The film makes a home in your brain and the only cure is to see it again.

if their story seems completely bonkers, almost like a feverish work of fiction, you ain't heard nothing yet.

The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;

A movie that not only functions as a solid scarefest but a razor-sharp satire.

. . . by considering its anti-bullying theme (which would be right up the alley of First Plagiarist-Elect Melancholia T.). Some might criticize it for cheap, shoddy, clumsy animation, distorted sound, and uninspired story-telling, but we can't all be Looney Tunes. Others might trace the 21st Century Scourge of Dark Skies Vandalism and Anti-Airliner Terrorists armed with LASER pointers to RUDOLPH THE RED-NOSED REINDEER, but that would be a stretch. Maybe "Cannibalism" is not exactly the right word to characterize Santa's first Christmas Night Visit depicted here as being to a household of 40,000 reindeer (at least, that's the number of Rudolph's family members filling Donner Pass Stadium at the end of this cartoon), but there must be some apt term to cover this (not to mention these 39,999 hop-scotching, leap-frogging, ice-skating, and tree-climbing four-legged hoofers). However, since both 1948 and 2016 were U.S. Presidential Election Years (marking the two biggest upsets in American History), perhaps the main take-away here is that RUDOLPH climaxes with Santa appointing its young title character "Commander-in-Chief." It it just a coincidence that "Santa" can be rearranged to spell "Satan," as can the Cyrillic symbols denoting the Nom De Guerre of D.J. Trump's puppeteer, Putin (or that D.J. will surely join 1948's upset winner--Truman--as the ONLY U.S. "Commanders-in-Chief" to fire off nuclear weapons?)?

Whether it's among the Flesicher Brothers' best is up for debate, but it does have some significance for being the first telling of the Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer story on screen and it is difficult to resist it really. It is in the shadow of the classic 1964 version and is not quite as good, but that means no disrespect because it is a winner on all levels. The animation is so beautifully done, you can tell from the very first moment that it is Fleischer Bros animation. The backgrounds have a lot of fluidity, the character designs are appealing at least and the colours are warm and vibrant and gets even more so as Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer(1948) progresses. The music is very lushly orchestrated performed just as much by the orchestra and the chorus singing for the title song brings such a nostalgic warmth, a refreshingly different way to a song that is often jazzed-up or played on the piano(not a problem at all). The introduction section of the title song has rarely been more beautifully sung than here, some may find it mushy and saccharine depending on tastes considering as it has been done in a more accessible way since and that's understandable, with me it's one of my personal favourite renditions of the song(which is one of the catchiest, most instantly recognisable and all-time great festive songs). The narration is written and voiced with dignity and knowing, and the storytelling has all the elements of this well-known story and does it with so much heart-warming charm and poignancy, also wisely doing it in a simple but never simplistic way. Rudolph always has been a relatable character and he is here, you feel for him as he's bullied and you cheer when he overcomes what he's been through, which is why this cartoon and the story is and can be seen as an inspiration. If you've ever been bullied you'd understand completely and also if you haven't but know or have seen anybody go through it. All the other characters, especially jovial Santa, are engaging as well. In conclusion, a beautiful and inspiring cartoon that deserves to be better known, that it's not quite in the same class as the 1964 classic shouldn't be a detriment. On a brief note, some may have seen it for the first time as a fan of Fleischer animation, my case was somewhat unusual in that the cartoon was used to accompany the song Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer(in a different and not as nice rendition) in Very Merry Christmas Songs in the Disney Sing Along series, despite the fact that- as later found out- that it wasn't Disney. That over, from personal rating this rates 10/10. Bethany Cox

While "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" (1948) is the first movie version of the story, it certainly isn't the last or the most famous. Fortunately, Rankin-Bass made a new version in the 1960s--and it's head and shoulders above this Fleischer cartoon.As for the Fleischer Brothers, this cartoon was made well after Paramount Studios fired the Fleischers and this represents the final cartoon Max Fleischer made--this time for the tiny Jam Handy Organization. It's really a shame, as Max and his brother Dave really were amazing and this cartoon is inferior to their earlier work. One of the biggest problems is the music. While it is still the original Johnny Marks song, this version is very saccharine and I wish they'd just used the wonderful Gene Autry version--but it wasn't available until the following year. As for the animation, it was decent but not distinguished and the story is a bit on the mushy side. I really think most kids today wouldn't sit still for the cartoon unless they are very, very young and not particularly demanding.

Before people get the wrong idea, I absolutely love the 1964 Rankin-Bass special (I happen to be a Rankin-Bass fan, too; MAD MONSTER PARTY is my other favorite), but if one should be virtually faithful to the the source material by Robert May and Johnny Marks, then look no further than this animated short by Max Fleischer! You can't get any better than the Fleischer brothers (Max or Dave), so this classic short should never be forgotten. The animation is just as good as their famous Superman shorts. The story is much simpler, without any excess supporting characters to steal the show. Rudolph and Santa Claus share the full spotlight, and I couldn't have it any other way. It's a bit unfair to compare the two versions, I know. But if you think about it, this is just about as faithful to the source material as you could get. Plus, Rudolph looks adorable, as he should.As for the plot, well, sing that famous song and you have it all in a nutshell!While it won't be officially available as of this writing, your best bet is to look for some cheap Christmas-themed public domain DVDs which should include this short. I recommend it! It should make a great companion to the 1964 special, especially for historical reasons.