Christmas Carols In Old America

RUDOLPH, THE RED NOSED REINDEER
Praise of the Diversity

Who’s not touched by the fairytale of Rudolph, the red nosed reindeer ? Even though it’s been written many years ago, the fairytale of the creature that is “different” and therefore isolated by his peers until he’s redeemed by Santa Claus himself, is in the heart of every child that through it relives and overcomes his own complexes. This is actually a real innovation in the field of the literature for children, that for the first time notices the frailty of the teen world, oppressed by episodes of discrimination and bullying. If we think that Rudolph was first edited in 1939 we can’t help being amazed by its poetic but extreme modernity and acknowledging to it a very human depth. The little reindeer, created by Robert Lewis May’s mind and heart, lives a simple but brave story: born with a very shiny and almost sparkling huge red nose, Rudolph is looked upon with scorn by other reindeers, that never play with him but mock him instead. He therefore stays alone, marginalized, bound to an everlasting solitude. His physique doesn’t help him, because the sweet creature is little, thin, very different from the classic image of the chubby and plump American baby that inspires more or less all the fairy tales puppies

So Rudolph grows missing the outside world, that excludes him; but his loneliness doesn’ t harden his heart, that stays full of love and hope. In his own way he’s grateful for the little things that life offers him and he enjoys them peacefully, always hoping for the future. And here’s the miracle coming: Santa Claus must deliver the Eve gifts, but the night is so dark and foggy that his reindeers don’t know where to go and roam in the sky . The gifts of all the children of the world are at risk! Santa Claus is in despair but.. here is, in the darkness of the night, a light that shines even in the heart of the forest. That’s the nose of the little reindeer, who’s looking at the stars form the river’s side. When Santa Claus asks for his help, the little reindeer instinctively accepts to guide him to deliver the gifts to that world that had always excluded him, because his heart doesn’t know what resentment is. So Rudolph will become a reindeer of Santa Claus’ sleigh, and his place will be at the head of it, receiving the praises of the other reindeers that will finally manage to see beyond his look and acknowledge the virtues of his “diversity”.

The moral surprises for its modernity, especially if we think of the prig and racist America of the forties, of the desire for uniformity of the public and the pre-war homophobic campaigns . The big hearted little reindeer conquered even the hardest and closest minds, bringing a wind of change that was not immediately realized by everybody but that would last in time . Another Christmas miracle? Not really. Rudolph’s fairytale brings other moving stories, then largely advertised with great cynicism with the selling of the new character.

His creator, Bob May, was a copywriter at the Montgomery Ward department stores . He had to create new fairytales characters that in the festivity period helped to sell toys, books and Christmas gadgets. Many big companies used this strategy, including the music industry that every year recorded new songs linked to Christmas. Sometimes these characters became so famous that it involved the production of a whole series of gadgets that were easily sold and created a real fashion. T-shirts, pins, dolls, logos often came along with this or that new song or character. Exactly as it happens today when a hit movie is presented to the public (we can’t forget for example the big amount of gadgets coming along with Ghostbuster or Toy Story and – why not?- Titanic).

In the thirties the toy shops used to gift children with little books to color, as an advertisement. The cries of the children to have them would force the parents to visit this or that shop, raising the chances of sale. Copywriter duty was to create every year material that could attract children without annoying too much the adults. But Bob May was an artist too: he will reveal, in an article published on the Gettysburg Times of 1975, the behind the scenes of the creation of Rudolph.

PICTURE 7. Here is the very first version of Rudolph, in the original book of 1939. Even if he’s often compared to the Disney’s Bambi the first Rudolph is not similar at all. As you can see he’s really a little thin reindeer, with NON childlike features and very similar to the real animal. It’s only afterward, with the cartoons, that his image will be modified . The round head, the big eyes and the puffy body that will be given to him recall indeed the classic image of a baby and will be built on him just to affect with tenderness.

“A guy named Robert May, infinitely sad and with the broken heart, looked outside the window where gusts of iced air were coming from, on that Christmas’ Eve. Barbara, his little 4 year old daughter, curled up in his arms, sobbing. Her mummy, Bob’s wife, the dear Evelyn, was passing away with cancer.

– Why my mummy is not like all the other mummies? – little Barbara asked, looking straight in the eyes her dad.- Why is she always in the bed and doesn’t play with me?-

Bob’ s jaw tensed and his eyes were filled with tears; he felt in his heart so much pain but also anger. His life had always been hard, since he was a child, when his strange look made him a victim of the scorns and offenses of his schoolmates. He was the ugly duckling, but without the hope of becoming one day a beautiful swan. Remembering bitterly the ugly names he was called as a child, he decided to spare his sweet baby the pain of being called little orphan. He will fight. It was Christmas’ Eve, damn!, and his darling Evelyn was dying. There was no money in the house, everything had been spent in the useless drugs that were not saving the dear girl he had known and loved since the College. He thought about his child, that at Christmas would receive as only gift the death of her mother, and understood that that was not the moment to surrender.

” You will receive the most beautiful Christmas gift that a child has ever received!”- decided in his heart. And he started instinctively to write the story of a little reindeer with a big shiny nose that, benefitted by the Christmas Spirit, would have lightened forever the dark nights of her childhood.

So Rudolph was born, for the love of a dying woman and of a child that was too little to bear the pain of the loss. And when Bob read the story to the young dying woman she held for the last time her daughter, smiling at the thought of leaving her in the hands of the little reindeer…”

PICTURE 8. Here is a beautiful picture of Bob Maya at the beginnings of the forties. The artist confessed many years later, just before his death, that actually the image of the little reindeer was inspired by himself as a child, when he was victim of bullying. This revelation discredited the image of the good American society, that was not ready at all to reconsider the true nature of the students of its Colleges . Bullying is nowadays a well know phenomenon, but in the twenties and thirties talking about it was forbidden, even in the family . May confessed he had thought to suicide but he overcame the idea thanks to the love of his parents who, despite being poor because of the crisis of the Big Depression, managed to make him study and give him a future .

Clearly, even if touching, that was a romanticized story, worth of an author of old times. Reality was very different and, in certain aspects, more brutal.

In 1938 the damages of the Big Depression were clear in the American society: the crisis had turned off the joy of spending and Christmas had lost a great part of its...consumer appeal. The dads kept the wallets closed and even the tables set for the festivity looked less colored. The atmosphere was grey and the sales of toys were going down: not even the great chains of department stores were able to propose anything new. The air was filled by the notes of the classic Christmas songs and the lights of the music industry looked switched off too. So, no one wanted to risk and the families seemed to fit this mood of austerity .

But that was not true for the Ward department stores, that had a progressive life in their past, in the history of his founder Aaron Montgomery: in spite of the great depression and of the crisis, they hired the best among their copywriters to give life to such a captivating character to challenge even Mickey Mouse.

PICTURE 9. I didn’t manage to find a picture of the poor Evelyn, but this one of Bob May with the daughter Barbara was known throughout the U.S. and touched the hearts of millions mums. Was maybe this the secret of the long lasting fame of the little reindeer ?

The history of the founder of this great chain was meaningful. He was a simple travelling salesman that in 1872 had a futuristic idea: starting a direct sale, producer – consumer, skipping suppliers and retailer and lowering a by far the prizes. His first catalogue, sent by mail to consumers, was made of one page only and the first items were very common work tools for farmers. But the idea was a boom and after 10 years only Ward was able to sell by mail through catalogue 163 different items of different use (among them one of the first wooden economic kitchen), showed on 237 pages! It was still Ward, in 1875, to invent the formula “satisfied or refunded”, that brought him on the top of the popularity ranking among the consumers! The Ward enjoyed the monopoly of the sales by mail until 1886, when the Sears was born, and which years later, would bring it to the bankrupt. Despite that in 1919 the Montgomery Ward was quoted on the market and had opened its chain of shops, and it was one of the very few great chains to survive the ’29 crisis, with stock market crash. Fearless, as only few among its rivals, the Ward in 1938 decided to invest a great part of its resources in the future; and it made it through the child consumers, as it was right.

PICTURE 10. Here’s a tidbit for you, the picture of the very first ONE ONLY page of the very first catalogue of the rising Montgomery Ward empire, 1875 ! In a few years the sales by mail reached the top and Ward had the very bright idea to save money on the transport expenses fixing a weight limit. It seems that people in charge of packaging were so careful about these rules that very often heavy clothes, such as coats (that at the time were very heavy), were unsewn and sent in two different packages…but equipped with needle and thread to sew them again!

The idea was to invent a funny but masculine character, symbol of the chain itself. The first candidate was a certain Ferdinand the Bull, nominated by we don’t know who but then rejected as a symbol of corridas. May was on the list among others, but not the favorite by far because of his fragile feature and submissive character. Beside that he was broken, as the sudden illness of his wife Evelyn, affected by cancer since more than two years, had made him waste his savings. The economic prize that the Ward promised to the creator of the character would have fixed a bit the things . Bob took care of Evelyn and his child, going up and down from the hospital to the office and home. Considered his situation, he was granted the permission to work for most of the time from home: and there the artist had the inspiration and, only poetic touch of the story, just thanks to his dear daughter Barbara.

The little one adored the fairytales of Santa Claus and his reindeers; she loved fawns, was touched by mummy doe and melted into tears when she asked to her dad to bring her to the zoo... but he could not afford it. So in the heart of the little reindeer Bob May put a great part of his soul: he created a “different” character, isolated, sadly lonely, that in the end was just himself as an ugly and four-eyed kid. And he made it with a poetically childish draw, inspired by the love for his daughter, that perfectly matched the Christmas spirit.

PICTURE 11. Even though he was often compared to the Disney Bambi, the original features of the reindeer were very different from those of the very sweet fawn. As you can see in the original image of 1942 Bambi already has the signs of the classic iconography of the lovely cubs: round head, fat ears, big moving eyes. The Disney produced the movie in 1942 when Rudolph was already very famous. Coincidence or plagiarism?

This was the only great miracle of Rudolph’s birth: the rest is just a legend.. Evelyn did not die on 1938 Christmas’ Eve, as it’s often been told. In that period she was in coma, a patient in a very common hospital room where her dears went often to visit her. She passed away in July of the next year, between a crying daughter and a copywriter that had not found yet the strength to finish his story. He will manage, in a record time, some months later, encouraged by a not paid rent and the risk of being kicked out of his house.

PICTURE 12. Here is the 1939 original sketch of the little reindeer, as it was presented by Denver Gillen. The features of the character were not very beautiful but the frailty of the drawing, that seems coming out straight from a fairytale, had success.

And Rudolph was not the sudden “revelation” that made the miracle, enlightening the sales director, the terrible Sewel Avery . On the contrary, to be honest, Rudolph, with that big red nose that reminded a drunk man, was immediately discarded…and twice! We can understand that: echoes of Prohibition were still resent and introducing to children the image of a supposed-alcoholic didn’t look convenient even to the progressive Ward Department Stores. But Bob was now determined to go on and receive that promotion and played his ace in the hole: he asked for the help of a young and promising illustrator, such a Denver Gillen, with a skilled hand and a great ambition. This young guy just did what great actors do when they play a role: he had a chat with the little Barbara, who really was an inspiration for the character, and understood that that red nose was not just a fantasy but a tasty detail of a deer that the child had seen some time ago at the zoo. He went there and he realized it was a caribou, a very sweet animal whose puppies look frail and defenseless and that at the birth have a very peculiar little dark pink nose. His drawings caught that tenderness that, despite the not very happy look, puppies can give to their species; the result was a very light figure for a sad fairytale that fitted a Christmas of reflection and that in the end convinced the terrible Sewel Avery, Ward sales manager.

PICTURE 13. And here is the 1951 adorable drawing by Scarry, unchanged until 1958. Then, unfortunately, slowly but inexorably, the style changed.

Many names were discarded, in the end the little reindeer was given the name of Rudolph, that recalled a more “virile” image. After a great advertising campaign the idea worked and the little book sold more than 2 million copies just in December of 1939, making the story of the little reindeer a Classic.

There was an explosion of gadgets that even the Disney itself could envy: puppets, pins, gadgets for children, cups… and even the Christmas decorations followed the new fashion of the red-nosed reindeer. America, happy and content, was literally invaded by them and for seven years in a row Rudolph was the main protagonist of Holy Festivities. There was no travelling theatre that did not put into scene his Rudolph-puppets and no mum that did not put to sleep her child without telling his sweet fairytale.

So everybody happy? Not really. Our Bob, after a quick moment of glory, was not doing better than before. The Ward held all the rights of the story and its protagonist, earning all the money, while May had to face bills and utilities. The young guy married a second time, with one of his colleague, former secretary of Avery himself, the sweet Virginia Newton, who would then give him five children! So in 1946 the Ward had sold 6 million copies of the little book only, then there were the incomes from the sale of the gadgets, while Bob got along just with the salary of employee. And now the legend begins: rumors are that, who knows why, suddenly in 1947 the terrible Sewel Avery, clearly touched by the Grace, gave the 100% of the rights to his creator, Bob May, that in just two years became multimillionaire and could live off the interest for the rest of his life. Most of the people can’t explain this sudden change of mind of the Ward Department Stores, who had apparently gone crazy, giving up all the billionaire incomes that made them grow on the market. No one talked about it for years when, just before the failure of this great chain in 2001, truth was uncovered.

In 1944 the fairytale of Rudolph, the red-nosed reindeer, appeared in a short cartoon by the cartoon movie pioneer Max Fleisher, on account of the Jam Hardy Corporation . They were two giants of the rising industry of the movies: Fleisher, inventor of the first cartoon technique that would then give birth to the cartoons empire with characters as great as Betty Boop and Popeye, was known worldwide as the pioneer of a cartoon technique that was more sophisticated and modern than the one used by the Disney, the fierce rival. The Jam Handy Corporation, owned by Henry Jamison Handy , was a rising giant in the field of the media communication. It had a very good relation with the U.S. Army for which it had produced several promotional and educational movies, had the political and economic support from important clients such as General Motors and the very famous Bray Studios, it also had important relations with the Paramount . Fleisher sensed a good business, knowing about the poor life conditions of Bob May, and contacted the artist, offering a support in case of a lawsuit against the Ward Department Stores, that for years had not given him any percentage of the copyrights and had got rich behind his backs. Bob accepted and in a hurry a private meeting was set with Sewel Avery, that had to face the risk of a scandal after the court summons: this would have lowered the Montgomery Ward stock price. That is how May obtained the 100% of the rights on Rudolph, even though his being an employee of that big chain raised doubts on his full ownership. Not even this was of course a Christmas gift but an expedient to produce in peace a new cartoon movie, that would have been a cult and brought much money in everybody’s pockets. This was a very well done 8 minutes short movie that in 1947 drove crazy millions of Americans. There were then several changes that gradually transformed the image and the fairytale of Rudolph, depriving it of its originality and making it similar to the popular Disney style. It’s still noteworthy a 1951 children book, with Richard Scarry drawings, then published again by Golden Books in 1958 in a modified and a bit cheesy edition.

PICTURE 14. Here is the first prototype of the dummy with his dad, Robert May, on December 19th, 1949 when the puppet was used by the Columbia as new Christmas icon.

The change of the character was then clear in the 1964 special , where Rudolph is transformed in an alienated cub that runs away from home and where other characters are present, outcasts as he is . This new story that has completely lost that light of love and hope that was the main theme of the original story of the little reindeer, is nowadays welcomed as a classic.. and that’s definitely a mirror of the times.

I won’t talk about the following remakes, that culminate with a horrible 1998 movie, which dangerously concerns the harassments received by the little Rudolph in an almost sadistic atmosphere, and I draw a veil over the even worse 2001 The isle of Rudolph, the Red Nosed Reindeer and The Island of Misfit Toys , where the magic of the story has completely disappeared. Rudolph final consecration anyway took place in 1949 and that was a…family affair . Among books, gadgets and movies there was just one thing missing: a symbol song that granted him forever a place among the stars. The Columbia got an idea and, maybe to give a further push to the advertising campaign, designated just Bob May’s brother in law, the talented Johnny Marks, to write a record song inspired by the story.

Until that moment Johnny was just a beautiful promise. Even though he had worked with the radio and he had the talent of a good composer he had not yet created anything exceptional: but with Rudolph he expressed the artist soul he had within. He composed in two months a lovely song with a light text, that in few minutes creates a perfect Christmas atmosphere.

Here is the text:

Rudolph, the red-nosed reindeer

had a very shiny nose.

And if you ever saw him,

you would even say it glows.

All of the other reindeer

used to laugh and call him names.

They never let poor Rudolph

join in any reindeer games.

Then one foggy Christmas Eve

Santa came to say:

“Rudolph with your nose so bright,

won’t you guide my sleigh tonight?”

Then all the reindeer loved him

as they shouted out with glee,

Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer,

you’ll go down in history.

Very well done! Now there was just the need to find someone, an authentic star of the music, that could make this text his/her own to give it the eternal Grace of the success with the public. The Columbia immediately contacted the Christmas icon of the moment, the King of the tear-jerking song, the omnipresent Bing Crosby; but he turned up his nose and refused . After the great success of White Christmas that earned him the universe of the Big he was afraid of ruining his reputation with a song for children. No one was surprised by his refusal: the dear Bing had not a great intuition. In 1942, when a great Irving Berlin chose him for White Christmas for the movie Holiday Inn he uttered “ Here’s another of your dirges!” But in the case of Rudolph he did not change his mind so they passed to the plan B. Another star of the moment was chosen, a singer-actor that was loved by adults and children and perfectly fitted the image of the good American: I’m talking about Gene Autry. The actor had found success in some short popular western movies, playing the part of the pretty, always well-groomed cowboy that fought the bad guys, loved beautiful girls and sang country songs close to a fire . He was present for years in a CBS radio program, where, straight from his ranch, gave lessons to the young listeners that wanted to imitate him, and that went on for about 16 years with great success . Beyond that, he had been a Second World War hero and, last but not least, also a rodeo champion. In the end he was what every American wanted to be… and the forbidden dream of every girl.. But Autry had turned up his nose at Rudolph for another reason, much more understandable: just some years before he had interpreted a Christmas song of his own, Here Comes Santa Claus, that had not succeeded and that was instead fiercely criticized . But the actor trusted a lot his wife Ina, who had great taste for music and who insisted so much that convinced Autry. The single Rudolph, the red nosed reindeer was published in 1949 and was the greatest success of his life. The song, sweet but not cheesy, sold in just one month 2 million copies, 230 million until today, reaching the second place among the biggest incomes of all times immediately after... White Christmas. After Gene Autry there were thousands of famous interpreters: from the very regretful Bing Crosby that in the end decided to record it in 1950, to Dean Martin in ’59, Paul Anka in ’60, the Jackson Five in 1970 until a surprising Ray Charles in 1985, a self-restrained Ringo Starr in 1999 and a very modern DMX that made of it a rap track in 2012 ! Rudolph became by right the ninth Santa Claus reindeer and still both adults and children dream with his message of Love that is not consumed by time. He seems to suggest that we should hope and not close our heart in front of the ugliness of the world, to save in our soul the impulsiveness of a child. That’s maybe why in the U.S. they still remember the old nursery rhyme that opens the song:

“You know Dasher and Dancer and Prancer and Vixen

Comet and Cupid and Donner and Blitzen

But do you recall

The most famous reindeer of all?

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer!”