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Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
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Manufacturer: Classic Media
Find all by Classic Media
Directed By: Kizo Nagashima, Larry Roemer
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Theatrical Release: December 6, 1964
Average Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars
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Starring: Billie Mae Richards, Burl Ives, Paul Soles, Larry D. Mann, Stan Francis
This classic 1964 television special featuring Rudolph and his misfit buddies set the standard for stop-motion animation for an entire generation before Tim Burton darkly reinvented it in the early 1990s. Burl Ives narrates as Sam the Snowman, telling and singing the story of a rejected reindeer who overcomes prejudice and saves Christmas one particularly blustery year. Along the way, he meets an abundance of unforgettable characters: his dentally obsessed elf pal Hermey; the affable miner Yukon Cornelius and his motley crew of puppies; the scary/adorable Abominable Snow Monster; a legion of abandoned, but still chatty, toys; and a rather grouchy Santa. In addition to the title song that inspired it, this 53-minute tape is crammed with catchy tunes such as "Silver and Gold" and "Holly Jolly Christmas." Those who grew up looking forward to watching Rudolph every Christmas season will undoubtedly be able to recite the quotable quotes ("I'm cuuuute. She said I'm cuuuute." "Herbie doesn't like to make toys.") as well as any Casablanca cult audience. --Kimberly Heinrichs
User Submitted Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer Reviews
November 16, 2008
Simply Remarkable
It's hard to believe anyone could build a feature-length story on a song and come up with something this good. But writer Romeo Mueller and producers Jules Bass and Arthur Rankin, Jr. did just that.
This story of misfits finding their rightful place in the world is just the Christmas tale solitary children the world over need to hear. Its beautiful and subversive message feels all the more heartfelt because we receive it through the delicately hand-wrought images of stop-motion animation. There's something especially touching in the craft behind the images: you can feel the resonance from the touch of each person who posed these figure, frame after frame.
A beautiful story, a wonderful early-60s design aesthetic and a talented group of voice actors make this feel as important today as it did when I first saw it in 1964.
This edition features a reconstructed broadcast version, including all the original scenes, plus additional material added a few years later. Most importantly, it restores the original "We're A Couple of Misfits" song to its proper place. It was replaced with a song considered more suitable (about seeking one's fortune rather than embracing one's true self), "Fame and Fortune," after the initial broadcast; that material appears in the DVD's extras.
November 11, 2008
My favorite christmas movie of all time!
Years ago, some friends of ours sent us a VHS tape taped off the air which had several Christmas classics including EMMET OTTER'S JUG BAND CHRISTMAS, FROSTY THE SNOWMAN, THE GRINCH, BABAR & FATHER CHRISTMAS, and of course the tried and true RUDOLPH. Now that the VHS tape is pretty much worn out and my VCR is permanently broke, I decided to start replacing these classics on DVD. Rudolph was the first one I replaced and ever since then I've been addicted to it every Christmas season. I look forward to watching it all year long. The sweet ending makes me cry every time I watch it.
Here is why I did not give this DVD five stars. In the original version when Rudolph and Hermey run away they sang a song about "Fame and Fortune," which was the version I had. In the version I bought they sang a song which was more or less recycled called "We're a couple of misfits."
But nonetheless this is a WONDERFUL movie for anybody ages 1 to 101. So no matter how old you are, buy yourself a copy! You won't regret it one bit.
October 22, 2008
You're Never Too Old for This Classic Christmas Tale!
I actually purchased this for my 48 year old housemate for Christmas!
Every holiday season, the little characters come out of the box and get put on the shelf and I heard the repeated stories of how he watched this every year as a child. How he couldn't wait for Christmas so he could see it again. (We're talking before cable and before DVD's!)
So now, he has the timeless gift, which I get to enjoy too because I also watched it as a little girl!
And when the grandkids come over, that's now one of their favorites to watch with Grandpa!
September 13, 2008
Lovely and excellent !!
This is a lovely story for Christmas time made in a special animated technique. I have watched it by first time on TV when I was a child and I prefere this kind of films instead of the modern ones that have a lot of unnecessary technical resources. The story, the technique and the music are superb ! Don't miss it for your children and enjoy it so much as I do.
July 20, 2008
A neglected classic.
Charming, well-made, and with nary a car chase or half-clad babe anywhere. Burl Ives' voice alone is worth the price.
June 4, 2008
Classic
I must be honest, at 50, I bought this for myself. It is a classic from my childhood
August 4, 2007
CLASSIC
Just like I remembered it when I was a kid. My son (11) also enjoyed it alot! The figures are still a great way to do animation.
June 16, 2007
Poor and a Bore!
In the prominent, well-known, and award-winning movie Rudolf the Red-nosed Reindeer, FHE, (which is) also known as Family Home Entertainment, presents the most famous cartoon of Christmas. With all of its history and fanfare one would not expect a disappointment. Incessantly and irritatingly, though, Burl Ives wrecks the film as he interrupts, dances, and sings throughout all of the key moments in the movie! Perhaps singing and dancing make for a family-friendly movie, but at what expense? Leaving this narrative without any content rating whatsoever, the producers of the film neglected also to provide any content because they were more concerned about its suitability. Rudolf the reindeer relinquished its' ratings. To be fair though, the qualities that are lacking for some must have been heavily compensated for in the eyes of others in order to receive award-winning film status. If any movie escaped having been rated less than this classic, I must have missed it. Despite its shortcomings, the film succeeds in producing a very clean and prize-achieving storyline.
As you may not be aware of, this is the story of a dumb deer, bestowed with the name of Rudolf, and who lives in a fantasy setting. As described, the narrator of the story is the talking snowman that follows Rudolf in his travels as a likeminded misfit, and consequently he gradually, and yet somehow calmly melts to death when nobody is looking. This is not revealed however. Dotting the landscape with white snow, the leitmotif weather of Christmas annoys viewers with a bland background of white snow. Within this setting appears a young deer named Rudolf with what appears to be an irritating pimple on his nose. It is so big that it looks like a cherry tomato. He tries his best to cover it with mud because it is not just an ordinary pimple. It has the magical ability to glow like a nightlight! In addition to this defect, Rudolf and all of the other young reindeer have small horns that stick out of their heads like lumps of black licorice. Now, is that not silly? This important youngling also runs away since he is made fun of and meets up with a complete stranger. This stranger is a toothless runaway elf who wants to be a dentist! And so the portrayal of Rudolf continues as he squeaks about with a high voice and a short outcast of the elf society.
Although scarcely a conflict, the storm that had arisen became so strong that it prohibited Santa from applying navigation techniques, and because he was too dumb to have his elves create a flashlight, he was just about to cancel Christmas. The storm was a blanket. Santa, (who was) previously regarded as not so bright, now fires his toothless dentist wannabe. This brings Rudolf full circle. Meeting up with this ostracized elf, Rudolf seeks a new life so he teams up with the dwarf. Along the way, these two misfits meet an ignominious, oblivious, and selfish man who licks gold for a living and whose name is Cornelius. Cornelius helps them to ward-off the Abominable Snowman. After they had pretended to escape this defenseless giant, the three characters moved on to a greater cause, leaving their past in the tumult of Global Climate Change. The world's toymaker primarily suffers however from the inability to see though a storm and he has to find a solution other than search lights and that becomes the highlight of the movie at this point in the narrative.
Rudolf finally discovers hope. Above the wreck of confusion the two absentminded teenagers, (who were) having trouble fighting, racing, and competing with the storm, finally reappeared at their homes. Santa had been patiently waiting for the two because he wanted to reward them. Surprising even the smartest critic, these two outcasts saved Christmas. The poor old Abominable Snowman that I mentioned earlier is invited to top the Christmas tree with a star. The tree had been erected as a part of the huge celebration for Rudolf, who could light the way through the storm with his nose and prevent Christmas from being cancelled. Unfortunately this version of the film shows the narrator being left outside in the lonely cold and kept out of the marvelous party. If he was upset, the poor snowman did not show it, for he actually chuckled to see the outcasts enjoy themselves before they would be put to hard labor the next day. This ends the silly adventure of the pair of lazy kids. They lived happily ever after.
Rudolf the Red-nosed Reindeer is a rather depressing film because it unfortunately had a sinister motive. Rudolf actually indoctrinates little kids. Unfortunately, Rudolf the reindeer, (who was) previously regarded as being up to no good, is a movie that seems to say O.K. to running away from home but only to return after being chased by a curious monster and a snowstorm. When I am told that this movie is a classic, I laugh because classic means different things to different individuals. Even the dramatic Gone with the Wind is regarded as a classic, but classic does not mean interesting, moral or even instructive as classic probably had been defined in the past. (The phrase, "Frankly my dear, I don't give a @#!$%^&*()_+" is considered a classic but would not have survived a normal children's cartoon.) Because of the fact that Rudolf escaped any content ratings at all disturbs me. The video jacket describes the film as being harmless and suitable for all audiences but fails to warn consumers of the possible side effects which may include drowsiness, boredom, and addiction to pain killers and even death from brain inactivity. Judging this movie personally, I will agree that it is entertaining for children, but so are the Power-Rangers, Tellie-Tubbies, and Teenaged Mutant Ninja Turtles. I personally believe that Rudolf the Red-nosed Reindeer is a poor movie that should not be placed on the shelf labeled classics.
April 17, 2007
"That's Man's Work!"
I love how this movie not only tells a story but depicts the times in which it was made. The Doe stay at home in the cave while Rudolph's Dad and Santa go out and do the "Man's work" (to use his words) of searching for Rudolph. Ironically, if it hadn't been for the woman going out in search of Rudolph, all the men would have probably died. Still, I think some of the comments made were a real depiction of the mindset of the time period and it makes me laugh every time I watch it. Everytime Rudolph's Daddy says that, I look at my fiance' and (jokingly) say "That's right! You heard him! It's MAN's Work!"
A great holiday classic full of laughter, fun and adventure. And the story of Rudolph speaks to one thing in particular. Our differences make us unique but those differences don't have to be a hinderance. They can be a gift. In the hands of a powerful spirit, a weakness can be transformed into a strength.
Thanks for teaching generations of kids that very valuable lesson!
March 8, 2007
Good Experience
This item arrived in time for the christmas holidays which made the overall experience great!!
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