MovieChat Forums > Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1964) Discussion > Question about the Bumble tooth extracti...

Question about the Bumble tooth extraction scene

posted 8 years ago by KrautHammer
9 replies | jump to latest

Remember the scene where the characters knock the Bumble out and Hermey pulls out all of his teeth? Well, I remember that scene differently from when I was a kid. I remember Hermey helping the Bumble by pulling ONE tooth because it was giving him problems. And apparently, I'm not the only one who recollects it. I've searched on the internet and found message boards and forums discussing the "toothache" version of the scene and a lot of people seem to remember that one from their childhood. While watching the special on CBS recently, I was a little shocked by Hermey just casually ripping out the Bumble's teeth. Not in a "oh my god, how horrible" way, but in the way that I didn't remember it happening the way it played out. On the same token, I'm well aware that CBS has butchered this Christmas special over the years (removing scenes and certain music), so I'm not sure if there's an alternate scene where Hermey helps the Bumble and CBS just replaced it or whatever. So does this scene exist or is this just a case of a lot of people remembering it incorrectly?

P.S., From what I've read online, the book apparently makes mention of the Bumble's toothache.

[–] jonathan_k80 8 years ago

There's a rather lengthy history of Rudolph on the tvparty.com site:
http://www.tvparty.com/xmasrudolph.html

It sounds like there have been a few alterations and attempted restorations of this special over the decades. The question of the Bumble's toothache scene has been asked here before, but the question has never been resolved. IMDb just did a housecleaning job on this board so I can't reference the other posts containing this question.

You mentioned a book. Was this special ever novelised or made into a picture-book? It's possible the book contained such a scene and over the years people's memories became blended with those of the film.

[–] KrautHammer 8 years ago

Rudolph first appeared in a 1939 booklet written by Robert L. May, which was later adapted into song, which then became the infamous Christmas special. I've never read it myself, but people swear its mentioned. The odd thing is, after scouring the internet for a good hour and a half, I've stumbled across countless posts from people who bring up the toothache scene. Heck, even a lot of the official merchandise say that Bumble was only mean because of his rotten tooth. I don't take a lot of stock in the whole "Mandella effect" some people have attached to this inquiry, but it's still very strange. How can so many people remember it one particular way? Very odd. Even my friends and girlfriend are stumped by this, as they remember the more Androcles and the Lion version and not the one where Hermey goes about making Bumble bald in the mouth lol. Some believe that the scene was broadcast up until sometime in the late 80's to early 90's, and that it still exists on old VHS's, but no one has ever posted any sort of evidence of it.

[–] jonathan_k80 8 years ago

I remember seeing a Rudolph storybook years ago but I don't think it was a reprint of the 1939 original. The story only featured the other reindeer and Santa Claus. As far as I know, the Bumble Monster is a product of the Rankin-Bass production and was never in the original story.

I was wondering if there ever was a book adapted from the TV special, and if that might have featured a scene with the Bumble having a toothache.

[–] JR541 8 years ago

I've been watching this every year since about 1969 and I don't recall any mention of a toothache accounting for the Bumbles aggression. It does seem like people have subconsciously made an "Androcles and The Lion" reference on their own in my opinion. I always took his change of temperament as him simply adjusting to a life without his teeth.

He's taking the knife out of the Cheese!
Do you think he wants some cheese?

[–] SpookyT 8 years ago

I think people conflate this with the gift given to Winter in Santa Claus is Coming to Town that turns him nice.

[–] B1cKsurN (17484) 5 years ago

Yup!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nu8UCrqMtwg

[–] strntz (12473) 4 years ago

Either that or the lion and mouse Aesop fable.

I've watched this special every year since it was released, and I can state definitively that there was never a scene where Hermie removed a bad tooth. Besides, where the hell would that scene even fit in this movie?

[–] MaximRecoil (4647) 3 years ago

"Well, I remember that scene differently from when I was a kid. I remember Hermey helping the Bumble by pulling ONE tooth because it was giving him problems."

That's the way I remember it too. I just watched it and was expecting the toothache scene. After seeing this thread and doing a web search for "abominable snowman toothache", it seems that a lot of people remember the toothache. For example, this was written in 2017 by Dr. Adam Ferguson:

As I watched Rudolph this year, it dawned on me that instead of a show about misfit reindeer, elves and toys, this holiday classic was actually a PSA for improved dental hygiene.

When all was said and done, the Abominable Snowman really just suffered from a tooth ache. With the extraction of just a few affected or infected teeth, his entire demeanor changed for the better. He was pleasant, friendly and helpful. Nothing like his grumpy self that we came to know and fear.

https://www.limaohio.com/uncategorized/229733/the-abominable-tooth-ache

And this:

https://movies.stackexchange.com/questions/93400/are-there-two-major-versions-of-the-rudolph-the-red-nosed-reindeer-tv-special

And lots of other discussions about it.

[–] Costumer (1825) 3 years ago

Unfortunately the toothache version simply never happened. At least not on the show. I've watched it every year since it was released and Hermie always took out all his teeth.

This seems like a good example of the Mandela effect.