Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer

What’s the Story?

Burl Ives, in the guise of Sam the talking snowman, narrates the tale of a misfit reindeer named Rudolph (voiced by Billie Mae Richards) who's finally appreciated by peers and parents when Santa (Stan Francis) discovers the usefulness of his light-bulb nose to guide the sleigh during a terrible snowstorm on Christmas Eve. (But, of course, you already know the song: "All of the other reindeer, used to laugh and call him names.") Rudolph finds his compatriot in an elf named Hermey (Paul Soles) who has become disillusioned with his job making toys and dreams of becoming a dentist -- which is, of course, out of the question for elves. Hermey and Rudolph run away from the North Pole together and, with new friend Yukon Cornelius (Larry D. Mann), make it to the Isle of Misfit Toys. Here they find company among others who stand out from the crowd.

Is It Any Good?

This classic holiday TV special -- the highest-rated, longest-running in TV history -- seems almost inextricable from the idea of Christmas. Parents will no doubt have memories of this delightful film, which first aired in 1964, from their own childhoods. And you can't watch it without appreciating the simplicity of a pre-computer-animation world. Just hearing Ives' voice and songs transports you back to a simpler time, when Christmas didn't hold as many TV-viewing options and McDonald's wasn't part of the marketing deal.