HIT>Rudolph

[Wade Houston Weiler <wadew@TENET.EDU>]

I hope I got this out in time for Christmas! I had lots of interesting
responses on Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer. One kind person even faxed me
(all the way from NY!) a copy of the original story, complete with
illustrations. It was written by Robert L. May (an employee of Montgomery
Ward's -- an ad copywriter). It was published by Maxton Publishers, Inc.
(one of the "Maxton Books for Little People", according to Judith Gray)

The song was written and made popular in 1945 on the RCA Victor label.
It's strange that I remember the song much more vividly than the book.
However, when I saw the fax of the book, it brought back all the memories.

Several netters reported that Montgomery Ward's is still distributing
facsimile editions of the original story. It may be different at other
store locations, but the Ward's in Irving, TX advertised the Rudolph
story for $1.99. (The store originally gave away 2 million copies to
children the first year of publication). I called Ward's to find out if
they really had a facsimile edition for sale there. They said it was
$1.99 IF you purchased $25 worth of merchandise. I quickly asked how much
it would be JUST for the book. She had to go confer with her boss, and I
was expecting her to come back with, "It would cost $26.99!", but she
came back with $1.99. When I got to the store, it became immediately
apparent that they were hawking a CASSETTE TAPE of the original story
narrated by some TV actor. They also had some kind of sequel to the
original story with a modern day illustrator. I was disappointed.

Tongay Epp, another netter, reported that in 1958, Robert May donated the
original 32-page Rudolph manuscript to the Baker Library at Dartmouth
College. He died in 1976. For a free catalog of American classics, write:
Applewood Books, distributed by the Globe Pequot Press, Box Q, Chester,
CT 06412. The original text (according to J Weber) has been published by
Follett in a book titled Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer and Rudolph
Shines Again, by Robert Lewis May, c1964. Judy Gray said she found a copy
at Barnes & Noble Bookstore for $9.99.

Thanks to all who contributed: Judith Gray, Tongay Epp, Brenda Gorman,
Margaret Kleinpeter, Mary Jarvis, Cindy Walters, Jan Weber, Rita Doyle, Cheri
 (the mysterious Cheri with no last name). Wow, I hope I didn't lose any of the
netters' letters!

Wade H. Weiler    "Visualize Whirled Peas..." =:-)
Irving ISD
Irving, TX
wadew@tenet.edu