Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer Rudolph was created by Robert L. May in 1939 as part of his employment with Montgomery Ward. The story is owned by St. Nicholas Music Inc. and has been sold in numerous forms including a popular song, a television special, and a feature film. Johnny Marks, May’s brother-in-law, decided to adapt May’s story into a song, which through the years has been recorded by many artists (most notably by Gene Autry in 1949). This 1944 cartoon was Rudolph’s first screen appearance, and was a promotional film for The St. Nicholas Music Company, and was once mistaken by Republic Pictures as being a Paramount/Fleischer film. This cartoon was produced by Max Fleischer for the Jam Handy Corporation, and was more faithful to May’s original story than Marks’ eventual song RETURN TO VIDEOCLIPS RETURN TO THE STARLITE PAGE