Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1948) User Reviews

7/10 ****/5 ~ Classic Christmas cartoon.

[Doctor_Mabuse · 7/10 · 17 December 2001]

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.

Max Fleischer's Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer is enjoyable animated Christmas short

[tavm · 7/10 · 20 December 2006]

Long surpassed by the 1964 Rankin/Bass version, this 1948 animated version of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer directed by Max Fleischer is enjoyable in its own right. Narrated by Paul Wing, the story begins with the lead character already not allowed to skate on ice with the others (all of whom wear pillows on their backs to break their falls). His mother then calls him (there's no father here) and as Rudolph sleeps in his bed, Santa has trouble with his eight reindeer (who he calls by name as they pass him) with the fog and blizzard in his way. If you know the song by heart (and who doesn't?), you can figure out what happens next and I won't spoil it for anyone who hasn't heard of this story yet. Nice animation throughout and good pacing for a 7-minute short. Worth seeing for Fleischer, Rudolph, and animation fans.

This is not the Rankin-Bass (Burl Ives) television Special

[Christmas-Reviewer · 7/10 · 30 March 2017]

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 Fleischer Studios Christmas Classic!

[carbunkle · 29 August 2000]

The talents of Max & Dave Fleischer were surely not wasted on this terrific little cartoon. The use of real sets or dioramas for the backgrounds in their cartoons was a brilliant idea, and looks fantastic. Especially compared to the cranked-out garbage that litters the TV nowadays. This toon is available on many 'public domain' vhs tapes, and should be easy to locate by eager collectors or cartoon fans.

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer

[Scarecrow-88 · 7/10 · 17 December 2010]

This one is a bit different than what you are accustomed to seeing in that the village of the cartoon is occupied by reindeer instead of people(well, except for Santa). Rudolph, who of course is self conscious of his bright and shining nose, becomes Santa's most prize reindeer in that he provides the light which allows old Saint Nick to see. There's even an unusual coliseum celebration in Rudolph's honor. The reason to see this is because it contains the old Max Fleischer touch and is a look back to the way animation used to be, simple and rough around the edges but endearing and in rich color. It was kind of unusual seeing Santa delivering presents to reindeer, but even that gives this particular cartoon(only a mere 8 minutes)a charm.

The great Max Fleischer's final short sadly doesn't shine as brightly as it should do...

[Foreverisacastironmess123 · 6/10 · 23 December 2017]

I was very struck by how good this festive cartoon looked, the rich small details in all the buildings and everything is gorgeous, especially the interior of Rudolph's house, where everything looks so warm and cosy, and the enchanting snow-covered scenes of classic Christmas joy were all so beautiful, in fact I'd say this is probably the most finely done artwork of snowy scenery I've seen in one of the Fleischer animations, it's definitely a fantastically coloured and drawn short...but I don't know, I really wasn't feeling it too much with this one, beautiful as it is, it really didn't grab me and give me that heartwarming feeling of holiday cheer and goodwill like in the Fleischer Christmas shorts "Christmas Comes but Once a Year" and "Somewhere in Dreamland" did. This just seemed a little stilted and weak somewhere to me. And that bothers me, because I love the Fleischer style of animation and especially enjoy their wintry animations a lot, but I guess I must be missing something with this one. If this truly was Max Fleischer's last ever animated short than as a big fan of his, I must say that this was far from the best of what he was capable of and a mere shadow of his earlier works. I think for me it's the reindeer, I found their design really weird and off-putting, they all look so spindly and feminine, and I found the image of them walking on two legs and wearing clothes to be quite freaky, the image doesn't work the way it's meant to. And I never cared for the moral of Rudolph, they make fun of his pretty glowing red nose until it's suddenly useful to them and then he's suddenly accepted, not for who he is but for what he can do! And there was something a little off about that Santa too, he wasn't fat enough, in fact he looked positively jacked under that red gear! He voice didn't sound jolly enough either, he sounded more like He-Man! The voice actor did a terrible job. All in all though I didn't hate this, it just didn't work for me, I found it most wanting. It's just a wholesome fluff piece and a good old fashioned nostalgic throwback to the children's Christmas tales of yesteryear... X

Problems for Santa

[russjones-80887 · 6/10 · 26 December 2020]

While delivering presents to children on a very foggy Christmas Eve, Santa Claus and his sleigh crash into trees. Rudolph, with his shiny red nose, is enlisted to lead the sleigh.

Short colour animation based on the story by Robert L. May and directed by Max Fleischer. The story is always relevant at Christmas so this is one for the children to watch.

I am glad that this is not the only version of this story.

[planktonrules · 4/10 · 19 October 2013]

While "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" (1948) is the first movie version of the story, it certainly isn't the last or the most famous. Fortunately, Rankin-Bass made a new version in the 1960s--and it's head and shoulders above this Fleischer cartoon.

As for the Fleischer Brothers, this cartoon was made well after Paramount Studios fired the Fleischers and this represents the final cartoon Max Fleischer made--this time for the tiny Jam Handy Organization. It's really a shame, as Max and his brother Dave really were amazing and this cartoon is inferior to their earlier work. One of the biggest problems is the music. While it is still the original Johnny Marks song, this version is very saccharine and I wish they'd just used the wonderful Gene Autry version--but it wasn't available until the following year. As for the animation, it was decent but not distinguished and the story is a bit on the mushy side. I really think most kids today wouldn't sit still for the cartoon unless they are very, very young and not particularly demanding.

The Debut Of A Christmas Legend

[Ron Oliver · 10/10 · 4 December 2000]

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.

Short, but decent take on the famous story

[Horst_In_Translation · 6/10 · 16 December 2015]

There is certainly no need to elaborate on the story of "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" as it is so well-known, even over 65 years after this 8.5-minute cartoon was made. The director is Max Fleischer and he is certainly a name to many with an interest in these old brief animation movies. The narrator here is Paul Wing, his only effort in that position. I must say the voice acting was okay all in all, but I would have preferred an older actor to voice Rudolph as he does not look like a very young reindeer anymore and the voice actor here certainly still was very young. Anyway, this short film here is evidence that not only Warner Bros and Disney were the big players in the 1940s when it came to animation. I think this was a decent watch and with under 10 minutes, you cannot really do a lot wrong. Check it out during the holidays if you like. I give it a thumbs up.

Rudolph without the excess baggage.

[Ryuusei · 10/10 · 20 October 2005]

Before people get the wrong idea, I absolutely love the 1964 Rankin-Bass special (I happen to be a Rankin-Bass fan, too; MAD MONSTER PARTY is my other favorite), but if one should be virtually faithful to the the source material by Robert May and Johnny Marks, then look no further than this animated short by Max Fleischer! You can't get any better than the Fleischer brothers (Max or Dave), so this classic short should never be forgotten. The animation is just as good as their famous Superman shorts. The story is much simpler, without any excess supporting characters to steal the show. Rudolph and Santa Claus share the full spotlight, and I couldn't have it any other way. It's a bit unfair to compare the two versions, I know. But if you think about it, this is just about as faithful to the source material as you could get. Plus, Rudolph looks adorable, as he should.

As for the plot, well, sing that famous song and you have it all in a nutshell!

While it won't be officially available as of this writing, your best bet is to look for some cheap Christmas-themed public domain DVDs which should include this short. I recommend it! It should make a great companion to the 1964 special, especially for historical reasons.

The First Time Rudolph Made the Big Screen

[elicopperman · 6/10 · 1 December 2023]

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer has been a household staple of Christmas pop culture ever since the original 1939 poem by Robert L. May spawned timeless classics such as the 1949 Gene Autry song and the 1964 stop-motion special. That being said, the first time audiences ever got to see Rudolph in motion was in the 1948 animated short film by Max Fleischer. Although the short has remained fairly obscure for years, it has garnered somewhat of a cult following thanks to Rifftrax and animation enthusiasts. Looking back on the short now, it is a charming albeit routine adaptation of the original story.

As the short focuses on the main poem at heart, the plot is fairly straightforward in establishing Rudolph as an outcast from the other reindeer due to his red nose. Outside of the underlying subtext of May's Jewish background, little is done to make Rudolph interesting as a character, which would make sense as the short is intended to get its story across in a concise manner. The stakes do get more intense once Santa comes into the picture, although the ending is fairly easy to figure out as soon as the climax enters. Maybe some added tension to show Rudolh struggling to keep up with the face would have made the plot more intriguing, but it is cute to see the lonesome reindeer go from a laughing stock into a respected hero. Since this film was made to promote local retail stores, it would make sense that the advertising gimmick of the poem would take center stage over story and character. The irony behind this is that since the film came out a year before the Gene Autry song, it originally started with Silent Night, Holy Night, thus making the reissued prints with the famous song in it that much funnier.

With this project being supervised by an animation veteran like Max Fleischer, the film looks gorgeous from a visual standpoint. Although most of the character designs look more grotesque than cute, their movements are lush and fluid enough despite some corners cut here and there. The highlights in the animation come more from the backgrounds and effects work as they take full advantage of the scope and scale of a glorious winterland from the North Pole all the way up to the land where Rudolph and other critters come from. The world building is admittedly a little confusing due to there not being much emphasis on where Santa is dropping gifts off beyond animals alone, which makes it even weirder that Santa is the only human being in the entire cartoon. Speaking of which, the narration by Paul Wing has some charming rhyming throughout the runtime, although a lot of the voices sound like they were done in a containment unit they're so vibrated and echoey. In making the most out of smaller resources, Fleischer and crew did a decent job turning the story from words to pictures.

So while the 1948 Rudolph cartoon might not leave much impact beyond its source material, it's a charming enough short in its own right that did justice to May's poem and brought it into a new art medium. Unless you're jaded with anything Rudolph related, this short is a decent recommendation for the holiday season as far as obscure Christmas animation goes. While we as audiences may remember the song and stop-motion special a lot more for good reason, this short should still be seen as somewhat of a remarkable effort in kickstarting the red nosed reindeer into the popular icon he is today.

Nice Version of the Classic Story

[Michael_Elliott · 10 December 2011]

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.

One could approach this 1948 animated short . . .

[oscaralbert · 6/10 · 13 December 2016]

. . . by considering its anti-bullying theme (which would be right up the alley of First Plagiarist-Elect Melancholia T.). Some might criticize it for cheap, shoddy, clumsy animation, distorted sound, and uninspired story-telling, but we can't all be Looney Tunes. Others might trace the 21st Century Scourge of Dark Skies Vandalism and Anti-Airliner Terrorists armed with LASER pointers to RUDOLPH THE RED-NOSED REINDEER, but that would be a stretch. Maybe "Cannibalism" is not exactly the right word to characterize Santa's first Christmas Night Visit depicted here as being to a household of 40,000 reindeer (at least, that's the number of Rudolph's family members filling Donner Pass Stadium at the end of this cartoon), but there must be some apt term to cover this (not to mention these 39,999 hop-scotching, leap-frogging, ice-skating, and tree-climbing four-legged hoofers). However, since both 1948 and 2016 were U.S. Presidential Election Years (marking the two biggest upsets in American History), perhaps the main take-away here is that RUDOLPH climaxes with Santa appointing its young title character "Commander-in-Chief." It it just a coincidence that "Santa" can be rearranged to spell "Satan," as can the Cyrillic symbols denoting the Nom De Guerre of D.J. Trump's puppeteer, Putin (or that D.J. will surely join 1948's upset winner--Truman--as the ONLY U.S. "Commanders-in-Chief" to fire off nuclear weapons?)?

Memories

[SumChick89 · 7/10 · 11 December 2021]

I am a 90's kid I remember watching this on vhs when I was little. For the longest time I could never find this until this yr now I can watch this with my family on what movies I grew up watching at their age.

not too bad

[Quinoa1984 · 6/10 · 1 December 2016]

Considering this was placed on the live show for Rifftrax's Christmas shorts, it probably was the one with quality work put into it, at least compared to the others. There are certainly things that can be mocked about it, moments like when Santa Claus is literally patting the reindeer one after the other on the butts as they go out the door, or in some of the unintentional innuendo between Rudolph and Santa as the latter drafts the former to help him on his sleigh ride Christmas eve. But there is decent enough animation that makes it watchable outside of seeing it 'riffed', and I realized I actually had seen it before, at least at some point in my life, before seeing it here (why it didn't stand out exactly... well, it's not in stop motion for one thing). It's corny and cheesy, but for its time it's fine.

Oh, how I love it!

[LT-10 · 10/10 · 6 December 2002]

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!

Not a Masterpiece

[Hitchcoc · 6/10 · 13 October 2021]

This is a rather bland telling of the Rudolph story. The color is brilliant but the animation pretty ordinary. The reindeer have too many human qualities and that detracts. This is, of course, about cruelty toward the other, he different. But it isn't done with much subtlety.

In the shadow of the 1964 version, but really does deserve to be better known

[TheLittleSongbird · 10/10 · 11 January 2014]

Whether it's among the Flesicher Brothers' best is up for debate, but it does have some significance for being the first telling of the Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer story on screen and it is difficult to resist it really. It is in the shadow of the classic 1964 version and is not quite as good, but that means no disrespect because it is a winner on all levels. The animation is so beautifully done, you can tell from the very first moment that it is Fleischer Bros animation. The backgrounds have a lot of fluidity, the character designs are appealing at least and the colours are warm and vibrant and gets even more so as Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer(1948) progresses. The music is very lushly orchestrated performed just as much by the orchestra and the chorus singing for the title song brings such a nostalgic warmth, a refreshingly different way to a song that is often jazzed-up or played on the piano(not a problem at all). The introduction section of the title song has rarely been more beautifully sung than here, some may find it mushy and saccharine depending on tastes considering as it has been done in a more accessible way since and that's understandable, with me it's one of my personal favourite renditions of the song(which is one of the catchiest, most instantly recognisable and all-time great festive songs). The narration is written and voiced with dignity and knowing, and the storytelling has all the elements of this well-known story and does it with so much heart-warming charm and poignancy, also wisely doing it in a simple but never simplistic way. Rudolph always has been a relatable character and he is here, you feel for him as he's bullied and you cheer when he overcomes what he's been through, which is why this cartoon and the story is and can be seen as an inspiration. If you've ever been bullied you'd understand completely and also if you haven't but know or have seen anybody go through it. All the other characters, especially jovial Santa, are engaging as well. In conclusion, a beautiful and inspiring cartoon that deserves to be better known, that it's not quite in the same class as the 1964 classic shouldn't be a detriment. On a brief note, some may have seen it for the first time as a fan of Fleischer animation, my case was somewhat unusual in that the cartoon was used to accompany the song Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer(in a different and not as nice rendition) in Very Merry Christmas Songs in the Disney Sing Along series, despite the fact that- as later found out- that it wasn't Disney. That over, from personal rating this rates 10/10. Bethany Cox

Yesterday we had a couple deer . . .

[pixrox1 · 7/10 · 26 September 2023]

. . . beside our porch near our front yard. Today we had three. At this rate, there will be more than 11,000 head devouring every living thing on our property by Christmas. In Finland, deer are lumped into the vermin category, along with roaches and rats. As depicted recently in the Finnish film S-I-S-U, deer are dispatched with extreme prejudice on the spot where they're initially spied. Red-nosed deer are regarded as particularly dangerous pathogens, as these glowing nozzles are a dead-giveaway that they're become active Super Spreaders of Lyme Disease, polio and mumps. The worst of the brightest bulbs often prove to be rabid mouth-foaming misfits.

Better than the one from the 60's or 70's whatever

[QueenoftheGoons · 10/10 · 26 July 2021]

The one from Rankin/. Bass annoyed me to no end. However, i watched this one on my Christmas cartoon collection and loved it. This is what kids should watch not the stuff that's out there today. But yes, its sweet, its not annoying and believe me i do annoy very easily. Wing has a nice voice for narrating and so does Santy.

The purest and original Rudolph

[goldentiger-44442 · 10/10 · 25 December 2018]

A swell classic cartoon based on the original story by Robert May. This is the pure and simple version that isn't containing all that filler content that most filmmakers have to add in order to make it long enough (not that it is a bad thing). Rudolph the reindeer is bullied by his peers shows them up when he gets to guide Santa's sleigh during a super foggy night. His feature of amusement and taunts proves to be his biggest asset. He goes from zero to hero. Sadly it is also the ending of a dynasty with Fleischer Studio being sold off to Paramont Pictures shortly after its re-release with the song.

At Once, Both a First and Last in Film History.....see narrative below

[redryan64 · 10/10 · 14 November 2015]

IT'S REALLY AND truly true. This one reel, 8 minutes of animation have managed to be significantly so situated as to command such a unique position in filmdom. Of course, it certainly wasn't planned that way; as such intentionally laid plans "of Mice and Men.....etc." Well you know, Schultz!

FIRST OF ALL, this is the first adaptation of the story to film; be it big screen or small. And even this adaptation has an interesting and multi-faceted lineage all of its own.

THE STORY ORIGINATED as a tale meant to amuse the children of one Robert L. May (1905-76). It was committed to the written page, where it became a very popular tale with kiddies everywhere. (End of Chapter One)

NOW WE HAVE the entrance of actor/song writer, Johnny Marks, who was the Brother-in-Law of Mr. Robert L. May. Before long, the Christmas Novelty Song, "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" was a hit (on a yearly renewable basis) on the radio, juke boxes, phonograph records and sheet music. To his very day, Gene Autry's Collection of Christmas Songs sees the new light of Day; especially at Sears & Roebuck stores, where it appears to be a truly real world time warp.*

FROM THIS TOP of the world position, it was truly "a short put to a film adaptation. This then came in the guise of a one reeler, eight minute animated cartoon short subject. As its Producer-Director it had none-other than Max Fleischer, whose accomplishments in the field of bringing life and movement to drawings both predated and was second to only Walt Disney in that field.

THIS WAS A SORT of a comeback for Max, whose involuntary "retirement" had been hastened by Paramount Pictures' financial coup-de-tat, taking his own FLEISCHER BROTHERS Cartoon Studios over and rechristening the company as FAMOUS Studios. This was the first and only cartoon production for him ever since those days in (circa) 1944 he was deposed.

SO IT WAS that Max and brother Dave Fleischer, who had given us OUT OF THE INKWELL (with KOKO The Klown), BETTY BOOP, POPEYE Cartoons, GULLIVER'S TRAVELS, HOPPITY GOES TO TOWN and the SUPERMAM Theatrical Cartoon Series, hadn't done any pictures for about 5 years, when this came along. (The Brothers Fleischer hadn't even spoken to each other from that period until the end of their lives.**)

AS FOR THE particulars of this, the first RUDOLPH THE RED NOSED REINDEER, it was a spectacular vehicle for the entrance of RUDOLPH into the new medium. The adaptation of the story (which is basically a variation on the "Ugly Duckling" syndrome, is done in a no holds barred manner. While all of the original elements are intact, Fleischer's adapting screenwriter, Joseph Stultz, adorns and fortifies the scenario with some healthy doses of Anthropomorphic deer, hazing of poor little "Red-Nose" and hero's welcome for him in a large Olympic-type stadium.

ALYHOUGH WE HAVE long heard of this particular production, it is only recently that we were able to view it. We saw it in DVD form (available from Amazon.com along with several old Christmas themed cartoons,) Our Grandsons (3 year old Jack and 17 month Patrick) both give it their hearty endorsements.

NOTE: * It's true, Every year, Gene Autry's smile and 10 gallon hat dominate Sears' radio/television department.

NOTE: ** Well Schultz, you know the old expression: "You can choose your friends, but not your relatives!"