The Snowman, the beloved 1982 animation based on Raymond Briggs' book, has a touching backstory involving David Bowie and a hand-knitted scarf. For its US broadcast, Bowie filmed a live-action introduction where he plays an adult James, the young protagonist, discovering a blue and white scarf in a loft. The scarf was knitted by a woman from the accounts department of TVC, the production company behind the film.
Producer Brian Harding revealed that Bowie asked to keep the scarf for his son, Duncan Jones, then known as Zowie Bowie. This was his only fee for the appearance. Harding said: 'He was charming throughout and totally professional. I am glad that the scarf found its way to the destination he intended: from the dude to another dude.'
In 2020, Jones confirmed he had found the scarf while sorting storage boxes, sharing a photo on social media. He thanked Harding for the background story, calling it 'a lovely true tale to go along with an equally lovely Christmas story.'
Raymond Briggs, however, was less impressed with Bowie's introduction, recalling in a 2017 interview: 'He got it all wrong, terribly. Hopeless.' Despite this, Bowie later contributed to the soundtrack of the 1986 film adaptation of Briggs' book When the Wind Blows.
There were actually two scarves: the second was given to actor Bernard Cribbins, who narrated the film's music release, but he reportedly lost it in a taxi. The Snowman and its sequel The Snowman and the Snowdog air on Channel 4 this festive season.
