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A Little Golden Book storybook edition of the popular song (1950)
"Frosty the Snowman" is a popular song written by Walter "Jack" Rollins and Steve Nelson, and first recorded by Gene Autry and the Cass County Boys in 1950. It was written after the success of Autry's recording of "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" the previous year; Rollins and Nelson shipped the new song to Autry, who recorded "Frosty" in search of another seasonal hit. Like "Rudolph", "Frosty" was subsequently adapted to other media including a popular television special. The song was originally titled "Frosty the Snow Man".
The song is about a snowman who came to life by some magical hat some children found; he then had playful adventures before he "hurried on his way." These included games, sports, and other jolly things. Near the end of their adventures together, the children are saddened by Frosty having to hurry on his way for the last time. However, Frosty reassures them by exclaiming, "I'll be back again some day." (Some versions of the song change the last line to "on Christmas Day!") It has been covered by many artists over the years, including The Ronettes, Nat King Cole, Ella Fitzgerald, Larry Groce, Ray Conniff, the Cocteau Twins, Alvin and the Chipmunks, The Beach Boys, Leon Redbone with Doctor John, Red Foley (and his daughters) and countless other musical acts (including a 2005 recording of the song by actor Burt Reynolds).
Jimmy Durante has recorded two versions, one with the earlier alternative lyric, and another for a television special of the same name (see below).
The Canadian Brass are known for a version that is both jazzy and darkly humorous.
[edit] Charts
[edit] 1954 short film
In 1954, the UPA studio brought "Frosty" to life in a three-minute animated short which appeared regularly on WGN-TV. This production included a bouncy, jazzy version of the song. It has been a perennial WGN-TV Christmas classic, and was most recently broadcast on December 24 and 25, 2005, and again in 2006 and 2007, as part of a WGN-TV children's programming retrospective, along with their two other short Christmas classics, "Suzy Snowflake" and "Hardrock, Coco and Joe".
[edit] 1969 Rankin-Bass television special
In 1969, the Rankin-Bass company produced a thirty-minute animated television special of Frosty the Snowman that featured the voices of comedians Jimmy Durante as narrator and Jackie Vernon as the title character. Two sequels were produced, Frosty's Winter Wonderland (based upon the song Winter Wonderland) in 1976 and Rudolph and Frosty's Christmas in July in 1979, followed by The Legend of Frosty the Snowman many years later, in 2005. A derivative work, Frosty Returns, was broadcast on CBS in 1992.
[edit] Movie Connections
In Australia's Funniest Home Videos April 19 2008 and Summer Series December 6 2008 2 Kids on the Snowman King Said "Coming Soon "Frosty the Snowman" Based on the Novel By Stephen King" Snowman Falls (Bonk!) Crash!
[edit] External links
