Brian Earl

Or not sold out. They gave it away. They ran out. And then something really interesting happened where Montgomery Ward gave the rights to the story over to Robert L. May, which is really unusual. He was just a copywriter who worked for the company.

Or not sold out. They gave it away. They ran out. And then something really interesting happened where Montgomery Ward gave the rights to the story over to Robert L. May, which is really unusual. He was just a copywriter who worked for the company.

But anyway, Robert L. May's brother-in-law was a guy named Johnny Marks, who, if you know the song Silver and Gold and Holly Jolly Christmas, he wrote those songs. So he asked Johnny Marks to write a song based on Rudolph, which he did. And it came out, I think, in 1934. And then the following year, Gene Autry's version came out, which was a number one hit.

But anyway, Robert L. May's brother-in-law was a guy named Johnny Marks, who, if you know the song Silver and Gold and Holly Jolly Christmas, he wrote those songs. So he asked Johnny Marks to write a song based on Rudolph, which he did. And it came out, I think, in 1934. And then the following year, Gene Autry's version came out, which was a number one hit.

But anyway, Robert L. May's brother-in-law was a guy named Johnny Marks, who, if you know the song Silver and Gold and Holly Jolly Christmas, he wrote those songs. So he asked Johnny Marks to write a song based on Rudolph, which he did. And it came out, I think, in 1934. And then the following year, Gene Autry's version came out, which was a number one hit.

And then eventually he sold the rights to it to make that Animagic movie that came out in the 1960s. And during all of this, Robert May was, again, kind of a work-a-day copywriter. He was writing catalog copy for Montgomery Ward, just things like about buying this sweater and things like that. But during all of this, his wife was dying of cancer. And so he was in financial straits.

And then eventually he sold the rights to it to make that Animagic movie that came out in the 1960s. And during all of this, Robert May was, again, kind of a work-a-day copywriter. He was writing catalog copy for Montgomery Ward, just things like about buying this sweater and things like that. But during all of this, his wife was dying of cancer. And so he was in financial straits.

And then eventually he sold the rights to it to make that Animagic movie that came out in the 1960s. And during all of this, Robert May was, again, kind of a work-a-day copywriter. He was writing catalog copy for Montgomery Ward, just things like about buying this sweater and things like that. But during all of this, his wife was dying of cancer. And so he was in financial straits.

He was raising a young daughter who's still alive today, by the way. But after all of the success with Rudolph, he died a very wealthy man in the 1970s. And Rudolph, for all practical purposes, should have been just an other annual leaflet handout for Montgomery Ward. But it really caught on. And now it's just an essential part of the Christmas season.

He was raising a young daughter who's still alive today, by the way. But after all of the success with Rudolph, he died a very wealthy man in the 1970s. And Rudolph, for all practical purposes, should have been just an other annual leaflet handout for Montgomery Ward. But it really caught on. And now it's just an essential part of the Christmas season.

He was raising a young daughter who's still alive today, by the way. But after all of the success with Rudolph, he died a very wealthy man in the 1970s. And Rudolph, for all practical purposes, should have been just an other annual leaflet handout for Montgomery Ward. But it really caught on. And now it's just an essential part of the Christmas season.