Oz, 1939 MGM version.

Glenda’s good sister, Fairy Godmother- I mean Cecilia (Kacilia?) has altered the spell her and the entire kingdom will sleep in suspended animation but only awaken by true love’s first kiss.

The king has banished all sowing implement in the entire kingdom. One couple hid their spinning wheel in the castle attic tower. 20 years later, their princess Cinderella- I mean Trophi- I mean Melody- I MEAN BEAUTY is safe from the spell. (Oh god, I’m having a Goodtime Beauty and the Beast flashback with Crazy Old Man.)

Out of curiosity, Beauty was looking for more books to read, but she has pricked her finger on a spindle of a spinning wheel, and she and the entire kingdom fall asleep for 100 years. (She only she had her nose stuck in a book.)

Not worth to spoil here. Glenda guards the entire sleepy kingdom with thorny vines. 100 years later, Prince- I mean Prince Daring and the Messenger- I mean his squire swing their sword to the rescue. Glenda is defeated by not by Prince Daring, because he was frozen today, not by a sword to the chest, not even a flaming sword, but by the squire’s kiss. It’s one thing to say Prince Daring didn’t defeat the villain, but it’s another thing when Princess Beauty awoken from his presence, even though it’s a kiss that supposed to wake her up. Meaning Prince Daring did nothing but simply stood there!

“He’s completely useless!”

-         Crazy Old Man from Goodtimes’ Beauty And the Beast, voiced by Phelous in his review of the film.  

Out of all of the Rankin Bass films so far, this is by far the laziest I’ve seen in design. I’m not saying Paul Coker Jr. is lazy, I meant the choice of reusing earlier designs from earlier episodes within the year as a “different character” is lazy.

The witch is from Jack O’ Lantern, The godmother, princess, messenger, the queen, trumpet players, and prince from Cinderella,

This was based on the book by Charles Perrault, the same author who did Cinderella and Puss In Boots. Would that explain the excuse of designing Beauty to look identical to Cinderella? I was going to compare Princess Trophi from Puss In Boots, but at least the eyes and dress were drawn different, and she had huge.. Tracks of Land. Beauty’s minor difference is having a pink dress and Trophi’s eye shadow. It’s debatable if the entire princesses are voiced by Peg Dixon, who also voiced Mrs. Donner, who I can be convinced voice the queen or witch.

This is pretty bad when the Disney version of Sleeping Beauty is more original in design, and the fewest recycling they use was the Headless Horseman’s animation from Sleepy Hallow, the Evil Wicked Queen’s scream from Snow White, and the pluck sound from Toot, Pluck, Whistle, and Boom. Yes, the classic Disney film that I didn’t like entirely has done more originality than the Rankin Bass! OK, that was expected comparing, but Rankin Bass usually do films of different characters to stand out while having most of their same characters connected. (Santa Claus is the rare exception.)

Yes, the story they’re using is mostly based from the original story, but even Disney knows better when to change to fit better. The prince that rescues the beauty is in the same time period than 100 years later. The 3 fairies protect the beauty from the witch and a spinning wheel than have the princess remain in the castle as an easy target and have the spinning wheel hidden where royalty have access to. Maleficent is a unique witch villain in design and magic to stand out from the design that the Wicked Witch of the West owned more than her original book design. Even the music actually uses the Sleeping Beauty ballet than Rankin Bass' standard music they played since Cricket On The Hearth. Yes, I know, the music is limited for TV shows for non-serialized episodes, which prevent from doing a better version of any previous stories in public domain.

George Pal did their Sleeping Beauty in the similar story, except the Witch simply put the Beauty and kingdom to sleep by magic powder, they showed other people try to break through the vines, and beauty was awaken by Phillip Radio, because most of the Puppetoons at the early times were partly serving as commercials. It’s just a coincidence that the Phillip in name wakes the beauty, unless it’s a nickel.

The only character that stands out from this special is the Bell Ringer as a Grump who notices the flaw in the system of his job such as ringing every waking moment at night. Somehow there’s more relief to know he made it alright than the entire kingdom. That’s an extreme minor positive to say for a Lazy Negative Film in design. I almost have a theory that Festival of Family Classic was supposed to be fewer than 15 episodes, but was demanded by ABC to make a little more, but not enough it would almost end Mushi Production for America, or no one was on board. Unsure the reason for this episode to exist, but for the time being, I’m going to sleep away from this version, and dream something more original visually.