The First Easter Rabbit

It's about the Easter Bunny.... or Rabbit.... the first one... you get it. *I do not own the copyright, this upload is purely for informational purposes, etc. please don't sue me.

[@theamericanshepherd4304]

Man all these people in charge of keeping it cold and snowy there's Jack Frost, Snow miser, the winter warlock, now zero maybe they should all form a union.

[@labelledamedumanor4876]

Don't forget the Snow Queen, she'd probably run the whole business with these guys as her Royal Court.

[@nl396]

I'd pay money to see that idea made into a movie.

[@fredyrodriguez8881]

I’d like to see a animation of that

[@aly543]

It's that time of year again where we can watch these wonderful childhood movies of easter it's such a shame they don't show theses anymore on tv but we still have the wonderful KZbin to go back thanks for posting.

[@sasharichardson9127]

Ah, this was part of my childhood. The other short "The Easter Bunny is coming to town" did as well. I remember the little girl Glenda. I'm glad she got a happy ending....

[@toonalootown2331]

5:54

[@McCraeTheMediaLover]

Great to see Burl Irves return and narrate again as the first Easter Rabbit In this special,he was formerly a Talking snowman

[@tyhillbroussard4924]

BTW the snowman’s name is Sam

[@toonalootown2331]

1:03 1:08 1:48 6:15

[@DV_Dark_Jedi]

Somehow I missed this one growing up. Rankin/Bass sure knew how to make the holidays special for us growing up, didn't they?

[@McCraeTheMediaLover]

22:11-I’m glad Santa didn’t told Zero to apologize for stealing the Easter Lily like he told Professor Hinkle to apologize to Frosty for trying to steal the magic hat that made him come to life.

[@labelledamedumanor4876]

This is like a retelling of The Velveteen Rabbit, notice the similarities at the beginning?

[@user-qm9cr3sn2d]

Rankin Bass better have had permission for this from the velveteen rabbits author

[@revlaird6979]

Wow just coming across this and it's October 2020 I never seen this as a child and Beyond this planet 49 years in so much that you never seen in the 70s as a kid is fascinating I so appreciate this it has some familiar voices the voices of the beautiful nice which is the voice of mrs. Kringle from Santa Claus got Burt Ives singing and the Easter Bunny is the original Easter Bunny from Stone Mountain that came out late 60s early 70s what a beautiful joy to see it in October😀😎🎃🎃🎃🎃🎄🎄🎄🎄🎆🎇✨🎉🎑🎊🎊🎟️🎖️🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎆🎆🎇✨🎈🎉🎊🎳🎳⚾️⚾️🎳🎳⚽️⚽️🥉🥈🥇🏆🥇🚴🏇🏊🏋️🎿🎽🏌️⛳️⛷️🏂🏎️🤸🤼♠️♦️♣️♥️🤹🤺🤾🎲🀄️🎴🕹️🎲🔈🔉🔊📣

[@jeffreysnydr]

Not gonna lie, Glinda has the best Easter outfit at the end!

[@shermanhatch1916]

At 0:54 burl Ives references his christmas special rudolph the red-nosed reindeer.

[@kwebster62]

At 22:10, I half-expected Santa to say "Now, Zero, you go home and write "I am very sorry for what I did with the Easter Lily" 100 zillion times. And then maybe, just maybe, I'll stay in the North Pole". His ultimatum sounds suspiciously like the one he made to Professor Hinkle.

[@50percentGrey]

That's quantity over quality for ya.

[@EsmeAmelia]

And Paul Frees even voiced Santa in both specials!

[@kwebster62]

@@EsmeAmeliaYes! Also played Santa in Here Comes Peter Cottontail, Rudolph's Shiny New Year, and Nestor the Long-Eared Donkey.

[@McCraeTheMediaLover]

Nice how Paul Frees used his Morroco Mole Voice for The Rabbit in the top Hat.

[@dorothyriskowitz763]

This is so great.love this and love Burl Ives as EB. A great fun Easter Special, it’s going to be part of our Easter lineup. Thank you so much for sharing.

[@jerrysstories711]

9:38 When I was a little kid in the 70's, my teenage sisters told me that ELO's song "Don't Bring Me Down" is about THIS Bruce. I was in my 30's before I realized they'd lied to a poor innocent child. 🙂

[@bradleycotton3237]

Well, folks, as for the rest of the story, the first Easter Rabbit went down in history. Just like Rudolph. R.I.P., Burl Ives.

[@CatsRul85]

The first part of it is basically a very shortened version of the Velveteen Rabbit (Kid has a favourite toy that's a stuffed toy unfortunately the child falls ill with scarlette fever and so the rabbit gets taken with the rest of the toys to be burned and then by the power of magic becomes real)

[@rangerfanboy1710]

There's a good bit of The Velveteen Rabbit element in the beginning

[@nl396]

I remember that! Takes me back.

[@michaelminton1224]

television has gotten very stingy when it comes to easter by not showing decent programs like they used to. all it is now is nothing but garbage shows which has nothing to do with easter. right now i got dvds of my favorite easter shows and i watch those every year.

[@jeremyriley1238]

Because TV has fallen to a state of political correctness where showing Easter specials may offend somebody of a different religion.

[@devanharris9031]

Jeremy Riley the Easter bunny is barely religious

[@ryanburgos9164]

@@jeremyriley1238 it has nothing to do with religion. These specials don't bring in the ratings they used to, plain and simple. Do you really think TV execs are going to hold ANYTHING above the old mighty dollar?

[@Silentbass7]

I've been looking for this movie for a few years!

[@rhapsody710]

This was one of my favorites when I was a kid!

[@Stephen10528]

Same here!

[@Sandlot1992]

I haven't seen this before in years!

[@berrypie11]

It seems like Rankin Bass couldn't make up their mind on what the Easter Bunny's origin story is. They have THREE Easter Bunny origin movies.

[@keatonthekoopatroopa246]

berrypie11 They do have a lot consisties in specials.

[@davidlewis7267]

Three?? I only know of two: The First Easter Rabbit and The Easter Bunny is Coming to Town. What's the third???

[@swarlock]

@@davidlewis7267 Here Comes Peter Cottontail.

[@Steamerthesteamtrain]

@@swarlock That's not really an Easter Bunny origin story. I just also found out this story is losey adapted from a book called "The Velveteen Rabbit".

[@martinmoore2468]

Rankin/Bass are the greatest!

[@bradleycotton3237]

Happy Easter! 🐰

[@vanillabeam5400]

Brrrrrruuuuuce? *BRRRRRUUUUUUUCE!*

[@nl396]

I've never heard of this one. Looks like a sweet relief from the modern world.

[@Sparkina]

A classic -- based on The Velveteen Rabbit, no less

[@richardranke7878]

Thanks for recognizing this story's source! I sure did! (I also recognized the voices of Burl Ives, Paul Frees and Don Messick. Chuckle!)

[@shawnmulligan2894]

Stan Freberg is the brown rabbit with the long ears as well!

[@ThisThingEaten]

"Beware of Zero!" Which Zero? The robot with the long blond hair or that British major with the scar?

[@Sailorgirl1207]

[@LchanOtakudom]

Oh man, the nostalgia is nearly blinding! Thanks for the upload!

[@draconiclady0610]

Its a Velveteen Rabbit Au!

[@The_Husband_of_Jane_Lane]

Well, Well, Well. Burl, we meet again.

[@JohnHenrySheridan]

Fantastic !!!

[@sheepwolf2004]

zero sounds like eon from "rudolph's shiny new year" and bruce the snowball sounds like jimmy durante and glinda's mom in her easter dress and easter hat looks a little like eliza doolittle did in the ascot race scene in "my fair lady"

[@MrRepamp]

sheepwolf2004 Zero and Eon is voiced by Paul Frees, He does voices for a lot characters in Rankin and Bass specials.

[@inspectorcloseau78]

+Jonathan Lewis If You're Talking about Eon '' The Terrible '' From 1976's Rudolph's Shiny New Year (Paul Frees) Only Voiced Santa Claus it was The Riddler (Frank Gorshin) Who Voiced Eon '' The Terrible ''...

[@MrRepamp]

inspectorcloseau78 Paul Frees did the voices for Santa Claus, Eon the Terrible, 1776 (Sev), General Ticker, and Humpty Dumpty. Frank Gorshin did the voices for Sir 1023, and Quarter Past 5.

[@inspectorcloseau78]

Sorry Jonathan I Hate to Tell You, But (Frank Gorshin) was The Voice of Eon The Terrible Not (Paul Frees)...

[@bradleycotton3237]

sheepwolf2004 Plus, does Stuffy look like Sunny in "The Easter Bunny is Coming to Town," too?

[@jeremyanderson1139]

This special is a very loose adaptation of The Velveteen Rabbit, but themed around Easter

[@CJColvin]

What year was this Rankin Bass movie was made.

[@katmackay6906]

It was made in 1976.

[@nicholasgarrett8818]

19:38

[@davidlewis7267]

ZEEEROOOOO!!!

[@NYA1994.]

Rudolph appeared in this!:D

[@dylanpietz7855]

Zero is one of my favorite Rankin/Bass villains. How about the rest of you?

[@ChibiNeco]

It’s the velveteen rabbit...

[@matthewgarcia5935]

Original Release on April 16, 1976

[@sammanthaneys1444]

Who else came from Jellopocolypse?

[@DaesoTheOne]

This movie sucks ngl

[@janellirving4625]

Arthur Rankin and Jules Bass brought happiness to holidays!

[@bradleycotton3237]

Janell Irving R.I.P.

[@catvalentine4602]

Janell Irving has

[@catvalentine4602]

Janell Irving has

[@martinmoore2468]

Janell Irving They sure did.

[@martinmoore2468]

Rankin/Bass are the best!!!

[@moniquevalencia5427]

There's that Rabbit🎶😁😁 always loved that song and now I sing it to our bunny we got this year the typical Jack and that's his name too 😍

[@scottie781x]

I loved this Rankin Bass cartoon as a child and I still do. Wonderful childhood memories!

[@RodStewartfan1]

Thanks so much for posting this! I REALLY Missed this cartoon! Use to watch it all the time in the past around Easter. Its a shame they don't show this,The Easter Beagle Charlie Brown and the Easter Bunny is Coming to town. Thank god for You Tube! Thanks so much for bringing me down memory lane. :)

[@bradleycotton3237]

R.I.P., Burl Ives.

[@georgesumner6705]

i Love This Movie as a Kid

[@Jade-dr5hq]

I love this easter movie!

[@janellirving4625]

I've never seen this one before.

[@quinnfletcher3906]

Is it just me or does Rankin seem to have a thing for ice villains?

[@JayFoxFire]

OMG I remember this! I still have this on my VHS tape a long time ago XD This here is my childhood XD Happy Easter everybody!

[@amyrose94113]

Happy Easter! 🐰🐤

[@TTN301]

lindo !

[@epicrapfan73]

23:09 Santa: "Now you go home and write 'I am very sorry for what I did to Easter Valley' a hundred zillion times and maybe, just maybe, mind you, I'll stay in the Pole."

[@sheepwolf2004]

gb the rabbit looks like burl ives and flops the rabbit looks like funny bunny who also had extra long ears. other animals made fun of him because of his long ears. but one day he heard a fire in the forest and told the other animals about it and the fire was put out. and zero looks like winter warlock

[@bradleycotton3237]

sheepwolf2004 Plus, does Stuffy look like Sunny in "The Easter Bunny is Coming to Town," too?

[@stinggodswrestler1143]

I bet there never was an offer from the south pole santa can sure make threats

[@RileyAndersen2015]

Happy Easter Day

[@karlhelm875]

It's weird that the Easter bunny doesn't have a name.

[@LauraGeralynKline]

💙🔥💙

[@MsChristiangirl33]

this is cute : )

[@bradleycotton3237]

The little girl's name is Glinda. Not to be confused with Glinda the Good Witch in "The Wizard of Oz," right?

[@babymoondancer]

Judging by the setting, she was probably born when the book first came out.

[@katmackay6906]

Thank-you for posting this wonderful adaptation of the Velveteen Rabbit. Rankin Bass' version is so much more upbeat then some of the animated versions out there. I saw one the other day that was super creepy & depressing. You can also see other similarities in this special & other Rankin Bass productions, such as the way Santa scolds Zero which is reminiscent of Santa telling off the Magician in Frosty, as well as the little girl being drawn quite similar to the characters in Twas the Night Before Christmas. Altogether a wonderful holiday classic from the guys who made some of the most memorable holiday specials ever. 🐰🎄🎅

[@bradleycotton3237]

Kat MacKay R.I.P., Arthur Rankin, Jr.

[@robtheanimator1356]

In regards to the other version you mention, I think you might be thinking of the 1985 Hanna Barbera Australia version. I also just watched it in its completeness for the first time, and you're right, it is somewhat creepy and depressing (and also, surprisingly, looks older than this version; this version is in fact almost 10 years older), but the 1985 version is also truer to the original story, so it has its place, I think. This Rankin-Bass version, however, is definitely the one you want to watch when you feel in need of a little cheering up :-).

[@clasterfan]

@@robtheanimator1356Believe it or not, there's *another* 1985 animated adaption of The Velveteen Rabbit that was produced by Atkinson-Film Arts and narrated by Christopher Plummer.

[@bradleycotton3237]

Happy Easter!

[@lauramendoza1602]

This really had nothing to do with Easter....Sad !!!

[@labelledamedumanor4876]

Maybe, but both Easter & Christmas have something in common. You get given things, presents at Christmas & Eggs at Easter.

[@Tanyableu]

Is this not the velveteen rabbit?

[@swarlock]

A loose version.

[@ashleyharrison]

You can see how parts of this were recycled in Rankin/bass' production of The Hobbit (1977). 11:40 became the Riddles in the Dark scene (ie. Bilbo and Gollum in the cave).

[@bendytvproductions6162]

there of reference to Rudolph and frosty and stanta and the bronze

[@MartenFerret]

They reused some backgrounds from 'The Hobbit'. :3