Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer Airs on NBC Tonight; Why the Claymation Special Is Still So Beloved Today

• Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer celebrates its 60th anniversary on December 6
• The Claymation special was the first Christmas stop-motion film produced by Arthur Rankin, Jr. and Jules Bass, who went on to make films like Santa Claus is coming to town and A year without Santa Claus
• Rankin/Bass historian Rick Goldschmidt explains how the special actually changed over six decades of television, including a central shift around the fate of misfit toys

“But do you remember the most famous reindeer of all?”

These are the lyrics to “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” the classic Christmas carol that inspired the 1964 TV special of the same name. Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer premiered on NBC on December 6, 1964, during NBC General Electric Fantasy Hour. Its creators, Arthur Rankin, Jr., who died in 2014, and Jules Bass, who died in 2022, expected the film to be largely forgotten after a few years. They were wrong.

Instead, Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer has aired on TV every year since 1964, making it the longest-running Christmas television special in the United States.

The plot of the film focuses on Rudolph (Billie Mae Richards) and Hermy (Paul Soles), an elf who wants to be a dentist, and who feel like “misfits”. When they escape from the North Pole, they meet characters like the Yukon prospector Cornelius (Larry Mann), the obnoxious snowman Bumble (Bernard Cowan) and a misfit toy. Burl Ives voices the narrator, Sam the Snowman. The film is based on a song that was itself adapted from a song from the 1930s.

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Santa, Rudolph and Rudolph’s mom in ‘Rudolph the Red-Nosed Rein Deer’ 1964.

CBS

The special was Rankin and Bass’ first stop-motion film, although they called the animation process “Animagic”. But it wasn’t their last, and other beloved Christmas specials followed, including those from 1968 Little drummer boy1970s Santa Claus is coming to townin 1974 A year without Santa Clausin 1976 Rudolph’s Great New Year and in 1979 Jack Frost. The films were very influential to directors like Tim Burton and Wes Anderson, who also made stop-motion films.

In 2018 Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer won the poll that named it the most favorite Christmas movie of all time, and Rankin had some thoughts on why it’s so beloved. “I think all kids are looking for guidance. I think all kids feel a little bit inferior,” he told the TV Foundation in a 2005 interview about why kids identified so much with the film. “Kids have problems, whatever they are, and if they see other characters who also have problems, they can relate to them.”

Jason Kelce is ‘shocked’ that fans think he looks that way RudolphIt’s Sam the Snowman

“Children like to see someone of their own gender, their age or their own inferiority, achieving things. It makes them feel good,” he continued. “I think that’s probably why these movies take so long, because that’s what happens in all of our movies. The bad guy becomes the good guy, makes amends, and the underdog fulfills his mission.” He said the reward for any creative effort is “longevity,” and he’s glad many of his special forces have found it.

Santa Claus in “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Room” in 1964.

CBS

The island of inappropriate toys was, however, a source of controversy when the special aired. In the original version of the story, when Rudolph and his friends leave the toys, he promises that Santa Claus will bring toys to the children this Christmas, but viewers don’t actually see that happen. Rick Goldschmidt, a Rankin/Bass historian, told Patch in 2015 that the children were so upset that their parents wrote to NBC to change it and show that the toys also had a happy ending. Producers eventually created a new checkout sequence that showed the misfits finding new homes at Christmas.

Goldschmidt also told the outlet that other changes have been made to the special over the years. Rudolph has the long-standing joke that Yukon Cornelius licks his pickaxe, but eventually a scene where you find out he’s looking for a peppermint mine was cut. In early 1965, the Rudolph and Hermey song “We’re a Couple of Misfits” was replaced with “Fame and Fortune”. Although the original song was brought back, Goldschmidt said CBS — which took over airing the special in 1972 — put the song “We’re a Couple of Misfits” over the animation for “Fame and Fortune” for a while.

‘Rudolph’ actor says critics of bullying are missing the point: ‘It’s more relevant now than ever’

Rudolph in ‘Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer’ 1964.

CBS

Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer has also been the subject of some controversy because not only the other young reindeer, but Rudolph’s father Donner and Santa Claus can be downright cruel to Rudolph. Actress Corrine Conley, who voices characters in the film, including Dolly for Sue, responded to the allegations in 2018, saying: “I would say [the movie] it is more relevant now than ever because there is so much bullying going on. But, I think, it’s all reconciled in Rudolph, and people certainly wouldn’t have loved him so much – if he’d left an echo of bullying, he wouldn’t have been so indelible in people’s hearts.”

Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer airs December 6th and December 12th at 8:00 PM ET on NBC.

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