Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer

*Newspaper flying to the screen with different articles.

First said, “Rankin Bass’ Pinocchio is a hit on TV!”

Second said, “What does this have to do with Collodi’s book? I hope we don’t see a bunch of these in the future!”

Third said, Rankin Bass’ Tale of the Wizard of Oz is an OK cartoon.”

Fourth said, “L. Frank Baum would be glad there’s only one of his stories to get the film treatment, and this isn’t one of them.”

Fifth said, “Return to Oz is just a poorman’s Wizard of Oz. I remember when Disney did one with that creepy Patchgirl. Hell will freeze when we get a good Oz sequel.”*

If I live around being 70, I would see all the episodes of the two TV shows when first released and barely in VHS. Whether the shows flow in, well you would barely believe, but without them, we wouldn’t have this film.

Oh pardon me; it’s still me, Retahensid the Reviewer. What’s the matter, you ever seen a written review before?

It’s a nice time around the neighborhood for the holiday, mostly for Christmas and runner-up with Hanukah. It’s the best time of year, and Christmas Special is Rankin Bass’ strongest point. I’ll try to post two film reviews in a day, in release order, and this include their related sequels. *I cringed*

I don’t know how the franchise would have been without Rudolph. Hmm, Rudolph? You minorities don’t know the story of Rudolph? Well pull out a Styrofoam ice block and lend an eye!

You know all the reindeer from Dasher, Dancer, skip a few, Donner and Dixon, but do you recall, the most famous reindeer of all! Of course it’s Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer.

Burl Ive as Sam the Snowman tells the story how a baby reindeer named Rudolph was born with a shiny red nose. As if you ever called it, you would even say it glows. His father, Donner would hide Rudolph’s shiny nose from everyone, including Santa and the Abominable Snow Monster.

In Santa’s Castle, all the elves are building toys for Christmas, except for one blonde male misfit elf named Hermey. He doesn’t want to be an elf, instead he wants to be a dentist, and all of the elves denied it.

At the Reindeer Game, Rudolph had made friends with Clarice and Fireball. Clarice told Rudolph he’s cute, as he’s happy enough to fly in the air. (Don’t get that the wrong way.) However, Rudolph hidden red nosed was reveal, as all of the other reindeers used him to call him name. They never let poor Rudolph to join in the Reindeer Game, decided by Coach Comet. Rudolph would meet Hermey to be “a Couple of Misfit” or wanted “Fame and Fortune”. Along the way, they would be saved by Yukon Cornelius from the Abominable Snow Monster.

They would be stumble upon the Island of Misfit Toys, led by a flying lion named King Moonracer. Will Rudolph and gangs find a place where they belong, be safe from the Snow Monster, and do it all before Christmas? Why put suspense on a Christmas Classic when I simply answer with these short answers. Elsewhere; no, yes, and yes.  

Yes it’s dated a bit, especially being one of the earliest special for TV, but Paul Coker Jr. design is simple to the point to fit the simple story and Christmas feel. Having it being in stop-motion was a better option as Rankin Bass’ first stop-motion, Pinocchio than simple 2D animation that didn’t work for the Wizard of Oz and sequel. Many of the voice actors from the original two TV shows carried over, as Billie Mae Richard voiced Rudolph as the iconic reindeer we know today. Burl Ives is a good start of a narrator and singer to give this classic a nice touch. Maury Laws and Johnny Marks, Rudolph’s song writer did all the lyric and music, and they still hold up how versatile it is for the atmosphere; it can be joyful, sad, or threaten.

There are actually 4 different versions of this same film.

The first one is their 1964 debut, where it’s at their fullest with the full “We Are Santa’s Elves”, “We’re a Couple of Misfit”, and the Reindeer Ride showing Yukon finding what he needed, except for the ending. The original version has Santa promising that he would save the Misfit Toys, but they never showed it, as the elf just showed the credit on the present. This kind of move would make Santa one of the worst Santa of all time, adding up with how much of a jerk Santa was. Yes, the reindeer are jerks too, but having Santa, the jolly big man to be less jolly but be a jerk doesn’t sound right of a soul to a misfit when need more than one kind soul.  

After the complaint, the second version is where they add and subtract scenes to become the version I known the longest. They shorten “We are Santa’s Elves”, and the reindeer ride. They replaced “We’re A Couple of Misfit” with a song “Fame and Fortune”. Best of the addition is the scene of Santa picking up the Misfit Toys and dropping them off by umbrella through the credits. This would save the film for the better.

The third version was released in 1998. It’s the second version, with the extended scenes from the first version, including “We’re A Couple of Misfits” instead of “Fame and Fortune”. This version would help for a certain sequel and is the closest to restoration of the first version. How Donner is near Santa’s Castle instead of being at the sled is beyond me. Maybe it’s Clarice’s Dad, they are voiced by the same voice actor Paul Kligman.

The fourth and recent version is the CBS version since 2005. It’s basically the second version, with many scenes slightly sped up, and combined the chopped audio of “We’re a Couple of Misfits” with the visuals of “Fame and Fortune”. This is a terrible idea. It’s best to watch version 2 or 3 than 1 and 4.

There is a previous version of Rudolph was the last thing Fleischer made as a 7 minute short. Nowadays, people would know that cartoon in a Disney Sing-A-Long (blame the public domain thing that happened in the late 80’s.) and the Rifftrax Christmas.

“I need you tonight…”

-Santa Claus from Fleischer’s Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer.

“Woah!!!”

-Roudolph, dubbed by Kevin Murphy of Rifftrax Christmas.

Don’t get me started with Goodtimes Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. They may have a better Santa Claus, but the music aren’t good, Rudolph was more of a jerk than all of the other reindeers, and the inclusion of Stormella (voiced by Whoopi Goldberg) makes it contrived with the Winter Storm being caused by magic than natural. “Let’s hope that never happens to Rankin Bass Rudolph.” On a side note, there's another Rudolph film as Rudolph- Lesson For Life, released in 1996.

This is a classic Christmas I always enjoy watching every Christmas. Its Rankin Bass groundbreaking best, spoofed by all and it’s quotable by all in best or worst way…

“No, this is man’s work!”

-Donner said to Ms. Donner, narrated by Burl Ive.

This film might not be for everyone with little moments like that including the conflicting jerks Rudolph. If it was made in any other style with generic pop songs, dull visuals, and obnoxious or boring acting, then it’ll be a terrible film to be forgotten.

There are sequels to Rudolph, but I’m going to hold them off for a while since I need Frosty for Christmas in July, and I need Year Without Santa Claus in order to review Shiny New Year to answer less questions why Santa and the elves are different than Rudolph. Instead, I’m going to review a sequel that requires none of the characters needed than the sequels don’t need Hermey and Yukon. Join me for Rudolph and the Island of Misfit Toys.

It’s a great Christmas special to start with, and helps to create many specials for years to come.