5/22/2023 0 Comments Rudolph the red nosed reindeer![]() ![]() He came back with the story of an underdog, red-nosed reindeer who was in the right place at the right time - just when Santa needed a reindeer with exceptional skills. He had always felt like a bit of an outcast, and, at 35, he felt he was far from reaching his potential, pounding out catalog copy instead of writing the Great American Novel as he had always dreamed he would. May was a hit at holiday parties for his way with limericks and parodies. May, an ad man for the store, to take a crack at a story. The year was 1939, the Great Depression was waning and a manager at Montgomery Ward in Chicago decided that the store should create its own children's book for the annual holiday promotion. Imagine: We could be singing instead about the very shiny nose on Reginald, Rollo or Romeo.Ĭourtesy of Rauner Special Collections Library/Dartmouth CollegeĮverybody knows Rudolph was the last reindeer to join Santa's crew, but few people know about the department store copywriter who brought his story to the world. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.Īuthor Robert May considered other names before settling on Rudolph. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at for further information. You can see it at our website, npr.org.Ĭopyright © 2015 NPR. It says the Red-Nosed Reindeer, and there's a drawing of this little reindeer with big ears, blue eyes, and yup, a really big red nose. GREENE: I'm looking at sketch right now from Robert L. (SOUNDBITE OF GENE AUTRY SONG, "RUDOLPH, THE RED-NOSED REINDEER") LEWIS: I feel a little bit smug and think nobody knows who I am (laughter). It continues to bring wonder and joy to children everywhere, especially those who identify with that oddball reindeer.Īnd Barbara gets a little twinkle in her eye at holiday time when she sees other people embracing Rudolph, people who know nothing about her connection to the reindeer. Although the author passed away in 1976, the story of Rudolph, well, it went down in history. May enough money to keep him and his family comfortable through the end of his life and beyond. GREENE: All together, "Rudolph" earned Robert L. PAUL SOLES: (As Hermey) Not if you don't mind me being a dentist.īILLIE MAE RICHARDS AND PAUL SOLES: (As Rudolph and Hermey, singing) We're a couple of misfits, we're a couple of misfits. (SOUNDBITE OF FILM "RUDOLPH, THE RED-NOSED REINDEER")īILLIE MAE RICHARDS: (As Rudolph) You wouldn't mind my red nose? Next came the classic holiday film, "Rudolph, The Red-Nosed Reindeer." GREENE: The song blew up in the charts in 1949. LEWIS: Isn't it funny, with Gene Autry of all people? GENE AUTRY: (Singing) Rudolph, the red-nosed reindeer had a very shiny nose. (SOUNDBITE OF SONG "RUDOLPH, THE RED-NOSED REINDEER") GREENE: With help from his brother-in-law, who just happened to be a songwriter, May eventually turned that silly little booklet into a song, one picked up by a very famous cowboy. ![]() It was just this silly little almost booklet. Barbara May Lewis said they must not have known what her dad had created. Nearly a decade later, the bosses gave May the rights to the story. ![]() He got letters from children, teachers and store managers from across the country. GREENE: Montgomery Ward printed more than two million copies of Robert L. It seemed really icky so he changed it to tummy. LEWIS: My father read me the manuscript of Rudolph, and what I remember was not liking the word stomach. His daughter remembers her dad laboring over words, many of which would never make it into the song we now know. The department store used to give away free books to kids each Christmas, and May thought Rudolph would be a great character in one. As life would have it, he wound up being a catalog writer at Montgomery Ward in Chicago. May always wanted to write the great American novel. LEWIS: It was his opinion of himself that gave rise to Rudolph, I think, so all the better. He was a nerdy kid who saw himself as a loser. He skipped a grade or two and so was younger and smaller than his classmates. Robert was a bit of an outcast, just like Rudolph. May, who introduced the world to Rudolph when she was just a little girl. She says sister because it was her father, Robert L. But Rudolph, it turns out, didn't come along until 1939.īARBARA MAY LEWIS: Rudolph was born when I was five, so I'm his big sister. They've been hauling Santa's sleigh forever. GREENE: You know Dasher and Dancer and Prancer and Vixen. (SOUNDBITE OF GENE AUTRY SONG "RUDOLPH, THE RED-NOSED REINDEER") We're bringing back this story in case you missed it. You ever wonder where Rudolph came from? Well, we'll try to help you out here.
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