Raggedy Ann and Andy in The Great Santa Claus Caper

Last updated
Raggedy Ann and Andy in The Great Santa Claus Caper
Raggedy Ann & Andy in the Great Santa Claus Caper.jpg
Written byChuck Jones
Directed by Chuck Jones
Starring Daws Butler
June Foray
Les Tremayne
Theme music composer Dean Elliott
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
Production
Producers Chuck Jones
Mary Roscoe
Running time30 minutes
Production companiesChuck Jones Enterprises
The Bobbs-Merrill Company
Budget$375,000 [1]
Original release
Network CBS
ReleaseNovember 30, 1978 (1978-11-30)

Raggedy Ann and Andy in The Great Santa Claus Caper, a.k.a. simply The Great Santa Claus Caper, is an animated American television special featuring Raggedy Ann and Raggedy Andy. Produced by Chuck Jones Enterprises, the special was first broadcast November 30, 1978 on CBS. [2] The special was followed in 1979 by Raggedy Ann and Andy in The Pumpkin Who Couldn't Smile . [3] This is the first special to feature Jones' original character, a dog named Raggedy Arthur, [4] who would go on to become a staple of Raggedy Ann merchandise.

Contents

Synopsis

Inventor and "in"-efficiency expert Alexander Graham Wolf, who looks and sounds like Wile E. Coyote, is planning to take over Santa's workshop. Overhearing this, Comet, one of Santa's reindeer, asks Raggedy Ann, Raggedy Andy, and their dog Raggedy Arthur to help her because they're easy to carry and aren't bothered by cold weather.

At the factory, Alexander is using a machine to encase all the toys in blocks of a transparent and unbreakable substance called gloopstik (made by the Gloopstik Corporation), to ensure that they'll last forever, even though the children won't be able to play with them. He then intends to charge the children for the gloopstik-encased toys and become rich.

After arriving, the Raggedies soon meet Alexander, and he tries to interest them with his machine. At first, Andy is intrigued by the idea, but Ann thinks that it's awful. However, when Alexander uses his machine to encase Arthur, both Raggedies become angry. Andy demands that Alexander change their dog right back. Within minutes, Alexander tries to do so to Andy and has the claw grab him and toss him in the machine, while Ann furiously protests and orders Alexander to put Andy down. When he tries to do so to Ann, Andy (who is unharmed) climbs out of the top of the machine and when he sees Alexander chasing Ann, he gets furious and takes control of the machine. He then encases Alexander in a Christmas tree-shaped block. Ann and Andy laugh until Alexander tells them that gloopstik is unbreakable. At which point they become really worried, and run, hug and tell Arthur that they still love him even though he's stuck. Then the block disintegrates, and the Raggedys realize that love is the one thing that can destroy the gloopstik. Breaking the fourth wall, they ask all the children at home to shout "LOVE", which causes all the gloopstik blocks to fall apart, including the one in which Alexander's trapped. Having learned his lesson, Alexander destroys his machine (by pushing a button that causes it to consume itself) and leaves the workshop, just before Santa wakes up.

Voices

Credits

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chuck Jones</span> American animator and filmmaker (1912–2002)

Charles Martin Jones was an American animator, painter, voice actor and filmmaker, best known for his work with Warner Bros. Cartoons on the Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies series of shorts. He wrote, produced, and/or directed many classic animated cartoon shorts starring Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner, Pepé Le Pew, Marvin the Martian, and Porky Pig, among others.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Acme Corporation</span> Fictional company featured in Warner Bros. cartoons

The Acme Corporation is a fictional corporation that features prominently in the Road Runner/Wile E. Coyote animated shorts as a running gag. The company manufactures outlandish products that fail or backfire catastrophically at the worst possible times. The name is also used as a generic title in many cartoons, especially those made by Warner Bros. and films, TV series, commercials and comic strips.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Raggedy Ann</span> Fictional character

Raggedy Ann is a character created by American writer Johnny Gruelle (1880–1938) that appeared in a series of books he wrote and illustrated for young children. Raggedy Ann is a rag doll with red yarn for hair and a triangle nose. The character was created in 1915, as a doll, and was introduced to the public in the 1918 book Raggedy Ann Stories. When a doll was marketed with the book, the concept had great success. A sequel, Raggedy Andy Stories (1920), introduced the character of her brother, Raggedy Andy. Further characters such as Beloved Belindy, a black mammy doll, were featured as dolls and characters in books.

<i>Rolie Polie Olie</i> Animated series created by William Joyce

Rolie Polie Olie is an animated television series created by William Joyce, and is produced by Nelvana in co-production with French broadcaster La Cinquième/France 5, and was produced in association with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation and Disney Channel/Playhouse Disney in the United States. The show focuses on a little robot and his family who are composed of several spheres and other three-dimensional geometric shapes. The show was one of the earliest series that was fully animated in CGI. The series was broadcast from October 4, 1998, to April 28, 2004, and was followed with two straight-to-video films titled The Great Defender of Fun and The Baby Bot Chase, in 2002 and 2003 respectively.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joe Raposo</span> American composer (1937-1989)

Joseph Guilherme Raposo, OIH was an American composer, lyricist, songwriter, singer, and pianist, best known for his work on the children's television series Sesame Street, for which he wrote the theme song, as well as classic songs such as "Bein' Green", "C Is For Cookie" and "Sing". He also wrote music for television shows such as The Electric Company, Shining Time Station and the sitcoms Three's Company and The Ropers, including their theme songs. In addition to these works, Raposo also composed extensively for three Dr. Seuss TV specials in collaboration with the DePatie-Freleng Enterprises: Halloween Is Grinch Night (1977), Pontoffel Pock, Where Are You? (1980), and The Grinch Grinches the Cat in the Hat (1982).

Frank Cavalier Braxton Jr. was an African-American animator and director active in the early 1950s to the late 1960s. He was one of the first black animators hired by both Disney and Warner Bros.

William Lorenzo Bunt, known professionally as Dean Elliott, was an American television and film composer.

<i>Raggedy Ann & Andy: A Musical Adventure</i> 1977 film by Richard Williams

Raggedy Ann & Andy: A Musical Adventure is a 1977 live-action/animated musical fantasy film loosely adapted from the 1924 novel Raggedy Ann and Andy and the Camel with the Wrinkled Knees. It was directed by Richard Williams, produced by the Bobbs-Merrill Company, and released theatrically by 20th Century-Fox. A 1941 short film had previously featured the Raggedy Ann and Andy characters created by Johnny Gruelle. It was the first feature-length animated musical comedy film produced in the United States. In the film, Raggedy Ann and Andy, along with other toys, live in Marcella's nursery. During Marcella's seventh birthday, Babette, a doll from France, is introduced as the new doll from a large package. Meanwhile, Captain Contagious kidnaps Babette in the pirate ship and escapes from the nursery. Raggedy Ann and Andy have to explore and find Babette in the Deep Deep Woods to save her.

From A to Z-Z-Z-Z is a 1954 Warner Bros. Looney Tunes animated cartoon short directed by Chuck Jones. The short was released on October 16, 1954, and stars Ralph Phillips.

Abraham Levitow was an American animator who worked at Warner Bros. Cartoons, UPA and MGM Animation/Visual Arts. He is best known for his work under Chuck Jones' direction.

<i>Frosty the Snowman</i> (TV special) 1969 Christmas TV special

Frosty the Snowman is a 1969 American animated Christmas television special produced by Rankin/Bass Productions. It is the first television special featuring the character Frosty the Snowman. The special first aired on December 7, 1969, on the CBS television network in the United States, airing immediately after the fifth showing of A Charlie Brown Christmas; both scored high ratings. The special has aired annually for the network's Christmas and holiday season every year since.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">George S. Irving</span> American actor (1922–2016)

George S. Irving was an American actor known primarily for his character roles on Broadway and as the voice of Heat Miser in the American Christmas television specials beginning with The Year Without a Santa Claus (1974).

Emery Otis Hawkins was an American animator, best known for his work during the Golden age of American animation, working in various studios in the industry.

<i>Yogi Bears All Star Comedy Christmas Caper</i> 1982 animated TV special

Yogi Bear's All Star Comedy Christmas Caper is a 1982 animated Christmas television special starring Yogi Bear. It is the third and final Yogi Christmas special. Produced by Hanna-Barbera, it first aired on December 21, 1982 on CBS. Along with Yogi's traditional cast, the characters also met up with many other Hanna-Barbera characters, including Magilla Gorilla and Fred Flintstone.

<i>Raggedy Ann and Andy in The Pumpkin Who Couldnt Smile</i> American TV series or program

Raggedy Ann and Andy in The Pumpkin Who Couldn't Smile is a 1979 animated Halloween television special featuring Raggedy Ann and Raggedy Andy. Produced, directed and written by Chuck Jones, it was first televised October 31, 1979 on CBS. The special was a sequel to the 1978 Christmas special, Raggedy Ann and Andy in The Great Santa Claus Caper.

The following is the filmography of American animator Chuck Jones.

<i>Tom and Jerry: Santas Little Helpers</i> 2014 American film

Tom and Jerry: Santa's Little Helpers is a 2014 animated Direct-to-DVD special starring Tom and Jerry and the Christmas special of The Tom and Jerry Show, produced by Warner Bros. Animation. It was made available as part of a 2-disc DVD set of the same name, which also contains 29 other Tom and Jerry cartoons and episodes from Tom and Jerry Tales, on October 7, 2014.

Albert Frank Pabian (1918–2015) was an American animator from Chuck Jones Enterprises and Mendelson-Melendez Productions. He animated for the Peanuts cartoon specials and films. He animated three Peanuts films in the 1970s and the 1980s. He also animated thirty-five Peanuts specials in the 1970, the 1980s, the 1990s and the 2000s.

Events in 1913 in animation.

References

  1. "That's Not All, Folks; Bugs Bunny Oldies Return As 95-Min. Chase". Variety . September 6, 1978. p. 36.
  2. Crump, William D. (2019). Happy Holidays—Animated! A Worldwide Encyclopedia of Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and New Year's Cartoons on Television and Film. McFarland & Co. p. 251. ISBN   9781476672939.
  3. Woolery, George W. (1989). Animated TV Specials: The Complete Directory to the First Twenty-Five Years, 1962–1987. Scarecrow Press. pp. 327–328. ISBN   0-8108-2198-2 . Retrieved 27 March 2020.
  4. "Raggedy Arthur, the Dog Companion to Raggedy Ann". tumblr. Directed by Chuck Jones. 2015-02-25. Retrieved 2022-04-09.