Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer: An American Hero

by Ronald D. Lankford Jr.

Ronald D. Lankford has written the definitive history of this iconic and much-loved Christmas character. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer was the creation of Robert May, a staff copywriter who wrote the original poem as a Montgomery Ward Christmas giveaway in 1939. More than 2.4 million copies were printed and given away that holiday season. Thus the legend began. Johnny Marks adapted the poem into what would become the Gene Autry hit “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” which instantly became—and still remains—one of the most popular Christmas songs of all time. The legend of Rudolph soared even higher with the Rankin/Bass stop-motion television special in 1964, which has gone on to inspire a cottage industry of toys and decorative items. In this festive and informed look at the most famous reindeer of all, Lankford discusses all of Rudolph’s iterations, including comic books, sequels, advertising tie-ins, movies, and much more. Lankford has produced the first complete history of Rudolph that both celebrates and explains the undying popularity of Rudolph and his friends. The result is both a glowing tribute and a rigorously researched biography that will appeal to fans and lovers of classic American holiday culture.

Genres: Christmas, Holiday, Animals, Nonfiction

224 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 4, 2016

Reviews

[J.S. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Television was an important part of growing up in the 1970s for me, especially the animated specials that were shown at the holidays. I was a big fan of Charlie Brown (which had 2 or 3 throughout the year) but at Christmas there was also How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Frosty the Snowman, Santa Claus is Coming to Town, and especially Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer to look forward to. Each one had its own charm, and although my kids didn't appreciate them as I did, I still feel a bit nostalgic for such simple pleasures.

Ronald D. Lankford has written an excellent history of how the story of Rudolph came about. He sorts through the various stories (myths, perhaps?) that have been told over the years to tell about Robert May, a staff copywriter at Montgomery Ward, who wrote a simple poem for a giveaway promotion in 1939. World War II put things on hold, but Ward again brought out Rudolph in 1946, and eventually signed over the copyright to May. But for most of us, Rudolph is the reindeer from Gene Autry's hit song (written by Johnny Marks, brother-in-law to May) and the stop-motion television special by Rankin/Bass in 1964. Lankford examines the spin-offs and product tie-ins that were sold, but also the themes that made Rudolph so popular, such as being an underdog or 'misfit,' and why that resonated with Americans. It's a thoroughly researched history that I found very fascinating. It's not an overly lengthy book and includes lots of photos, although it might be more information than most people are looking for - but it's still a great read at the holidays.

[Laura Bernheim · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun read about the history/origins of a pop culture phenomenon. A perfect book to read on Christmas Day. Recommended for anyone interested in gathering some quick knowledge about Christmas or pop culture lore or American retail or song history.

[Julia · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun addition to the Christmas book pile! Having worked for Montgomery Ward in its' waning years, I was familiar with this proud legacy's tie to the company. They revived their ties with Rudolph and I can remember lines of people waiting for ornaments and books during my winter breaks in college. When Robert May, an advertising copywriter for Montgomery Ward, penned a tale about a little reindeer for a holiday giveaway, I would guess all involved never dreamed the impact he would have. Taking off from there, Lankford leads us to Gene Autry and the Rankin/Bass years. Parts were skimmed, I kept wanting to get to the 'good parts' and the old pictures make up for skipping some text. I think it's a book I'd rather pick up once in a while, rather than try to read it all at once.

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked this up at the public library from the new books shelf - it caught my eye since it seems an odd thing to find in the new nonfiction section. (The spine title is just "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.")

I was more than familiar with the TV version sponsored by GE produced in the 1960s, but was not aware of the quarter century of history preceding that, going back to before World War II. The book describes itself on the back cover as "the definitive history of this iconic and much-loved Christmas character" and that seems a fair statement. It is engaging for the most part and has a good selection of illustrations.

The author makes some interesting points and presents some interesting lines of thinking. At every turn when different variants of the stories appeared, it was largely as a commercial vehicle of some time with significant support from a large commercial entity, whether it was the then successful Montgomery Wards of the 1930s or GE of the 1960s. And yet it is hard to know how much of the success was from that support and was from the innate qualities of the story. The author also analyzes aspects of the story in contrast to other successful children's stories of the same time, putting for some interesting conclusions as to why he thinks this story has been so successful.

As usual I have several quibbles. One is that I don't really see why the title is "an American hero" - I think it would have been more close to the book's approach to have "icon" than "hero."

For me the book lost steam towards the end. The author engaged in a long sort of literary analysis of some of the successor cartoons and other spinoffs such as cartoons and even parodies that have appeared more recently that runs long, only to have the book end somewhat suddenly with a two-sentence conclusion that seems to put the responsibility for Rudolph's future in the hands of baby boomers who should let him "roam free." Hmm.

I also didn't care for the physical format - this is a paperback of about 200 pages, 8 inches high and 7 inches wide, or almost square in how it presents itself. On pages of text there are fairly large margins and yet the type font is tiny. Yes, I suppose I could use more powerful reading glasses, but this isn't a problem I usually have. There are also reproductions of full page magazine ads or the covers of record album and the like that are presented at a scale such that they are even more difficult to read. It seems like a book that the publisher went to some trouble to present in an artful and interesting way, but in my view at the expense of readability.

[Dorothy Mariotti · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to Goodreads and the author, Ronald D. Lankford, Jr., for the opportunity to read this book. I highly recommend this book. What a great book of the history of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. After all the years of reading the story to my children and,now,my grandson, I now know how it came about and adds another layer to the story. Thanks again!

[Graham Bradley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Must have been an exhausting piece of research, but it's a fascinating story, all told.

[Shirley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer: An American Hero is an academic and well-researched study of the marketing that underscored the development of an iconic cultural Christmas hero. There are 13 pages of footnotes, an 8-page bibliography, and even a 7-page index that accompany the 177 page text. The page layouts and photographs that accompany the text are excellent and reinforce the content of the text.

Ronald D. Lankford, Jr. has witten a "biography" of Rudolph intended for an adult audience.

"In many ways Rudolph's story comes to an impasse after 1964. Despite several other adventures, on TV, in comic books, and in early readers, the Rankin/Bass Rudolph was the last Rudolph in sync with the zeitgeist. Indeed, the next two times Rudolph crossed the Rankin/Bass's path leave the impression that the team sleepwalked through the latter half of the 1970s. Both Rudolph's Shiny New Year's (1976) and Rudolph and Frosty's Christmas in July (1979) are shambolic messes." (p. 166)

"The very innocence for which we praise Rankin/Bass's Rudolph spells out a mythic dead end: when the object we love evokes no more than the past, we have lost something; when what we love requires a conscious effort to explain its relevancy, we no longer feel it; no longer living folklore, a myth becomes a shadow of its former self." (pp. 166-167)

As a boomer who grew up with Rudolph in the 50s and 60s and as an adult who is still mesmerized by versions of Rudolph recorded by Gene Autrey and others during the holiday season, Lankford's book left me feeling abandoned of the magic and wonder that accompany Rudolph's story.
The closest a I came to feeling the essence of the "real" Rudolph was when Lanksford described Rudolph's visit with Santa to the orthopedic hospital for children in Los Angeles. I know that this wasn't intended as a feel-good book, but a book without heart in its description of Rudolph left me wanting more. Ronald Lankford did an excellent job researching and expounding on the marketing and commercial aspects of Rudolph's rise to fame. For his professional approach, I can do no less than to proffer five stars on his book.

The magic and wonder of this book relate to bullying and the underdog overcoming adversity. The book examines how hard work can lead to success and achievement of the American dream. It explains how the American depression, WWII, and even the discontent of the 1960s influenced the development of Rudolph for companies and individuals seeking to profit commercially.

Though marketing made Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer the success he remains today, I still want to remember this iconic folk hero as written in the words of his creator Robert May. How prophetic were the other reindeer as they shouted out with glee, "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, you'll go down in history."

[Chris Meads · Rating 5 out of 5]

I never knew the history of this young Reindeer and how he came to be. Everyone knows T'was the Night Before Christmas but did you know that Rudolph is actually 77 years old.

A copy editor for Montgomery Wards Department Store, Robert May, made Rudolph up as a promotional event at Christmas back in 1939. The book written in the same type prose as The Night Before Christmas was given out at the store to promote buying--what better way to get people into the store than to give something free to their kids. This happened a couple of times.

Most of us know that Gene Autrey was the first person to sing the song after it was turned down by Bing Crosby and others. Crosby went on later and did his own version. Most people today know the Rankin Bass version of Rudolph on TV (which isn't really from the book).

So if you want to read about Rudolph, this is the book for you. I found it interesting.

[Shari Suarez · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved (Okay, I still love) the Rankin/Bass Rudolph Christmas Special. It was a staple of my childhood and I'm not ashamed to say that I own some Rudolph merchandise.
That being said, I was eager to read this history of the Rudolph story. I was surprised to find out that Rudolph was invented by an advertising writer for Montgomery Wards Department Store. I was also quite surprised to realize that Gene Autry didn't really want to record the song about Rudolph.

This is a wonderful history and treatise about one of our most beloved Christmas icons. It delves into the truths and fallacies about Rudolph over the years and includes stories about the books, song, Christmas Special and merchandise. I highly recommend this to anyone who grew up loving Rudolph and even some of the Scrooges out there might enjoy it.

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Apparently well-researched, Lankford's exploration of the history of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer can be a bit exhausting for such a slight topic but some of the stories about Rudolph's rise to stardom are interesting. Created as a poem by Robert May for a Montgomery Ward holiday giveaway in 1939, Rudolph become a beloved part of American Christmas tradition but it was by no means a sure thing. Lankford details the truths, half-truths, and probable lies that have emerged around the legendary reindeer. Photos of early incarnations make this book fun for casual browsing, too.

[Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

I grew up in the era of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and even owned a record player with Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer on the outside of the record player that lit up when you played a record. So cool!! And I had a book of the story but I did not about the author of the book or why it was so popular in print and in song, now I know since I have read this book . Great for nostalgia lovers!

[Kathleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a free review copy of this book.
This is an academic treatment of Rudolph and his various origins in different forms over the years. It's well-cited and sourced, and the author has obviously gone to a lot of effort to reconcile conflicting stories given over the years by everyone involved in any aspect of any version of Rudolph! A lot of work (and corporate backing) went into creating this new legend, which seems to have been perfectly timed to catch the baby boom and all the child-centric marketing that came with it.
As this is an academic work, the text has a slight tendency to repeat points between chapters, and the numbering for the citations can get a little distracting. I did appreciate the included photos of ephemera, like ad flyers, records, and comic books; they engage the eye and keep the book interesting.