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Friends,
I have always been a fan of the underdog. William Wallace, in Braveheart– even though you KNEW that wasn’t going to end well- no matter how good Mel Gibson looked in a kilt.
But, by far, one of my favorite underdogs is Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. As a kid watching the movie, I remember sitting on the brown couch in our California home, eating popcorn and drinking hot cocoa. I remember the Island of Misfit Toys, feeling like I understood them because I was considered a misfit. That story spoke to me- I could be more! I could conquer all the bullies at school! I could become popular!
At least until December 26- and then it was back to reality.
It was a magical feeling, one I have held onto throughout the years during Christmas. Of course, it was a by-product of the original poem- but that poem inspired the most fantastic Christmas movie!
As I have gotten older and started my journey into the true stories of lives behind the myths, I decided to look into Rudolph’s story, the Red-Nosed Reindeer. The inspiration, you can say, for finding that feeling that I used to get as a child. Now, before I start- please find a tissue. Warm up that cup of coffee (or cocoa), find your favorite blanket- because this is a story of an underdog behind the story of an underdog (under-reindeer? Is that a word?)
The Beginning
The Great Depression had been hard on all Americans. It had been four years of hell (1929-1933), and by 1939, it seemed that the country had gotten its feet back underneath it. In Chicago in 1938, Montgomery Ward’s manager decided that the store should produce its own children’s book for the annual holiday promotion.
Up to this point, Montgomery Ward had been buying coloring books from other companies and giving them away to children who visited the store. It was extremely popular with locals but, as you can imagine, costly.
Robert May, an ad man for the store, was the sure winner for the job. He was known for his limericks and parodies, his words able to bring buyers in with his quick wit and undeniable reach to every potential buyer. It is not what Robert wanted for his life; he wanted to be a writer of the next great American novel, but he was having a hard time making it happen. I feel for him; I understand! Damn novels. But, lucky for us…Robert took on the challenge and started writing the original manuscript for Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.
It Starts With A Single Moment
Got your tissue? Good. A few days before Christmas in 1938, while writing the American classic Christmas story, Robert’s wife, Evelyn, dies of cancer, leaving him a widower, a single father of a little girl (4-year-old Barbara), and the owner of costly medical bills. The family was forced to move to a two-bedroom apartment in the Chicago slums. His boss offers to take the project away and let him focus on recovering from this sudden tragedy, but Robert refuses, and later writes, “I needed Rudolph now more than ever.”
The story was influenced by Hans Christian Andersen’s ‘The Ugly Duckling’ (I had no idea that Andersen wrote ‘The Ugly Duckling’-did you?) and by his own childhood experiences of not being liked and being bullied. He wanted to create a story where the underdog came out on top, but when he presented the book to his company, they didn’t buy into the concept.
The idea of having a reindeer with a red nose concerned them for one weird reason- generally, red noses are a sign of alcoholism. The managers did not want a story that seemed to romanticize drinking.
Did this stop Robert? NO! He rallied, grabbed his friend, Denver Gillen, who worked in the art department, and they took a field trip to the local Lincoln Park Zoo. The two of them spent some time watching the reindeer while Denver made a series of sketches. These sketches brought the story’s true meaning to life, and they were the tipping point that secured the company’s approval of the storyline. Off to the publishers, it went!
Instant Success
That year (1939), the story sold over 2.4 million copies, and by 1946, over 6 million copies had been distributed. Of a coloring book: many copies are a holiday miracle due to the severe paper shortage in the country caused by the war.
This speaks volumes about how much Rudolph meant to the American people. It was fitting, I think- the end of WW1, the recovery from the Great Depression, the start of WW2- the American people NEEDED the story of an underdog becoming something bigger and better. The children needed to know they would be all right if they just kept trying; parents needed to know their sacrifices would make a difference; and society needed a hero!
More Than A Character
The story gets better… In 1946, Robert was drowning in medical bills. He didn’t make much money as a copywriter, but you know who did? Montgomery Ward- off of the story of Rudolph!
Robert went to the CEO, Sewell Avery, and asked whether the company would help him pay his wife’s medical bills from the profits the story was earning. Pretty bold if you ask me, not sure if I would have had the guts. Montgomery Ward does something strange, a bit of a Christmas miracle if you ask me, they give him the copyright to the story!
In other words, Robert was now the sole owner of his book. Everyone- a deep breath of relief!
Side note:
No one knows why they gave Robert the copyright to the story. Maybe they didn’t think that it would become more than a holiday promotion. Perhaps they believed that Rudolph would fade into history. Maybe it was a Christmas miracle.
BUT- ‘No one else was in the room where it happened. (Hamilton quote for my sister Jodee, because all deals are made behind closed doors)
A Shocking Twist
The story that you and I know, the one that we sing to in the car and while decorating the tree, is not the story that Robert wrote. Shocker! (Don’t worry; I will post the link to the original story for you.) That song was written by Johnny Marks and recorded by Gene Autry. It is second only to Bing Crosby’s ‘White Christmas,’ but here is the twist of fate that we have come to love. Johnny Marks was Robert’s brother-in-law!
The movie we love was produced by Rankin/Bass, narrated by Burl Ives, and aired in 1964—still an American favorite today.
Robert quit his job at Montgomery Ward in 1951, and for seven years, he looked after Rudolph and his story. But, when he felt Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer firmly established, he went back to Montgomery Ward and worked for the company until 1971!!!!! Talk about loyalty on both parties.
Final Thoughts
That is it, my friends, the story of the underdog who ended up writing an American classic about an underdog. It is heartwarming, it is positive, and the story has gone down in history.
As always, my friends, if you found anything interesting in this blog, I invite you to explore it further on your own. There are so many side stories, I could never tell them all.
Until next time, Keep Reading and Stay Caffeinated.
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If you’re looking for your next favorite read, I invite you to check out my book, The Raven Society. This spellbinding historical fantasy series takes us on a heart-pounding journey through forgotten legends and distorted history. Uncover the chilling secrets of mythology and confront the horrifying truths that transformed myths into monstrous realities. How far will you go to learn the truth?
The Writer and The Librarian (Book 1):
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I heard he almost had a blue nose and a different name. Did you know that?
I did not know that! Well, I knew about the name- but not the blue nose. lol