In the 1964 television special Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, which company produced the animation?

Videocraft International produced the animation for the 1964 television special Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.

The special used stop-motion animation, a technique marketed in this production as “Animagic.” It was produced by Arthur Rankin Jr. and Jules Bass, whose company was then known as Videocraft International. Rankin and Bass later became closely associated with numerous holiday television specials.

Rudolph is based on the 1939 booklet written by Robert L. May for Montgomery Ward. The television story expands the original character’s tale with figures such as Hermey the elf, Yukon Cornelius, and the Island of Misfit Toys.

The special first aired on NBC on December 6, 1964. Because the production is commonly called a Rankin/Bass special, viewers sometimes give Rankin/Bass Productions as the production company. That label became more familiar later, but Videocraft International is the company credited for the original production.