There's no end to the number of childhoods ruled by Arthur Rankin Jr. and Jules Bass. While the names might not ring any immediate bells, the list of animated movies and television specials they masterminded is as wide as it is beloved. Flicks like 1977's The Hobbit and 1967's Mad Monster Party are recalled fondly to this day, but nothing compares to the team's legendary line-up of Christmas media. The Year Without a Santa Claus? That's Rankin/Bass. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer? Yep, that one too. Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town? You guessed it, Rankin/Bass. But if you've worn out your copies of these yuletide classics, there are a bunch of lesser-known cartoons just waiting to be rediscovered. The right jolly elves at Warner Archive have loaded up the Rankin/Bass TV Holiday Favorites Collection with four of the team's more obscure productions, although (with maybe one slight exception) none are any less worthy of inducting into your Christmastime viewing rotation.

THE LEPRECHAUNS' CHRISTMAS GOLD (1981). If you thought that Rankin/Bass was above borrowing from other holidays for their yuletide shows, then you'd be a few leaves short of a clover. After hawking cereal and hanging around with Darby O'Gill for so long, Ireland's most mythical beings take center stage in The Leprechauns' Christmas Gold, which sees a colony of the wee folk trying to protect their fortune from a wicked old banshee. It goes without saying that the special's connection to Christmas is flimsy at best, but if nothing, its Irish flair sure stands out from what the typical selection of seasonal fare has to offer. From the festive music to Art Carney's friendly narration, this short proves charming from the get-go, exhibiting genuine affection for the culture it's taking its cues from rather than making a mockery of it. Although Christmas Day only figures into the story in a secondary sense, it also means that we aren't beaten over the head with the same old "be kind and generous" moral grind, as the special favors a more subtle lesson about sticking up for your beliefs. A lively holiday tale wrapped up in the most unlikely packaging, The Leprechauns' Christmas Gold is apt to leave viewers of all ages smiling in short order.

THE LITTLE DRUMMER BOY BOOK II (1976). Contrary to the timeless tune, the story of young Aaron (voice of David Jay) didn't end when he played a command performance for the newborn king. Word of Mary and Joseph's boy must be spread across the land, but to do that, Aaron must retrieve a set of silver bells made specifically to ring in the occasion from the greedy Roman soldiers who stole them. Compared to bringing leprechauns into the Christmas mix, The Little Drummer Boy Book II shows the Rankin/Bass crew at its most traditional. The special offers up a pretty reasonable continuation of the original song, with our musically-inclined hero having to overcome great adversity on his quest to share the good news. A proper biblical tone is maintained, yet the plot never becomes too intense or preachy for the tastes of those little ones watching it. The Romans (whose leader is voiced by Zero Mostel) are fueled more by avarice than the need to squelch the word of His only son, and nary do the story's overarching themes of keeping up hope when all seems lost feel like they're talking down to or lecturing younger viewer. If a more orthodox but well-made holiday fable is up your alley, The Little Drummer Boy Book II is sure to cue up the warm 'n' fuzzies.

PINOCCHIO'S CHRISTMAS (1980). Pinocchio (voice of Todd Porter) makes enough mischief as it is, so when his very first Christmas comes along, you can count on twice the trouble. In a season where he's trying extra hard to be good, the living puppet boy finds himself being tempted by various parties to give into his selfish urges and let down dear old Geppetto (voice of George S. Irving). While the premise may initially strike you as odd, Pinocchio's Christmas quickly aligns with the same moral compass most holiday specials seek to instill within hearts both young and old. Our wooden (literally) protagonist's impulsiveness and naivete render him a perfect example to be made of, as he's used to relate time-tested advice about not being greedy, putting others first before your own needs, and realizing when anthropomorphic foxes are trying to trick you. The story is very simple and straightforward, but its heart is genuine, the songs are appealing, and the stop-motion animation ranks among the most fluid in the Rankin/Bass arsenal. You know exactly where Pinocchio's Christmas is heading, but the journey there is pretty darn entertaining regardless.

THE STINGIEST MAN IN TOWN (1978). Stop me if you've heard this one. A curmudgeonly old miser is visited on Christmas Eve by three spirits who...oh, you know the rest, huh? If The Stingiest Man in Town sounds an awful lot like A Christmas Carol, that's because it straight-up *is* A Christmas Carol. Heaven knows why this special chose to buck the familiar moniker of Charles Dickens' classic book (although it's apparently based upon a '50s television play), but this is a straightforward adaptation of the original source material, alright. The great Walter Matthau is on hand to voice Ebenezer Scrooge, while Tom Bosley narrates his journey toward redemption as the Jiminy Cricket-esque B.A.H. Humbug (very funny). Aside from the addition of a few unique songs, there isn't much to The Stingiest Man in Town that people won't already have long since been familiar with, and because it's such a brief watch, much of the meat behind Scrooge's arc is lost in the process. As a result, the special does its job and hits Dickens' main bullet points, but its lasting effect is fairly weak, more akin to a schoolkid rushing to get a book report done than something that wants to get you invested in its story. All in all, The Stingiest Man in Town doesn't sully its source novel's good name, but it's certainly one of the least distinctive of its many adaptations.

(Rankin/Bass TV Holiday Favorites Collection is available from the Warner Archive Collection.)