Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
Born	1939
Occupation	Fictional reindeer character
Known for	Youngest and ninth member of Santa Claus's reindeer team; guiding Santa’s sleigh with his glowing red nose
Notable work	Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (booklet, 1939), song by Johnny Marks, 1964 Rankin/Bass TV special, various films and comics

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer is a fictional character conceived by Robert L. May. Typically portrayed as the youngest and ninth member of Santa Claus's reindeer team, Rudolph is distinguished by his glowing red nose, which he uses to guide Santa’s sleigh through inclement weather on Christmas Eve. Initially, as a young reindeer, he faces mockery because of his unusual nose; however, its brilliant light ultimately proves invaluable in leading the team safely through severe winter conditions. Ronald D. Lankford, Jr. characterized Rudolph’s narrative as "the fantasy story made to order for American children: each child has the need to express and receive approval for his or her individuality and special qualities. Rudolph's story embodies the American Dream for the child, writ large because of the cultural significance of Christmas."

Rudolph was first introduced in a 1939 booklet authored by May and distributed by the department store Montgomery Ward. Since then, the character has become owned by The Rudolph Company, LP and has been adapted into various media formats. These include the popular song written by Johnny Marks, as well as several television specials such as Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Rudolph's Shiny New Year, and Rudolph and Frosty's Christmas in July produced by Rankin/Bass Productions. Additionally, feature-length films like Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer: The Movie and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and the Island of Misfit Toys were released through GoodTimes Entertainment. Licensing rights are managed by Character Arts, LLC on behalf of The Rudolph Company, LP and DreamWorks Classics. Over time, Rudolph has become an iconic figure in Christmas folklore across numerous countries.

The year 2014 marked two significant milestones: the 75th anniversary of Rudolph’s creation and the 50th anniversary of the Rankin/Bass television special. To commemorate these occasions, the United States Postal Service issued a series of postage stamps featuring Rudolph on November 6, 2014. These limited edition Forever stamps depict characters from the original television special—including Rudolph, Hermey, Santa Claus, and Bumble—using still frames from the classic program that premiered in 1964.

Character Details

• Name: Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
• First Appearance: 1939
• Creator: Robert L. May
• Voice Actors: Billie Mae Richards (TV specials, 1964–1979), Kathleen Barr (Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer: The Movie, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and the Island of Misfit Toys)
• Nicknames (from Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer: The Movie): Red, Rudy, Rudy The Red-Nosed Reject, Neon-Nose
• Species: Reindeer
• Gender: Male
• Title: The Red Nosed Reindeer
• Family Relations: Donner and Mrs. Donner (parents in 1964 special), Blitzen (father in 1998 film), Mitzi (mother in 1998 film), Rusty (brother in Holidaze), Arrow (cousin in 1998 film), Comet, Cupid and Dasher (uncles in 1998 film), Leroy (cousin from Joe Diffie’s song Leroy, the Redneck Reindeer), Robbie (son in Robbie the Reindeer)

Publication history

In 1939, Robert L. May developed the character Rudolph as part of a project for Montgomery Ward, a Chicago-based retailer. Each year, the company had been purchasing and distributing Christmas booklets, but it was decided that producing their own story would be more cost-effective. Initially, May contemplated names such as Rollo or Reginald for the reindeer before ultimately settling on Rudolph. The choice of a reindeer was inspired by May’s daughter’s fondness for the deer at Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago, IL. May also revealed that he personally identified with Rudolph’s experiences during his childhood. In its debut year, Montgomery Ward distributed approximately 2.4 million copies of the Rudolph story. The narrative is composed in anapestic tetrameter, the same poetic meter found in "A Visit from St. Nicholas" (commonly known as Template:"'Twas the Night Before Christmas"). The publication and reprint rights to Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer are held by Pearson PLC.Template:Fix/category

While gazing out his office window in downtown Chicago and contemplating how to develop a Christmas tale about a reindeer, May noticed a dense fog rolling in from Lake Michigan, obscuring his view—this moment sparked his creativity. He recalled thinking, "Suddenly I had it! A nose! A bright red nose that would shine through fog like a spotlight."

The symbolism of a red nose has evolved since the story's inception. In the popular culture of the 1930s, a glowing red nose was commonly linked to chronic alcoholism and intoxication, which initially caused resistance to the story concept. May enlisted his friend and illustrator at Montgomery Ward, Denver Gillen, to create drawings of "cute reindeer," using animals from the zoo as references. Gillen’s lively and spirited depiction ultimately persuaded company executives to approve the project.

The first mass-market edition of Rudolph was released by Maxton Books in 1947, with its copyright set to expire in 2034. A follow-up book titled Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer Shines Again appeared in 1954.Template:Fix/category In 1992, Applewood Books published an unpublished sequel written by Robert May in 1947 called Rudolph's Second Christmas.Template:Fix/category Later in 2003, Penguin Books issued a new edition of the original Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer featuring illustrations by Lisa Papp.Template:Fix/category Penguin also reissued May’s sequels Rudolph Shines Again and Rudolph's Second Christmas, which was retitled Rudolph to the Rescue.

Story

This narrative follows Rudolph, a young male reindeer distinguished by his strikingly bright red nose. Due to this distinctive feature, he faces ridicule and rejection from other reindeer. However, on one foggy Christmas Eve with challenging weather conditions, Rudolph demonstrates his worth. When Santa Claus notices Rudolph's glowing nose and invites him to guide the sleigh that night, Rudolph accepts. His leadership earns him admiration and acceptance from the other reindeer, who recognize his bravery and success.

Theatrical cartoon short (1948)

Main article: Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1948 film)

Rudolph as portrayed in Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1948)

Rudolph's debut on screen occurred in 1948 through an animated short created by Max Fleischer for the Jam Handy Corporation. This adaptation remained closer to May's original tale than the later song by Marks, which had not yet been composed. The short was re-released in 1951 with the addition of the famous song.

Song (1949)

Main article: Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (song)

The story was transformed into a song by May's brother-in-law, Johnny Marks. The rendition recorded by Gene Autry reached the top position on the Billboard pop singles chart during Christmas week of 1949. Autry's version sold 2.5 million copies within its first year and ultimately amassed sales of 25 million copies, ranking as the second highest-selling record until the 1980s.

View-Master reels (1950, 1955)

On August 1, 1950, Sawyer's released a stereoscopic View-Master rendition of the story under copyright as a 14-frame, 7-image reel labeled "FT-25". Thomas L. Dixon provided the accompanying text while Florence Thomas handled model creation and diorama work. A subsequent set comprising three reels was copyrighted on September 10, 1955, also involving Thomas. This collection featured new narratives by Robert L. May: Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer and J. Baddy, the Brilliant Bear (FT-26), Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer and Uncle Bigby, the Blue-Nosed Reindeer (FT-27), and Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer Shines Again (FT-28). In later reissues from the 1960s onward, FT-28 was replaced with the original 1950 FT-25 version. The 1955 release was promoted on television by Arlene Francis. [3]

Comic books (starting in 1950)

Between 1950 and 1962, DC Comics, then operating under the name National Periodical Publications, released a collection of 13 annual issues titled Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. Following the popularity of the original song from 1949, DC secured the rights to the character and featured Rudolph in a series of charming holiday-themed stories. This annual tradition persisted until 1962 and was later revived from 1972 through 1977. Most of the stories during the 1950s were illustrated by Rube Grossman.

In 1972, DC issued a fourteenth edition presented in an oversized format. This was followed by six additional issues in the same large format under the Limited Collectors' Edition banner, including C-20, C-24, C-33, C-42, and C-50, along with two more issues released as part of the All-New Collectors' Edition series, specifically C-53 and C-60.

Moreover, a digest-sized version appeared as The Best of DC #4 during March–April 1980. The Rudolph tales produced throughout the 1970s were both scripted and illustrated by Sheldon Mayer.

Children's storybook (1958)

In 1958, an illustrated storybook adaptation was released by Little Golden Books, with Barbara Shook Hazen as the adapter and artwork by Richard Scarry. This version, which closely follows the narrative of the Max Fleischer cartoon short, is currently out of print. However, a revised edition of this Little Golden Books story was republished in 1972.

Stop-motion Christmas special (1964) and follow-ups (1976–1979)

Main article: Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (TV special)

File:Hermey the elf and Rudolph.jpg

Young Rudolph alongside Hermey the Elf as depicted in the 1964 television special

Arguably the most recognized rendition among all Rudolph adaptations is the 1964 Christmas TV special produced by New York-based Rankin/Bass Productions. Created using stop-motion "Animagic" techniques at Tadahito Mochinaga's MOM Productions in Tokyo, Japan, the screenplay was penned by Romeo Muller, while all audio recordings—supervised by Bernard Cowan—were completed at RCA studios in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The program debuted on NBC. Since producers Arthur Rankin, Jr. and Jules Bass only had access to the song as source material and lacked the original book, they crafted an original narrative centered around the song's theme, differing from the book’s storyline. This version explores Rudolph’s social exclusion and his decision to run away. Alongside him is Hermey, an elf who rejects traditional elf duties to pursue dentistry, and Yukon Cornelius, an enthusiastic prospector searching for fortune. Additional characters created for this adaptation include Clarice, Rudolph’s romantic interest; the Bumble, a fearsome abominable snow monster; and Sam, the Living Snowman—who serves as narrator and is voiced by Burl Ives.

In this telling, Rudolph is born to Donner and his wife and soon discovered by Santa to have a glowing red nose. Initially concealing this distinctive trait, Rudolph faces rejection once it becomes known and decides to flee with Hermey. During their wandering, they encounter Yukon Cornelius and strive to avoid the Bumble. Their travels bring them to the Island of Misfit Toys—a refuge for unusual toys abandoned by their owners. Upon returning home, Rudolph finds his family has been searching for him and requires rescuing. Santa then announces that Christmas will be canceled due to severe weather but reverses his decision after noticing Rudolph’s luminous nose, asking him to guide the sleigh team—a request Rudolph gladly accepts.

Following its premiere, the special’s closing credits were updated: scenes showing wrapped gifts falling from Santa’s sleigh were replaced with a sequence where Santa collects the Misfit Toys and delivers them to children using umbrellas—except for a misfit toy bird that swims rather than flies, which is dropped directly at its destination. This change responded to viewer requests for a more positive conclusion for the Misfit Toys. The special aired on CBS for over fifty years before returning to NBC in 2024 for its 60th anniversary, alongside cable broadcasts on Freeform during their 25 Days of Christmas event since 2019. The special and its original characters have become cultural icons frequently referenced through parodies and tributes.

The popularity of this adaptation inspired two sequels: Rudolph's Shiny New Year (1976), continuing Rudolph’s adventures; and a trilogy-completing feature-length film Rudolph and Frosty's Christmas in July (1979), which merged Rudolph’s world with Rankin/Bass’s Frosty the Snowman (1969). As one of Rankin/Bass’s most beloved characters, Rudolph also made cameo appearances in two other "Animagic" specials—Santa Claus is Comin' to Town (1970) and Nestor, the Long–Eared Christmas Donkey (1977)—as well as in the Easter special The First Easter Rabbit (1976), which utilized cel animation by Toru Hara's Topcraft.

Animated feature films

Main article: Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer: The Movie

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer: The Movie (1998) is a two-dimensional animated feature produced by Tundra Productions in Hollywood, California, and released under the banners of GoodTimes Entertainment and Golden Books Family Entertainment (currently Western Publishing). The film had a limited run in theaters before becoming available on home video. Its narrative incorporates elements such as an antagonist, romantic interest, companion, and a protective figure, closely mirroring the Rankin/Bass adaptation rather than the original song or story. Characters like Stormella, Zoey, Arrow, Slyly, and Leonard correspond to Rankin/Bass’s Bumble, Clarice, Fireball, Hermey, and Yukon Cornelius respectively. The storyline expands on Rudolph’s early experiences of bullying by classmates, especially his cousin Arrow. Directed and produced by William R. Kowalchuk and penned by Michael Aschner, the film features music and songs composed by Al Kasha and Michael Lloyd. Casting primarily took place at BLT Productions in Vancouver, British Columbia. Recording sessions were conducted at Pinewood Sound in Vancouver, Schwartz Sound in New York, and Wally Burr Recording in Hollywood. The voice cast includes prominent talents such as Americans John Goodman, Whoopi Goldberg, Debbie Reynolds, Richard Simmons, and Bob Newhart, British actor Eric Idle, and Canadian voice actress Kathleen Barr as Rudolph. Animation services were subcontracted to Colorland Animation Productions based in Hong Kong.

Main article: Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and the Island of Misfit Toys

Following the 1998 film, GoodTimes Entertainment reunited much of the original creative team for a CGI-animated follow-up titled Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and the Island of Misfit Toys (2001). Unlike its predecessor, this sequel restored the original Rankin/Bass characters after GoodTimes discovered that a copyright oversight by Rankin/Bass allowed these characters to be freely used outside their special.

Role	Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer: The Movie (1998)	Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and the Island of Misfit Toys (2001)
Director	William R. Kowalchuk
Producer
Writer	Michael Aschner
Composer	Al Kasha and Michael Lloyd	Bruce Roberts and Diana B
Editor	Tom Hok	Lennie Nelson
Production companies	GoodTimes Entertainment Golden Books Family Entertainment Tundra Productions
Distributor	Legacy Releasing	GoodTimes Entertainment
Running time	80 minutes	74 minutes
Release date	October 6, 1998	October 30, 2001

Other

A live-action portrayal of Rudolph, featuring his distinctive glowing nose, appears alongside Donner and Blitzen in the Doctor Who Christmas special entitled "Last Christmas", which aired on BBC One on December 25, 2014. In this episode, Santa has the ability to park Rudolph as if he were a vehicle and switch off his luminous nose.

In 2015, Nathaniel Dominy, an anthropology professor at Dartmouth College, the alma mater of Robert L. May, authored an academic article discussing Rudolph's red nose in the open access journal Frontiers for Young Minds. Dominy explained that reindeer possess vision sensitive to shorter wavelengths than humans, enabling them to detect ultraviolet light. However, ultraviolet light scatters extensively in foggy conditions, which would impair reindeer visibility. Consequently, Rudolph’s red nose emits longer-wavelength red light that can more effectively penetrate fog. A summary of these insights was published in an Associated Press article on December 22.

See also

• "Run Rudolph Run", a track by Chuck Berry inspired by Rudolph

External links

• Original manuscript of the Montgomery Ward book
• Official Licensor for Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer