The First Easter Rabbit

Holiday fun from Rankin/Bass
This half hour film released in 1976 is one of 3 Easter films produced by the Rankin and Bass Studio. The other 2 are
"Here Comes Peter Cottontail", which is about all the Holidays as 2 rabbits compete to deliver the most eggs and become the new Easter Bunny, and "The Easter Bunny is Coming to Town", which concentrates on explaining traditions of Easter, very similar to "Santa Claus is Coming to Town."

The main difference with this film is that it uses traditional animation, and the 2 above are Animagic, (stop-motion). Burl Ives narrates and sings again in this one, and is even drawn to be dressed like the character he played in Rudolph. There are at least 2 good songs in the film. The studio that made this film are perfectionists, and even their credits are imaginative and fun to watch. The story starts before there was ever an Easter Rabbit, and he was stuffed bunny owned by a girl. He is brought to life to serve as the symbol of Easter and moves to a magical place...

A sweet tale
The First Easter Rabbit is another story to add to your Rankin/Bass collection! This story is animated though,instead of stop-motion, which they are probably more known for. This does not make it any less charming though(Frosty the Snowman, one of my faves, is animated also) and as a Rankin/Bass fan you can really tell it is one of their animations.
The First Easter Rabbit is about Stuffy, a lttle girls stuffed rabbit, and how he becomes the Easter Bunny. I first saw this when I was a little girl, I am now 25 and still love this and all other Rankin/Bass stories. My only reason for giving it 4 stars is because you can't get it on DVD yet, and it should be teamed up with the other 2 Easter stories "The Easter Bunny is Comin' to Town" and "Here comes Peter Cottontail".

A Sweet Easter Tale, but Santa Saves the Day, as Usual with Rankin Bass...
Stuffy is a stuffed bunny given to a little girl one Christmas in the Victorian era. When the little girl comes down with Scarlet Fever, her doctor must insist all her toys and clothes be burned. Luckily, because she loved him so much, Stuffy is saved from the fire by a fairy who looks after well-loved toys and turns them real. Stuffy is given an extra mission, however. It has been decided that he is to be the first Easter Rabbit. Soon, Stuffy is on a trek to Easter Valley, joined by three rabbit misfits, to set up shop in this magical, green location hidden away at the North Pole. But, as the fairy warned him, Stuffy must be cautious. The snow creature known as Zero intends to make Easter Valley like the rest of the North Pole before his first Easter visit can ever take place!

"The First Easter Rabbit" is a sweet if unremarkable little animated special from Rankin/Bass, the masters of holiday specials only outdone by the Peanuts gang over the years. The team produced three...

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