Arthur Rankin, Jr., American director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1924)
Arthur Gardner Rankin Jr. (July 19, 1924 – January 30, 2014) was an American director, producer and writer, who mostly worked in animation. Co-creator of Rankin/Bass Productions with his friend Jules Bass, he created stop-motion animation features such as Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Frosty the Snowman, Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town and the 1977 cartoon special of The Hobbit. He is credited on over 1,000 television programs.