subject: Plush Rudolph Reindeer Toys [print this page] No toy collection would ever be complete without the most famous reindeer on the planet: a plush Rudolph. Plush Rudolph toys has been entertaining children and adults alike ever since his creation 100 years after Santa's original group of eight [reindeer].
Robert L. May was a copywriter at the Montgomery Ward department store and in 1939, he wrote a Christmas-themed poem to bring more patrons into the store during the holidays. The rhyme pattern of the poem was similar to 'Twas the Night Before Christmas but it told the story of a young reindeer named Rudolph who was mercilessly teased by other reindeer because of his unusual glowing red nose. When Christmas Eve rolled around and Santa declared he wouldn't be able to deliver any presents that night thanks to heavy fog, Rudolph saved the day by leading the sleigh with the light of that red nose.
Two and half million copies of the poem were sold at Montgomery Ward in 1939 and when re-issued in 1946, more than three and a half million copies were sold. In 1949, a friend of Robert May, Johnny Marks, wrote a song about the famous reindeer which was recorded by Gene Autry and sold more than two million copies. Since its creation, the story has been translated into some 25 languages and was even made into a television movie in 1964 that is still just as popular today. In fact, in 1998, some of the footage that hadn't been seen since the original airing in 1964, was restored, along with enhanced digital coloring so it would look like it first did.
As it turns out, when the Rudolph song was created, having reindeer in a Christmas song, wasn't something new. When Clement Moore created the myth of Santa Clause in 'Twas the night Before Christmas in 1822, reindeer had also been associated with Santa and consequently have appeared in many a Christmas carol (Up on the Housetop by Benjamin Hanby and Here Comes Santa Clause by Gene Autry and Oakley Haldeman).
There has only ever been one other 20th century carol that has ever exceeded the public's adoration of Rudolph and that is the popular White Christmas. Despite that, Rudolph has been recorded into many versions more than 160 million times by 500 different artists and could easily be called a Christmas institution. Holiday merchandise, such as plush Rudolph, clothing, and even watches, has been marketed over the years, all based on the beloved creature.
Don't be fooled into thinking that a plush Rudolph toy has to wait around until Christmas time to make its appearance; like all great soft toys, a plush Rudolph is a wonderful thing any time of the year.
by: Angeline Hope
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