Jules Bass, the ‘Frosty the Snowman’ producer, died at age 87 — Inside his cause of death, net worth, and family.
Many families share the holiday tradition of cozying up in the living room and watching Christmas films and TV specials. For some, those classics included stop-motion films Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and Frosty the Snowman. The holiday specials first aired in the 1960s and have since become a standard in most households, all thanks to the producing dream team Rankin/Bass Productions.
Arthur Rankin, Jr. and Jules Bass developed Rankin/Bass Productions. Together, Arthur and Jules created more stop-motion classics such as The Little Drummer Boy II, which earned them an Emmy nomination for outstanding children’s special in 1977. Sadly, neither member of the production powerhouse is alive to see their impact today.
Arthur died in January 2014 at age 89. Eight years later, Jules’s team announced he also died at age 87 in October 2022. Now, fans want to know Jules Bass’s cause of death.
Here are the details on Jules Bass’s cause of death.
Jules’s PR rep, Jennifer Fisherman Ruff, confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter that the writer and producer died on Tuesday, October 25, 2022. The rep stated that the 87-year-old creative was found dead at an assisted living facility in Rye, N.Y.
According to People, Jules died of “age-related illness.” Additionally, the rep shared how Jules’s loved ones were handling the news of his death.
“He will be dearly missed by his close friends,” the rep declared.
Born in Philadelphia, Pa., in 1935, Jules seemingly always had a passion for the arts. After attending New York University, he worked at an advertising firm for a while before eventually meeting Arthur, who had previously worked as an art director at ABC.
When they connected, Jules joined Arthur’s production company, Videocraft International, which would later become Rankin/Bass Productions. According to Jules, he and Arthur were professional soulmates who instantly found their groove.
“We sort of complemented each other,” Jules shared in a 2005 interview with the Television Academy Foundation. “He had certain talents that I didn’t have, and I had certain talents that he didn’t have. I was basically an artist and a creator; he was a creator and a writer and a lyricist.”
Was Jules Bass married? Did he have any children?
During his lifetime, Jules produced hundreds of animated and live-action TV specials such as Santa Claus Is Coming to Town, Here Comes Peter Cottontail, and the Jackson 5ive animated series. He was also an author and created his children’s series, Herb, the Vegetarian Dinosaur, in 1999. Then, in 2001, Jules wrote a teen novel called HeadHunters, which he eventually adapted as the movie Monte Carlo starring Selena Gomez and Cory Monteith.
Although Jules received recognition for his professional accomplishments, the writer kept his personal life close to his heart. There isn’t much information on Jules’s wife or if he was ever married. However, the Jack Frost producer did have a daughter, Jean Nicole Bass. Unfortunately, Jean died on Jan. 13, 2022, at age 61, and her obituary didn’t leave much information on her or Jules’s family.
What was Jules Bass’ net worth?
Jules Bass was an American director, producer, lyricist, and author. Until 1960, he worked at a New York advertising agency and then co-founded a film production company Videocraft International, later named Rankin/Bass Productions, with his friend, Arthur Rankin Jr.
Jules Bass’ net worth was estimated to be $1 million to $5 million as of the time of his passing.
