07 January 1950 - "RUDOLPH THE RED-NOSED REINDEER" IS THE #1 SONG ON THE
U.S. POP CHARTS: You know Dasher and Dancer and Prancer and Vixen
because of the 1823 poem "A Visit From St. Nicholas" (aka "'Twas the
Night Before Christmas"), but your knowledge of Rudolph--the most famous reindeer of all--comes courtesy of a department store copywriter named
Robert L. May, May's songwriter brother-in-law who set his words to
music and the singing cowboy who made a household name of May’s
creation.
The story of "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" begins in 1939 at
Montgomery Ward, the Chicago-based retail and catalog giant. Seeking a
cheaper holiday giveaway than the children's coloring books they had
purchased and distributed in years past, Montgomery Ward asked its own marketing department to create a new and original Christmas storybook
from scratch. The task fell to May, a family man with a four-year-old
daughter. The story that May wrote was given away to more than 2 million Montgomery Ward customers in 1939. It was not until May's brother-in-law adapted the story into song almost 10 years later, however, that
"Rudolph" truly entered the national consciousness.
May's brother-in-law was a professional songwriter named Johnny Marks,
best known for works like "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" (1958) and
"A Holly Jolly Christmas" (1962) in addition to "Rudolph." In 1949,
Marks' song found its way to radio legend Gene Autry, the original
Singing Cowboy, whose recording of "Rudolph" sold more than 2 million
units in its first year alone on its way to becoming the second-most
successful Christmas record in history (after "White Christmas").
It is at this point in the story of "Rudolph" when those with a nose for
legal issues begin to wonder who owned the rights to the beloved
Christmas story and money-making juggernaut. In fact, as a paid employee
of Montgomery Ward, author Robert L. May had no legal claim whatsoever
to an ownership stake in "Rudolph." Furthermore, May was a widowed
single father by 1947, facing enormous debts as a result of his wife's
terminal illness. Yet in a twist that will boggle the minds and warm the
hearts of those hardened to the ways of modern American capitalism, the president of Montgomery Ward, one Sewell Avery, signed over to Robert L.
May 100 percent of the "Rudolph" copyright in January 1947. May lived comfortably on the royalties from "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" until
his death in 1976.
MMMMM----- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.06
Title: Reindeer Munchies (Bambi)
Categories: Five, Breads, Chocolate, Snacks
Yield: 6 servings
4 c Honey graham cracker cereal
2 c Crushed pretzels
1 c Chocolate toffee bits
12 oz Chocolate almond bark
Line a 9" X 13" baking dish with wax paper. In a large
bowl stir together the cereal, pretzels, and toffee
bits.
Melt the almond bark according to package directions.
Pour over cereal mixture and stir until everything is
completely covered.
Press the mixture into prepared baking dish, let cool
completely. Break into chunks and store in a tightly
sealed container.
RECIPE FROM:
https://www.mrfood.com
Uncle Dirty Dave's Archives
MMMMM
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