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Thursday, April 18, 2019

The Lookback: The First Easter Rabbit

The Flashback Easter 




    Ah yes, it's Easter time again , and that means we find another Easter special to look at and thanks to our friends at Rankin-Bass we have another one to talk about !  (How do you know they're our friends, did you ask them?)  Last year, we looked at their special "Here Comes the Easter Bunny" , this year we go back a year to a special they made in 1976 because that's how we roll at this blog.

      Our look this time is called "The First Easter Rabbit" that first aired on April 9th 1976 on NBC (finally a special for NBC on the blog).  It seems to be another Easter Bunny origin story as well.  This special is drawn  animation versus stop motion which means we get more of that nice Rankin Bass hand-drawn animation this time.

        Burl Ives is back to narrate this special after doing "Rudolph" in 1964.  Let's take a look now join us. (please, or he wont' stop talking)

       It starts with a Christmas tree and some Christmas like bells, so apparently I put in the wrong thing, sorry about that oh wait there's somebody here.  There's a bunny voiced by Burl Ives  who calls himself G.B and he says we must be wondering where  is Santa? (Yes, I was wondering where Santa was in this Easter special)   Apparently, G.B has time traveled  because time travel exits. He points to a house to tell us how important for there to be an Easter Rabbit.
   
In my past life I was as snowman, what kind of reincarnation is this? I wanted to be a slime! (Copyright Rankin Bass) 

     The theme song is fun, very peppy and joyful i like it, again it's more of  Maury Laws and Jules Bass made music for the R&B specials and they are always enjoyable.  There's a stuffed rabbit that was a Christmas present for a girl named Glinda (Time for people to bring this name back!) she names him Stuffy.  Meanwhile, real life rabbits are committing carrot crimes.(Did you know you aren't supposed to give rabbits carrots, or something go ahead Duck Duck go it!) They see Stuffy and notice that he's not a real rabbit but apparently Stuffy thinks he his because yes, Stuffy can think.
         
 I think while you sleep/ Copyright Rankin Bass 

     Stuffy is voiced by Robert Morse who you may know from "Mad men" if you know from something from before Mad Men then even better because I only gave a short example.  Glinda and Stuffy have a good time and that means something bad happens, poor Glinda has gotten Scarlet Fever.  The doctor says that they should burn all her bedding and the rabbit. (I'd like to have  second opinion, maybe doctor burns needs to calm the heck down)  So, the mother decides to set everything outside to burn it.  Stuffy cries  and a fairy appears and tells him that her job is turn toys that kids used to have but get thrown into real things. (Uhhh wait a minute, I have several questions)  She turns him real and she then tells him that his job will be the First Easter Rabbit (roll credits).


 Now to turn some dolls into real children / Copyright Rankin Bass


    I know this special is 24 minutes long, but we are moving fast here.   The song from earlier gets used again with more verses.  Calliope, the fairy, then tells Stuffy to go to Easter Valley, where it's always spring. (what?)  Also, he has two weeks to get ready for Easter. (ooh well then that's weird) Oh, and watch out for Zero! (Who' or What is Zero? nobody knows)
         

     Stuffy meets the carrot rabbits from earlier  and they think that he's a little strange and they decide to follow him.   Meanwhile, Zero is going to be our Villain  his job is to keep the North Pole all what keeps the North Pole what it is , but the problem is Easter Valley  somehow exists and he's trying to figure out what keeps that place not following the laws of physics. (He is really a villain though?)
I'm Zero, I spell my name like this : 0 / Copyright Rankin Bass


     Anyway our rabbit gang continues their search for Easter Valley.  Oh, they found it (that 24 minute run time really speeds things up) and guess what Santa Claus is there in Easter Valley. (Crossover)  Santa is there to help Stuffy set up for Easter and, they decide that it would be best to test pilot this Easter Rabbit thing in one town first.   Then Santa leaves.  Oh, the thing that keeps Easter Valley all spring like is a flower called the Golden Lilly and if it were to disappear all of spring would be gone. (Wait hold on!)
I have all those outfits/ Copyright Rankin Bass


   How is Glinda doing? She's getting better from her scarlet fever and still mumbling about her rabbit. Stuffy decides to visit her but, we didn't have time for them to hear what they talked about. Glinda found that her mother had burn all her clothes and stuff because doctor quick to burn's idea.
 
Now, I'm off to tell some children they have to burn their favorite pet/ Copyrights Rankin Bass 

   Meanwhile, Zero finally figures out how to get into Easter Valley because we need to have tension in this special. Now, it starts to snow in Easter Valley (now I've seen snow on Easter so I wouldn't be shocked) because Zero got the flower while, his snowball Bruce thought he went too far and decides to help the rabbits.   Bruce tells Santa who rescues the rabbits.  Santa helps the rabbits and they delver Easter gifts. Doctor Burns stuff (yeah I am going to keep calling him that) gave Glinda an Easter Dress and she meets him at Noon.
High Noon / Copyright Rankin Bass 


      I also think the doctor and mother fell in love, and we didn't see a Mr.Glinda's father in this special so, woah.  They use the Easter Parade song to finish up the fun. Santa tells Zero to make spring come back or he's moving to the South Pole. (Santa is tough but fair)  Zero doesn't want to be alone without Santa and his folks so he decides to put the flower back.  Also, our narrator ,GB was Stuffy all along. 

       
     This special didn't capture me as much as the other Rankin Bass Easter special I talked about.  That doesn't mean it wasn't enjoyable because it was it seems like due to the length of time and they had to do  a forced bad guy then rush his redemption in an also forced way.    I mention the Christmas in special as interesting  so, it's time for me to play the over-thinking game.  Christmas and Easter aren't usually thought of together even though, the holidays do have a connection to each other without Christmas no Easter to say.   I think it's alright a good special with some minor writing problems and maybe the length of time was too short for the story they wanted to tell but, at the same time if it was longer it would have felt dragged out. I kind of do wonder why Stuffy was picked to be the Easter Rabbit. We also really don't know why he wanted to be 'real' but, at the same I feel it was just a way to connect the two things for the story which attributes to the off writing in this special. We also didn't get enough on why Glinda loves that rabbit mostly because doctor I want to burn things really was of no help and again they must have needed her as a reason to have a stuffed rabbit to make it work.
 
   Again, It's alright and give it watch if you haven't seen  it I'm just saying I enjoyed the other one more.   On the  positive it's well animated, still fun to watch, and even they use the same song multiple times, it's not a bad song. Also Burl Ives makes this special great as well.

   Well, does it for us now, tune in next time when we tell a child with chicken pox we have to  burn their favorite toys  and they have to watch!
     
     

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