Jules Bass Movies

Nicole Kidman turns to romantic comedy territory with this vacationing tale of three middle-aged schoolteachers who ditch their drab Midwestern lives so they can live it up under wealthy pretenses with the posh crowd in Monte Carlo. Family Stone director Thomas Bezucha co-adapted the script with Maria Maggenti from the book Headhunters by Rankin/Bass animator-turned-novelist Jules Bass. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, All Movie Guide

Completed in 1985, Rankin/Bass' feature-length cartoon version of Kenneth Grahame's The Wind in the Willows had its network debut delayed several times; the film finally premiered on July 5, 1987. This adaption of the 1908 Grahame story was more faithful to the source that the enjoyable but overly slick 1949 Disney version Ichabod and Mr. Toad (ironically, the Rankin/Bass version was shown in the timeslot normally occupied by ABC's Disney Sunday Movie). This lighthearted tale of the foolish Mr. Toad and the attempts by his anthropomorphic-animal friends to keep Toad from making a fool of himself was wonderfully brought to life by the whimsically epicene voicework of Charles Nelson Reilly (as Toad), Roddy McDowall, Jose Ferrer and Eddie Bracken. The film's character design and background art brilliantly evoke the spirit of Kenneth Grahame's original illustrations. Since its initial telecast, Wind in the Willows has become a fixture of virtually every video rental store in the nation. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The daily, half-hour animated adventure series Thundercats was introduced with an extra-length "special" in January of 1985, with the series proper following eleven months later. Escaping the dying planet Thundera, a band of giant feline-like aliens with human characteristics journey to "Third Earth." Just before expiring, Jaga, the head of the Thundercats, passes the cudgel to young Lion-O, who is entrusted with the Sword of Omens, which enables himself and his comrades to possess super-powers. (In later episodes, Jaga will contact Lion-O from "The Astral World.") No sooner have they landed on Third Earth, however, than the Thundercats are assaulted by the mutant monstrosities of the planet Plun-Darr, led by the hideous living mummy Mumm-Ra. As the series progresses, Mumm-Ra will use his shape-shifting abilities to confound the "good guys"; the Thundercats will accrue such allies as the Ro-Bears and the Brute-Men; innumerable beasties, reprobates, and potential heroes will trod the ground of Third Earth, among them unicorns, pirates, living gargoyles, the enigmatic samurai Hachi-Man, the mechanical pest Wolfrat, the sheep-like (but far from sheepish) Bolkins, the indescribably horrible monster Mongra, Mumm-Ra's flunky The Driller (half power drill, half human), the teeny-tiny human race Micrits (not unlike Dr. Seuss' Whos of Whoville), and the megalomaniac Vultureman. And although it will seem that the Thundercats bear most of the brunt from unfriendly visitors, Mumm-Ra is in for some headaches of his own from his ancient mind-controlling enemy Wiz-Ra. Throughout, it remains vital for the Thundercats to sustain a generous supply of Thundrillium to retain their powers, and to avoid the Time Warp Prison.
Highlights include the two-part "Feliner," all about the Thundercats' efforts to keep their first airship aloft with the use of the hyperspace mega-condenser; and a five-part continuity, spread out over several weeks, wherein Lion-O must, on the occasion of his 20th birthday, go through a grueling rite of passage called an atonement in order to become True Lord of the ThunderCats. The last of Season one's 65 episodes is "Fond Memories," in which a visit to the Thundercats Hall of Fame proves to be an exhilarating experience when the pictures on the wall come to life...and Lion-O ends up battling himself! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

This animated version of DeBeaumont's classic fairy tale Beauty and the Beast throws in a dash of Cinderella. The kind, virtuous, generous Beauty lives in a mansion with her five spoiled-rotten sisters. Of her avaricious siblings, only Beauty can adjust when her father loses all his money and they must live in reduced circumstances. And only Beauty has the courage to sacrifice her future to live with the hideous Beast in order to save her father's life. Produced by Ruby-Spears, this half-hour version of Beauty and the Beast originally aired November 25, 1983, on CBS as a "Kenner Family Classics" Thanksgiving special. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Only one of the mythological creatures escapes the evil King Haggard's (voice by Christopher Lee) plan to eliminate all unicorns from the land in Rankin-Bass's (Frosty the Snowman, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer) sophisticated production of The Last Unicorn. In hopes of rescuing her exiled breed, the last unicorn (voice by Mia Farrow) teams up with the kindly, if bumbling wizard Schmendrick the Magician (voice by Alan Arkin), who accompanies her on the far-reaching and treacherous quest to save her kind. ~ Tracie Cooper, All Movie Guide

Based on the novel The Picture of Dorian Gray, by Oscar Wilde, this modern adaptation follows the trials of a woman who trades her soul for eternal youthful beauty. However, as the woman's appearance does not change, her video screen test ages and decays. This film was made for television ~ Iotis Erlewine, All Movie Guide

An enchanted being from the Emerald Isle must rescue his village from an evil monster in this animated adventure from Arthur Rankin and Jules Bass. Dinty Doyle the Leprechaun wants to find the ideal Christmas tree for his family's home, but just when he's found a seemingly perfect pine near the Irish coast, he discovers a terrible banshee has been trapped inside the tree. Dinty accidentally releases the creature, which soon sweeps through the Leprechaun's village, stealing the golden treasures they'd been saving for Christmas presents. Can Lord Patrick, king of the little people, conquer the banshee and save Christmas? The Leprechaun's Christmas Gold features the voice talents of Art Carney and Peggy Cass. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

The second of Rankin/Bass' animated TV specials based on the works of J.R.R. Tolkien, Return of the King plots the quest to defeat the evil wizard Sauron. Frodo, nephew of The Hobbit protagonist Bilbo Baggins, vows to destroy the Ring, even if it costs him his own life. He carries the Ring to the volcanic innards of Mount Doom. All this he does on behalf of good-guy Aragon, who will never be able to escape the dreaded land of Sauron so long as the Ring retains its evil powers. Orson Bean, who'd been the voice of Bilbo Baggins in the 1977 Hobbit cartoon special, returns to portray Frodo. Return of the King originally aired May 11, 1980. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Set in Bermuda, this TV movie focuses on a hunt for a rare Albino gorilla, recently captured in Africa by ruthless big-game hunter Marc Kazarian (Jack Palance). Dedicated government agent Baxter Mapes (Steven Keats) and his ex-girlfriend, Lil Tyler (Cindy Pickett), conduct a humanitarian search for the ape, which has slipped through the fingers of the greedy Kazarian. But hero and heroine had better hurry; the villain has convinced the locals that the ape is a killer, and must be brought in dead or alive. One of the few live-action efforts from the animation firm of Rankin-Bass (whose previous productions included Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer and The Little Drummer Boy), The Ivory Ape made its ABC network bow on April 18, 1980. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The 1979 Rankin/Bass production Jack Frost is a made-for-TV stop motion animation feature. Buddy Hacket narrates the story as the voice of groundhog Pardon-Me-Pete. The spirit of winter, Jack Frost (voice of Robert Morse) falls for a young woman named Elisa (voice of Debra Clinger). He asks Father Winter to make him into a human so he can win her love. However, she is already engaged to the brave knight, Sir Danny. When the villianous King Kubla Kraus (voice of Paul Frees) kidnaps her, Jack has to turn back into his spirit form in order to use his powers to save her. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide

J.R.R. Tolkien's classic book about the Hobbit Bilbo Baggins and his unexpected adventures came to life in this animated, televised adaptation by Rankin-Bass Productions. Enthusiasts of Tolkien's lengthy and more demanding Lord of the Rings trilogy, as well as adult readers of The Hobbit, may be disappointed by this somewhat simplified adaptation of the book, though children and first-time readers of Tolkien will appreciate its whimsical introduction to the fictional world of Middle Earth.

As the story goes, "In a hole in the ground, there lived a Hobbit...." Bilbo Baggins would much rather relax in his comfy hobbit-hole or take long walks in the Shire than have adventures. After all, "adventures make one late for dinner." Unfortunately, Gandalf the Wizard shows up one day with other plans for Bilbo. Gandalf introduces Bilbo to a rag-tag band of dwarves whose leader, Thorin Oakensheild, asks Bilbo for help in recovering his family's treasure from the fire-breathing dragon Smaug. Bilbo meekly accepts the offer, and soon finds himself on a long journey through Mirkwood forest, to Smaug's dark lair in the Lonely Mountain. Along the way, the unlikely band is captured and nearly eaten by trolls, shackled and prodded by goblins, tied-up in webs and hung from trees by giant spiders, and finally imprisoned by the swarthy, distrustful woodland elves of Mirkwood. With keen hobbit-wits and a magic ring he finds in the goblin caves, Bilbo manages to free the band on several occasions and helps them recover their lost inheritance.

Understandably, much detail was omitted from Tolkien's novel to fit this made-for-TV adaptation -- most notably the story of the group's encounter with Beorn the shape shifter, and the somewhat complex issue of the Arkenstone, a legendary gem which Bilbo steals from Smaug's treasure-trove unbeknownst to the dwarves. Rankin-Bass Productions made another foray into Middle Earth several years later with The Return of the King, picking up where animator Ralph Bakshi left his unfinished adaptation of Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings. ~ Anthony Reed, All Movie Guide

In this animated holiday outing, a good-hearted little donkey is the butt of many jokes because of his exceptionally long ears. Despite the constant ribbing, Nestor grows up to perform a very important task on the very first Christmas Eve. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

The Little Drummer Boy: Book 2 relates the further adventures of the youngster who played his drum for the Christ child. King Melchior introduces the boy to Simeon, who has used all of his money to create silver bells to announce the birth of the Son of God and has nothing left to pay his taxes. The singing and dancing tax collector Brutus confiscates Simeon's bells and the young hero and his friends must retrieve them. This animated story is narrated by Greer Garson and features the voice of Zero Mostel. ~ Sally Barber, All Movie Guide