How a 1964 stop-motion special became a holiday institution
In short: Before it was a global phenomenon, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer was a complex international production. From Canadian voice actors to Japanese animation, this 1964 NBC special transformed a 1939 poem into the longest continuously running Christmas television special in the United States.
The production of the 1964 special was a massive logistical undertaking that took 18 months to complete. Although New York City served as the idea's birthplace, Japan produced the animation through a unique 'Animagic' stop-motion technique. English studios recorded the soundtrack, while Toronto-based Canadian performers provided the majority of the voices. This choice was strategic; Rankin/Bass utilized Canadian actors because many radio dramas were still being produced there, and the labor costs at Toronto's Crawley Films helped stretch their budget.
The financial backing was equally intricate. General Electric sponsored the special under the title 'The General Electric Fantasy Hour,' covering its $500,000 cost through a contract that originally only lasted for two broadcasts. Interestingly, the production faced early hurdles, such as the need to hide the gender of Rudolph's voice actress, Billie Mae Richards, by crediting her husband, Billy Richards. Even the musical score faced censorship; in 1965, a General Electric executive ordered the song 'We're a Couple of Misfits' to be replaced by 'Fame and Fortune,' though the original was restored in 1998.
The special's legacy is marked by its endurance. It has been broadcast every year since its December 6, 1964, premiere, making it the longest continuously running Christmas special in the US. After airing on CBS from 1972 to 2023, it returned to NBC in 2024. The puppets used in the production are so significant that the original figures are preserved at the Masterworks Museum in Bermuda.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (TV special)
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