Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (song) Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (song) "Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer" is a song by songwriter Johnny Marks based on the 1939 story "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" published by the Montgomery Ward Company. Gene Autry's recording hit No. 1 on the U.S. charts the week of Christmas 1949. In 1939 Marks's brother-in-law, Robert L. May, created the character Rudolph as an assignment for Montgomery Ward and Marks decided to adapt the story of Rudolph into a song. The song had an added introduction, paraphrasing the poem "A Visit from Saint Nicholas" (public domain by the time the song was written), stating the
Frosty the Snowman (film) people to record the song when it was released in 1950 (at the time the song had slightly different lyrics); he re-recorded the song for the special. Rankin/Bass veteran writer Romeo Muller adapted and expanded the story for television as he had done with "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer". "TV Guide" ranked the special number 4 on its 10 Best Family Holiday Specials list. In a school on Christmas Eve, a teacher hires Professor Hinkle, an inept magician, to entertain the children for their class Christmas party. After failing his first trick, he throws his hat away. Class is dismissed and