Yes, I have done the Rankin Bass Easter themed specials out of order, meaning the third and final post related to their Easter specials is about their first one. So we look at "Here Comes Peter Cottontail". This special first aired on ABC on April 4th 1971, (funny enough ABC ends up with two Rankin Bass Easter specials).
This special has Danny Kaye who you might know from "White Christmas", the movie with Bing Crosby, he voices a few characters including the narrator named Seymour S. Sassafras, he's salesman who is in April valley (what happens if Easter is in March?) and is going to see Peter Cottontail to give him colors to paint Easter eggs. That's right we don't know who that is, good thing Seymour is going to tell us , right? (I'm going home)
He's a very dapper dresser/ Copyright Rankin Bass and Universal
April Valley is where Easter Bunnies live and work, so apparently in this world there's more than one, Easter Bunny, alright. Peter Cottontail is the chief Bunny, also apparently we are going to be finding out how he almost lost the job. (Budget cuts?) There's an evil rabbit named Irontail who almost became the Easter Bunny. (You gave him the name Irontail, what do you expect?)
So apparently, the job of Easter Bunny is passed down (like a monarchy!) like there was Wellington B. Bunny and he has to find a new successor and thinks Peter Cottontail might be a good one for the job. His assistant doesn't like this idea because Peter is boastful and sometimes lies. (like a monarchy!) Every time Peter lies his left ear droops, because sure. Because this is a Rankin-Bass special, that means we get songs! The first song is Wellington singing about every Easter Bunny needing to be ready for Easter. (Sung by Danny Kaye, because they got Danny Kaye and they are going to use him!)
I'm not your father/ Copyright Universal
We need our villain, and that's Irontail, he's called that because a child ran over his tail (how that work, don't bunnies have short tails?) and he wears iron one. (Why?) Anyway they got Vincent Price to voice him, because the casting people were awesome, good work guys! Irontail is mad at all children because of this. (perfectly reasonable response)
My insurance said either iron or rubber and well... /Copyright Universal
Peter is made Chief Easter Bunny, until Irontail comes in with the Constitution of April Valley. (Like a Monarchy!) We need plot for this special so, he we go; January (that's Irontial) wants to challenge for the Easter Bunny job for who gets the most eggs delivered to be the next E.B. Peter accepts. Anyway because Peter is cocky, he has a big party instead of sleeping and getting ready for the next day. Irontail also does some cheating. Thanks to I.T rigging the chicken alarm clock (what?) Peter sleeps in. Irontail tries to deliver eggs but children apparently don't like iron-tailed bunnies (because children are rude) but, he does give one egg and that's one more than Peter did so, Irontail is new Easter Bunny, special over!
Oh no! He's killing a flower, he's evil!/ Copyright Universal
More after the jump
Guess there's more special. Irontail does the same song from before but in reverse so instead of good things, it's bad things. Peter left April Valley because he was disgraced. I forgot to mention that Peter is voiced by the legendary Casey Kasem. Peter meets Seymour in his garden, the garden of surprises, that he makes colors from. (not purple) Anyway, Seymour offers a machine called Yestermorrowbile than can go to different times with Antoine, the caterpillar, (also voiced by Kaye, because they got Danny Kaye, and they are going to use him!) The machine can take a person back or forward to many different holidays. So, Peter gets the idea to go back in time to deliver eggs and beat I.T. So, we get time travel.
You aren't Santa / Copyright Universal
January Irontail, apparently can see them go back in time because, of course he can. Anyway, he sends a missile with a spider to mess with the time machine. (That's a line there) So they end up in Mother's day. (Finally a mother's day special) Peter tries to give eggs on Mother's Day, but that doesn't work because of course not. Then it head to the Fourth of July. Antoine says they should try a different way of doing this and improvise and make these like 4th of July eggs. ( Couldn't they make them into delved eggs?) He likes to children and tells them the eggs are fireworks. (I don't think that counts) They get the eggs back because the kids figured it out.
They were saved that night from death /Copyright Universal
It's Halloween now and Irontail calls a witch to stop Peter. (Yep, this special is getting weird) Peter makes the witch cry and he offers her an egg and it makes her feel happy. Irontail sends his bat to destroy the eggs. (Should have done that in the first place, guy) I like how Seymour seems to be getting into act as narrator and repeats lines going back into the story, it's a good way to show he's watching the story with us.
Hey look, it's Thanksgiving, so finally a Thanksgiving special. It's hard to give away eggs on a day with people eat more food than they should. Then, it's Christmas time because we're doing all the holidays in this Easter special. Hey Santa! Meanwhile, at a hat shop there's a sentient Easter Bonnet named Bonnie. Who is sad nobody bought her, (Yeah, I ain't buying a living hat either) He offers eggs to trade for Bonnie because alright. (That works!) Irontail decides to take eggs himself and says he's going to hide them instead, of you know just destroying them.
OVER COMMERCIALIZATION OF CHRISTMAS / Copyright Universal
Peter loses Antoine and has to go with Bonnie and they end up on Valentine's Day. Oh look, a lady bunny. Her name is Donna, and she knows Peter Cottontail and apparently, everyone knows his story. (Glad newspapers had time for that) He has time to skate with the lady rabbit (because special has time for this) Irontail finds the eggs that Peter left, and still doesn't smash them, but you know, plot? This time he turned all the eggs green. I mean, he made the eggs green like all green, the whites are green, yokes are green, the green is green. ( So this is how Green Eggs were created).
Should return those, good guy/ Copyright Universal
The next holiday was Washington's Birthday and that doesn't work. Peter feels bad that everything has gone wrong, he realizes he shouldn't lied so much and had that party in the first place and etc. Meanwhile, Danny Kaye gets to sing some more! Now, if only there was a holiday where green is deeply associated with it. Yep, Saint Patrick's day and that works. So, now Peter Cotton tail is Easter Bunny and somehow, Irontail just accepted this off screen or something. Then they reuse some animation with the song "Here Comes Peter Cottontail" and Antoine is now a butterfly. With the credits we find out that Irontail has become a janitor. (Uhhhh sure)
Kind of funny this special with Easter barely takes place at Easter, like it runs through every holiday (except Labor Day; there was no MLK JR day,yet) instead, now in many ways Easter really does get overshadowed by other holidays and events. Heck, we don't even get these Easter specials (as of this writing) on TV. | The Easter traditions run through it, like the bonnet, eggs, and spring. This special is focused more on it's protagonist going through his own trial to make things better , instead of a straight Easter story. It makes the viewer want Peter to succeed and his main fault isn't the villain, but himself with his actions and mannerisms.
The best thing that sales this special is Danny Kaye, he's encompassing this special so well, it rolls well with him and glad they had him do it and chose to do it. Vincent Price sells the villain so well as well, strangely enough they over shadow Casey Kasem by default. The songs are fine, I still they save their more memorable songs for their Christmas specials but the songs here aren't bad.
This is fun a special and you should check it out for your Easter viewing. And with that we have finished the Rankin Bass Easter specials. You can check out the other two here : The Easter Bunny is Comin' to Town , The First Easter Rabbit .
Tune in next time, when we Irontail gets a replacement tail.
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