RUDOLPH THE RED-NOSED REINDEER from 1964 is largely considered to be one of the best holiday TV specials of all time. Here’s a bit of history you may not know about the holiday classic: It’s based on the 1949 Ray Marks song of the same name, which was based on a 1939 poem by Marks’s brother-in-law Robert L. May. May wrote it as an assignment for then-retail giant Montgomery Ward. So yes, this timeless classic was born out of consumerism.
I bet most Americans have seen RUDOLPH so there may not be much to tell even if I wanted to spoil it. If, for some reason, you haven’t seen it, do it this year! If you’re reading this review, you should have internet access. It’s available to buy from most digital retailers for under $10 US, and it airs regularly across broadcast and cable TV between late November and Christmas. Come for the quirky characters and gorgeous stop-motion animation, and stay for the ear-worm soundtrack and the wonderful message about acceptance of ourselves and others.
Whether intentional or not, RUDOLPH can be seen in modern times as a pro-immigrant, anti-racist tale for how well it acknowledges that we’re all different and we all have something to learn from each other. And for children, it’s important to be true to yourself, love yourself, and follow your heart. Rudolph himself and many of the other characters have expectations put upon them that they can’t live up to. But by the story’s end, everyone has accepted each other for what they can do, not what they can’t.
Along the way, RUDOLPH will delight you with a truly magical adventure featuring the Abominable Snow Monster, the Island of Misfit Toys, mountain prospector Yukon Cornelius, and, of course, Santa, Mrs. Clause, the elves, and the rest of the reindeer at the North Pole. As an adult, you may notice the deer look more like regular deer than reindeer. And you may know that only female reindeer keep their antlers during the winter, but hey, this isn’t a science story!
For parents with little kids who may be introducing RUDOLPH to them for the first time, I noticed something I never thought about before in my most recent viewing. RUDOLPH is a boys’ story. The female characters in the story only exist to serve the male characters. Donner’s wife/Rudolph’s mom is never given a name. The female reindeer aren’t allowed to compete in the reindeer games. All of Mrs. Claus’s dialogue is only about supporting Santa. And Clarice has no character development beyond “thinks Rudolph is cute.” Rudolph, the character, was invented by a man 84 years ago. The wildly popular song that came after a man wrote that, and thus this Christmas Special from 59 years ago, was also written and produced by men. It’s surely a product of its time, but all kids need to see themselves in these types of imaginative tales, and perhaps this will spark some discussion at home.
There have been sequels, remakes, and parodies galore, but none could match the magic of the original RUDOLPH. There’s a reason it’s the longest-running Christmas TV special of all time.
Find it on the Freeform channel’s “25 Days of Christmas” lineup, airing several times in December, or you can purchase it on DVD or Blu-Ray from your favorite retailer or digitally from Amazon, YouTube, or AppleTV.
