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You've heard the old familiar tale, how Frosty came to life.
But do you know the story... of how Frosty took a wife?

— Andy Griffith as the special's narrator

Frosty's Winter Wonderland is a sequel to the Rankin/Bass Christmas special Frosty the Snowman. It was originally broadcast on ABC on December 2, 1976.

Synopsis

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Frosty meets Jack Frost.

Years have passed since Frosty left for the North Pole, but kept his promise to the children that he'd be back again someday. When he hears the news about the first snowfall of the season, he decides to come back to them. They are overjoyed about his return, but when Jack Frost sees how much fun they are having with him, he becomes jealous. When Frosty and the kids go ice-skating, Jack casts a gust of wind in an attempt to blow off Frosty's magic hat so he can steal it, but he instead only gets his hand on a similar-looking hat worn by a horse.

Despite his fun, Frosty ends up feeling lonely again at the end of each day when the children go home for the night, making him cry for the first time. To cheer him up, they make a wife (suggested names include Cleopatra and Corn Flakes) named Crystal for him, but she is not alive like he is. They try placing a lady's hat on her head, but to no avail.

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Frosty brings Crystal to life.

Late that night, Frosty presents his stationary sweetheart with a bouquet of frost flowers. His gift of love brings her to life, and Crystal immediately says his trademark line, "Happy Birthday". The two joyously frolic through the snow, when suddenly Jack, who has by now realized he stole the wrong hat earlier, uses another gust of icy wind to this time successfully blow off Frosty's hat, thus turning him into a regular snowman. As he taunts Crystal with cries of "No more Frosty! No more Frosty!", she refuses to believe that her frozen fiance is truly gone for good. Sculpting a corsage out of snow, she places it on Frosty's chest and gives him a kiss, which immediately brings him back to life with his usual cheerful catch phrase. Jack is befuddled at Frosty's reanimation, and the snow-couple begins to slide down the slope of the hill they were on. Angered, Jack throws Frosty's hat, which returns to its rightful place on the snowman's head.

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The townsfolk gather for Frosty and Crystal's wedding.

Frosty and Crystal run through the town shouting their wedding announcement to the children, who gather together with Parson Brown, the local preacher, to marry them. Although Brown cannot perform the ceremony, being only allowed to marry humans, he assists them in building a "snow parson" which he brings to life with his Bible. Jack resolves to spoil the wedding with a blizzard. Crystal decides to reason with him and pleas for him to stop it. He complies, and she asks for him to be the best man at the wedding (after all, the whole wedding should be wintry, and so it would only be appropriate for him to be the best man). Finally feeling appreciated, he agrees and even calls out "Happy Birthday!" The wedding goes on without a problem, set to the song "Winter Wonderland".

Frosty, Crystal, and Jack have fun with the children all winter, but they notice that the weather is starting to grow warm again. Jack decides to make it so that winter lasts forever and Frosty and Crystal can stay. As the overly long winter continues and worries the adults, Parson Brown decides to talk with everyone. He says that winter can't last forever, or the trees will never sprout leaves and flowers will never grow. Frosty, Crystal, and Jack are saddened, but acknowledge that it's time for them to leave. They head for the train to the North Pole once again (but not before one last skate through town and scare for the Traffic Cop). All traces of winter melt away, but everyone remembers that the winter wonderland was a good memory and those can never die, as stated by the narrator. Because everyone knows that on one not-so-far-away day, that first snowflake will fall. The scene then shows Jack up in a tree. And in a few months, the whole town becomes a winter wonderland again. The special ends with the narrator telling the viewers, "May all your winters be wonderful," with Frosty and Crystal adding, "And frosty, too!"

Songs

Frostys Winter Wonderland soundtrack

The soundtrack adaptation of the special.

Soundtrack

A soundtrack album was released on Disneyland Records DQ-1368 in 1976, featuring the complete soundtrack of the special.

Home video releases

The special was first released on a compilation VHS with The Leprechauns' Christmas Gold by Vestron Video's Lightning Video label in 1985. After Vestron Video went bankrupt and the rights for the post-1974 Rankin/Bass library were transferred to Time Warner, Warner Home Video released the special on its own VHS tape in 1992. They later released it on DVD in 2004, with 'Twas the Night Before Christmas included as a bonus special. Warner later released a new DVD of the special by itself in 2011 ('Twas the Night Before Christmas was not included this time because it had gotten its own DVD the previous year). The 2011 DVD was repackaged along with three of Warner's other Rankin/Bass Christmas DVDs in the 4 Kid Favorites: Merry Masterpieces box set, released on October 13, 2015. The 2004 disc with 'Twas the Night Before Christmas was reissued as part of The Complete Rankin/Bass Christmas Collection box set on October 18, 2022. The special made its physical high-definition debut on the Complete Collection's Blu-ray version, released in October 2023.

Notes

Frosty's Winter Wonderland print ad

A print ad for the special's premiere.

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  • Despite this being a sequel to the 1969 classic, Karen doesn't appear at all, nor do any of the kids in this special resemble her friends. In fact, the only character who returns (besides Frosty himself) is the traffic cop.
  • Clips from the special were featured briefly in the 1998 film Jack Frost.

Edits

  • When aired in AMC's Best Christmas Ever event, the narrator's transition to the scene where Jack Frost notices the hat he nabbed wasn't actually Frosty's was cut, and the shot of the traffic cop swallowing his whistle was trimmed to remove the commercial fade-out.

Cast

Voice actor/actress Character(s)
Andy Griffith Narrator
Dennis Day Parson Brown
Snow Parson
Barbara Jo Ewing Child
Paul Frees Jack Frost
Traffic Cop (uncredited)
Shelly Hines Child
Manfreed Olea Child
Eric Stern Child
Jackie Vernon Frosty
Shelley Winters Crystal

Videos

External links

This page uses Creative Commons Licensed
content from Wikipedia (view authors).
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Rankin/Bass
Rudolph the Red-Nosed ReindeerCricket on the HearthThe Little Drummer BoyFrosty the SnowmanSanta Claus is Comin' to Town • "A Christmas Tree" • 'Twas the Night Before ChristmasThe Year Without a Santa ClausThe First Christmas: The Story of the First Christmas SnowFrosty's Winter WonderlandRudolph's Shiny New YearThe Little Drummer Boy, Book IINestor, the Long-Eared Christmas DonkeyThe Stingiest Man in TownRudolph and Frosty's Christmas in JulyJack FrostPinocchio's ChristmasThe Leprechauns' Christmas GoldThe Life and Adventures of Santa ClausSanta, Baby!
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