Robert L. May adaptation of Rudolph. Though the song was turned down by such popular vocalists as Bing Crosby and Dinah Shore, it was recorded by the singing cowboy Gene Autry. "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" was released in 1949 and became a phenomenal success, selling more records than any other Christmas song, with the exception of "White Christmas". In 1941, May married another Ward employee, Virginia, and had five children with her. She was a devout Catholic, and he converted to Catholicism during the marriage. May wrote two sequels to "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer". The first is mostly in prose (except that Rudolph
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1948 film) and removed the Montgomery Ward name. The 1951 reissue is widely available on public domain video tapes and DVDs, as well as on the Internet. The original version is stored at the Library of Congress, and it was posted online by them in 2014. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1948 film) Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer is a 1948 animated short film produced and directed by Max Fleischer based on the 1939 Robert L. May poem "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer", about a flying reindeer who helps Santa Claus. Rudolph is a reindeer, with an unusual red nose that shines (some would even