Here Comes Peter Cottontail

Here Comes Peter Cottontail (1971), starring Danny Kaye, Vincent Price, Paul Frees

Editorial review of  Here Comes Peter Cottontail courtesy of Amazon.com

 Have you ever wished for a classic Easter special to show your kids? Here Comes Peter Cottontail is a Rankin & Bass production that bears a marked similarity to the beloved Santa Claus Is Coming to Town. Narrator Seymour S. Sassafrass, voiced and sung by Danny Kaye, takes young viewers on a tour of the mythical April Valley and relates the story of how Peter Cottontail almost failed in his quest to become Chief Easter Bunny. Sassafrass peers into his magic egg, and viewers are introduced to Peter Cottontail–a spunky, ingenious young rabbit who is boastful, is prone to fibbing, and lacks a sense of responsibility.

In order to become Chief Easter Bunny, Peter Cottontail must defeat the evil Irontail (Vincent Price) in a contest to deliver the most eggs on Easter Sunday. Through his trials, Peter Cottontail discovers the value of ingenuity, the importance of placing duty before pleasure, and the folly of self-conceit. Here Comes Peter Cottontail features catchy songs, great 1970s stop-motion animation, and a fun Easter tale. Parents will find themselves reminiscing over holidays gone by or wondering how they missed this show in their own childhood. The 2 and up crowd will be begging for another showing long after the Easter candy is a distant memory

Quotes from  Here Comes Peter Cottontail

Seymour S. Sassafras (Danny Kaye): Now, of course, it’s all very nice here, thanks to Peter Cottontail and… hmm? You’ve never heard of Peter Cottontail? Great chattering chick-chicks!  [taking his hat off and speaking into it] They’ve never heard of Peter Cottontail!
Sassafras’s Hat: They’ve never heard of Peter Cottontail?

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Peter Cottontail: But – I-I never *dreamed* I’d get to be Chief Easter Bunny!  [his ear droops]
Col. Wellington B. Bunny: Peter, you’re telling a fib. And every time you tell a fib, your left ear droops.
Peter Cottontail: Oh…[chuckles nervously] well, I – guess I did think about the job once or twice.  [his ear inches halfway back up] Uh, lots of times.
[his ear springs straight up]
Col. Wellington B. Bunny: Peter… good heavens, Peter, my boy, you’ve got to shape up and reform if you want to be Chief Easter Bunny.

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Col. Wellington B. Bunny: Therefore, I have decided that whoever delivers the most eggs tomorrow, Easter, will be the new ruler of April Valley!

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Seymour S. Sassafras: You see? That was magic bubble gum, guaranteed to seal the lips of an alarm clock rooster. Those bubbles cock-a-doodle-dooed so far away that Peter never heard them. He slept on and on and on all through Easter day.

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