Arthur Rankin, Jr.

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Arthur Rankin, Jr. (born July 19, 1924 in New York City, New York) is an American director, producer and writer, mostly working in animation.

The son of actor Arthur Rankin, in the early 1960s he founded the film production company Videocraft International (now called Rankin/Bass) with Jules Bass. The two worked closely together for many years, co-directing and producing a wide array of stop motion animated features and cartoons, perhaps most famously the holiday-themed TV specials, such as Rudolph's Shiny New Year and The Year Without a Santa Claus. He is also credited with devising the story for many Rankin/Bass productions, including the feature films The Daydreamer and Mad Monster Party. In 1977 Rankin and Bass produced a version of J. R. R. Tolkien's The Hobbit. The pair also teamed on a wide variety of animated TV series, including Thundercats and Silverhawks. The pair last teamed on the 1987 TV special based on The Wind in the Willows. Rankin, Jr's last producing credit was on the 1999, animated version of The King and I; Bass was not involved.