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Story of Red-Nosed ReindeerBrings Writer Happy EndingCHICAGO, Dec. 18.—(/P)—Theboss called in Bob May, and asked him to write a Christmas tale for kids.Write an animal story,’ “Write it in verse.”he said.May was chosen because he made a living putting words together and because the song parodies he wrote for an office party had gone over big.That was in 1939. May, an advertising copy writer for Montgomery Ward and Company, began to dream up a fable. An animal for a Christmas yarn? A reindeer, of course.; Something to make him stand out from the herd0 A big. red, shiny nose. That would make him a freak, shunned by other deer.I “Children, being the little people 1 of the world, would identify themselves with the underdog,” May reasoned. “With a happy ending, it would be a sure fire formula.”May, a thin, dark browed, methodical young man, put the story down on paper in prose. From there on, it should have been fun. But it wasn’t.His w'ife. 11! wuth cancer for twm years, died. May was feeling low' and was, as he put it. “pretty well broke.” The boss offered to turn over the tale to another man. May refused to give it up.Working at home and in spare time at the office—50 hours in all— he put it into rhyme. After he finished each part, he read it to his daughter, Barbara, 4.“She was my guinea pig.” May recalled “I tried the words on her for size.”Little Barbara thus was the first of millions of kids to hear the story of “Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer.” It went like this:Rudolph w as a good deer but the others wouldn’t play with him. Everybody laughted at his big shiny schnoz. Everybody, that is, but Rudolph He wept.Then, one Christmas, a thick fog stopped Santa Claus after he had set out to distribute toys. That's where Rudolph came in Santa hitched him at the head of the reindeer team. His nose cut through the Kloom like a headlight on a tram, and he guided Santa to homes around the world. Rudolph became a hero.The tale was printed in an Illustrated book with the by-line of Robert L May. The company gave 2.400.000 copies to children at its stores during the 1939 Yule season.“I was tickled to see my name on them,” May said.rings, scarfs, watches, and a bank with a nose that lights up when a coin drops through the slot.A Rudolph color movie began a round of motion picture houses in November. It was scheduled to be shown in 1,500 theaters in 888 cities and towns. Tw?enty-five additional Rudolph creations are being considered for 1949.The reindeer plays as big a role in May’s life as Harvey, the rabbit, plays in the affairs of Elwood P. Dowd of the stage. But May, unlike Dowd, can push his pet aside while he works or relaxes.May usually parks Rudolph outside the apartment where he lives wuth Barbara and his second wife and their youngsters. Joanna. 7, Christopher. 5. and Ginger, 3. The little ones think Rudolph is a perfect deer but—“ We talked Rudolph so much at the dinner table,” May said, “the children passed a rule that there wrould be no Rudolph talk until after their bedtime.”May, now 43 and in charge of written advertising material for Ward's retail stores, is happy but married.“I've become a temporary celebrity. he said. “Everybody calls me Rudolph. Hundreds of letters have come from paronK kids, teachers, ministers and child psychologists So far this month I’ve been on five radio programs.”He told an Interviewer he felt like “a fairly well paid white collar worker who struck oil.”“The w’ell may keep on gushing.”he said, or it may ease off to a trickle. Right now it looks as if Rudolph W’ill take care of us.”Rudolph hibernated during WorldWar II. But 3.600.000 copies of his story were handed out In 1946 as good will “give-aways.”In 1947 Sewell Avery. Ward’s board chairman, decided May should have the copyright on Rudolph and any royalties. A publisher put 100,-000 Rudolph books on sale. Manufacturers in various fields became interested. Rudolph record albums were sold. Rudolph also appeared as a stuffed toy and on slippers, picture puzzles, charm bracelets and sweat shirts.The supply of some of tha things fell short of the demand. A mother advertised in the Huron, S. D., Hu-ronite: “Wanted to buy—Rudolph red-nosed reindeer, stuffed. Will pay double price. Her seven-year-old daughter got one free when May’s firm heard about it.There are 24 Rudolph products this year—including about 250,000 of the books, games, tree ornaments, vVC'C«W€,C,€T’£,C,e‘(:,2,C,«,€,£‘S,€T'S*S*?
Newspaper Details
Austin Christmas American Statesman
Austin, Texas, US
Sat, Dec 25, 1948
Page 19
Full Page
Clipped by
Karen J.
USA 02 Dec 2023
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