Frosty the Snowman (NR)

Narrated by Jimmy Durante, this classic Christmas cartoon forms a heartwarming story around the catchy 1950s song "Frosty the Snowman." The story begins when a magic hat lands on the head of a run-of-the-mill snowman and brings him to life. Just as in the song, Frosty (voiced by Jackie Vernon) is a jolly, happy soul. He enchants the local kids, who follow him around like the Pied Piper. But the magic hat belongs to wicked magician Professor Hinkle (Billy De Wolfe), who vows to get it back even if it means the end of Frosty. And Hinkle isn't the only danger -- temperatures begin to rise, and Frosty starts to melt. When young Karen (June Foray) decides to help Frosty get to the North Pole where he'll be safe, the two encounter some mildly scary situations on their adventure, but friendly woodland animals and Santa come to their aid. In the final scene, it appears that Frosty is gone forever, but never fear -- this winter tale has a happy ending.

A simple story line and mildly scary/sad scenes that quickly melt into happy situations make this half-hour tale appropriate for very young viewers. Parents will enjoy reliving their childhood and sharing this classic with their kids, and the beloved holiday song figures prominently throughout this short feature -- kids of all ages will have fun singing along (turn on the DVD's subtitle feature if you don't know all of the words).

Studio: Sony Wonder
Director: Arthur Rankin Jr., Jules Bass
Cast: Billy De Wolfe, Jackie Vernon, Jimmy Durante
Genre: Family and Kids
Run time: 30 minutes
DVD release: October 17, 2000
MPAA Rating: NR
MPAA explanation: not rated