Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer

This charming short is one of the best holiday themed toons we will ever see. It simply wouldn't be Christmas-Time without it. Spread the word folks this one has stood the test of time and is a keeper! I suggest getting the new Christmas Carol DVD with Alister Sim (1951) version since Rudolph is on the disc as a bonus. Two Christmas greats in one!

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1948)

*** (out of 4)

Max Fleischer's animated short tells the story of the red-nosed reindeer who is constantly picked on until Santa's needs his help delivering gifts on Christmas. This 9-minute short would end up being the final film that Fleischer would ever direct and it also turned out to be the last that he would produce. There's no question that the 1964 Rankin/Bass version has overshadowed this one and I think it's fair to say that the later version is much better but that's still no reason for people not to check this one out. I thought the animation, as you'd expect, to be very good and I especially liked the opening scenes where we meet Rudolph and the other reindeer's. I thought their little play land had a lot of imagination going for it and the colors certainly jumped off the screen. The story is pretty good as well but then again I think it would be very hard to mess it up. At just 9-minutes the film goes by extremely fast and there's certainly no dry moments to drag the film. The one major difference here is that the "village" is animals and not humans. Nothing major of a change but it's still worth noting.

BEWARE OF FALSE REVIEWS & REVIEWERS. SOME REVIEWERS HAVE ONLY ONE REVIEW TO THEIR NAME. NOW WHEN ITS A POSITIVE REVIEW THAT TELLS ME THEY WERE INVOLVED WITH THE MOVIE. IF ITS A NEGATIVE REVIEW THEN THEY MIGHT HAVE A GRUDGE AGAINST THE FILM . NOW I HAVE REVIEWED OVER 200 HOLIDAY FILMS. I HAVE NO AGENDA. I AM HONEST ABOUT THESE FILMS

This is not the beloved Animated Classic with "Sam The Snowman". this is the first cartoon that was ever made about the beloved reindeer.

This Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer is a 1948 animated short film by Max Fleischer based on the 1939 Robert L. May poem Rudolph the Red- Nosed Reindeer about the reindeer with the same name.

Rudolph is a reindeer, with an unusual red nose. Because of this, he is laughed at and told to go home by his peers. Saddened, he goes home, hangs his stocking and goes to bed. Meanwhile, in the North Pole, Santa Claus notices that the coming fog will be difficult to get through. Nevertheless, him and his reindeer brave out the storm and go anyway. While on the way, an airplane throws them off their course; they land at Rudolph's house, where Santa greets him. Telling Rudolph, "I need you tonight to guide my deer on the rest of our flight", Rudolph helps them. Due to his bravery, he is accepted and respected by his fellow reindeer and made their commander-in- chief by Santa; the reindeer enjoy a merry Christmas together.

Well made and very colorful. Just don't look for "Hermey the Elf" or "The Island of Misfit Toys".

A JAM HANDY PICTURE Cartoon Short.

On a particularly foggy Christmas Eve, RUDOLPH THE RED-NOSED REINDEER turns his humiliating birth defect into a beneficial asset...

Two decades before Rudolph came to the small screen, Robert L. May's enduring creation was given the Max Fleischer special touch in this nostalgic cartoon. Johnny Marks' infectious song leads into the well-known story of Santa's Winter weather troubles & how the bullied little deer saved the day/night. A few of the graphics are reminiscent of Fleischer's splendid SUPERMAN series.

The cartoon adds some new details to the story - Mama Rudolph in a dress & apron is a rather strange sight - but basically this version, narrated by Paul Wing, laid the groundwork for later adaptations. While rather obscure, if uncovered this would make a fine addition to a family's Christmas Eve viewing.

This first film version of Robert L. May's story is a color animated cartoon by Max and Dave Fleisher which covers the salient points of the classic holiday saga in a brisk and breezy seven minutes. Rudolph, Santa and Reindeer Games are all in place along with Johnny Marks' beloved song.

The warm and winning short artistically surpasses the better-known Rankin-Bass puppet version but does not quite rival it for charm. Baby Boomers will look in vain for Sam the Snowman, Hermey the Elf, Yukon Cornelius and the Abominable Snowman.

The once-rare cartoon is currently available on a number of video compilations of seasonal short subjects.