Jules Bass, ‘Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer’ producer, dies at 87

NEW YORK — Jules Bass, a producer, director and animator behind beloved animated vacation tv specials of the Sixties and 70s like “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” has died at age 87, according to multiple reports.

Bass handed away of an age-related sickness at an assisted residing facility, his publicist confirmed to Variety.

Bass was finest recognized for the work that got here from his artistic partnership with Arthur Rankin Jr. He and Rankin teamed as much as kind their very own manufacturing firm, first producing the 1960 syndicated tv sequence “The New Adventures of Pinocchio.” 

“Rudolph” was launched in 1964 and have become a direct success, that includes the voice of Burl Ives as Sam the Snowman and introducing new songs, equivalent to “Holly Jolly Christmas” and “Silver and Gold,” into Americans’ vacation repertoire.

The pair went on to supply many extra vacation specials, together with “The Little Drummer Boy,” “Frosty the Snowman” and “Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town,” amongst many others. 

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Bass and Rankin have been nominated for an Emmy for excellent kids’s particular for “The Little Drummer Boy Book II” in 1977, and gained a Peabody Award in 1978 for his or her animated model of “The Hobbit” by J.R.R. Tolkien. 

Together, they co-directed “The Last Unicorn” in 1982, which featured the voices of main stars like Jeff Bridges and Angela Lansbury.

Bass and Rankin additionally made a long-lasting affect on the Saturday morning cartoon lineup with well-liked exhibits like “Jackson 5ive” and “Thundercats.”

Rankin died in 2014 at age 89.

Bass’ daughter, Jean Nicole Bass, died in January at age 61, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

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