Arthur Rankin Jr.

Arthur Gardner Rankin, Jr. (July 19, 1924 – January 30, 2014) was an American director, producer, and writer, who mostly worked in animation. He was a part of Rankin/Bass Productions with his partner Jules Bass, he created stop-motion animation features such as "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer" and the 1977 cartoon animation of "The Hobbit". He is credited in over 1,000 television programs.
Arthur Gardner Rankin, Jr. was born on July 19, 1924 in New York City, New York. He was the son of actors, Arthur Rankin and Marian Mansfield. His grandparents, Harry Davenport and Phyllis Rankin, were also actors. He was of English and Irish ancestry.
Rankin died after a short illness on January 30, 2014 in Harrington Sound, Bermuda. He was 89. He was outlived by his wife, Greek actress Olga Karlatos and his two sons, Gardner and Todd.