Thanksgiving Toons: Mouse on the Mayflower (1968)

In the days before local stations began airing news at the noon hour, NBC would follow their Thanksgiving Day coverage of the Macy's parade in New York with a variety of specials. These days, that 12 noon (ET) slot is reserved for a dog show sponsored by Purina and hosted by John O'Hurley (ex-Family Feud, Seinfeld). In 1968, though, Arthur Rankin, Jr. & Jules Bass, looking to add to their holiday resume, 4 years after Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer, decided to give Thanksgiving a try with Mouse on the Mayflower. 

 Edit, 11/10/22: A copyright claim was placed on the video, so we've replaced the video with a screencap of the title card:

It's a shame that Mouse doesn't air anymore, and I'm not sure if it's available on DVD. I remember watching this at least once or twice as a little rugrat back in the day, but I don't recall seeing it from start to finish. Mouse does establish the now-familiar formula of using better known guest voices to complement the omnipresent Paul Frees, a formula that would serve Rankin-Bass well for the next couple of decades with their annual collection of Christmas specials. 

 Rating: A-.