MovieChat Forums > Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1964) Discussion > Favorite little things about this specia...

Favorite little things about this special

posted 8 years ago by crazydude1989
8 replies | jump to latest

I was born 24.5 years after this first aired on NBC's General Electric Fantasy Hour so you can guess how old I currently am. My mom was 5 in 1964, and she and her little sisters/brother have been watching every single year since then, and sometimes they sing Jolly Old Kris Kringle as a duet on Christmas Eve. I have a video tape of me during my first Christmas where they were singing it to me and my older sister. Well, it's not Christmas until I hear the loud high pitched sound of Rudolph's nose lighting up. Ever since I was a little kid that sound has reminded me that it's the Holiday season.

Now, since it's been restored to HD, it's easy to tell that the water is just a solid surface with a glossy blue sheet covering it, to make it look like water. And when the Bumble steps in the water or whenever the water splashes, it's just salt or sugar. lolz.

When Hermie and Rudy talk about being independent, I love how the ornaments just randomly fall off the tree. That's made me laugh every year.

The music is sort of warbly and off key during Silver & Gold. God I love that.

What little things do you love about this?

#pennygetyourownwifi

[–] tmaj48 8 years ago

The back-up singers for Clarice's "There's Always Tomorrow"--with the voices of adults, instead of the usual practice of using children's voices or the "Alvin and the Chipmunks" speeded-up voices for the small animals--is my favorite part.

I'm not crying, you fool, I'm laughing!

Hewwo.

[–] RichN36 8 years ago

King Moonracer has been the only reason to watch for me. Watched this my entire life and it's the only holiday special I almost never miss. I like also the odd little things that are tosses in as sight gags.

Col. G. Stonehill: Most people around here have heard of Rooster Cogburn.

[–] muchmeow 8 years ago

Odd little things tossed in as gags... Please elaborate.

[–] JR541 8 years ago

The Christmas ornament that falls off the tree and startles Hermy when he first meets Rudolph. Always liked that part. It was just this random little thing.

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

[–] muchmeow 8 years ago

The ornament(s) also make a sound like the enunciation of the word INDEPENDENT. I like when the one elf keeps getting poked in the eye with the feather and pulls scissors out of nowhere and snips the end of it off...but I also wanted to know specifically which ones RichN36 was referring to.

[–] sailorspysedna 8 years ago

That whole thing is hilarious.

The things I love about the special....I'm not sure what to say, but one thing I love is how Boss Elf tells Hermy he'll never fit in but then proceeds to tell all sorts of ways that will get him to fit in... 

The skinny Santa gag is hilarious too (even Santa's crabbiness like "That song is driving me crazy!" is really funny), and I love how Rudolph grows and develops so very quickly, first he's concerned about his nose but then he puts his own problems aside and protects others whilst growing up in the process...

Then there's the whole Christmasy feeling it has, especially at the end from Holly Jolly Christmas onward...

[–] DmitriKnipper (202) 4 years ago

I've always found it funny the way Rudolph says, "independent" as though the four syllables were enunciated separately and then edited together.

[–] Techto (1316) 4 years ago

Just off the top of my head, I love the wake/trail in the snow left by Sam the Snowman when he moves; how the the fake nose covering gives Rudolph’s voice a funny nasal sound; Yukon Cornelius’ little tongue flicks when he tests for the presence of precious metals on his pick; Bumble’s facial expressions and the way the hairs on his body constantly move about; the changing look of the water surface as the ice rafts move across (gotta love stop-motion animation); and, yes, I also love the sound when when ornaments randomly fall from trees.

The only off-note struck in the show, for me, is the characterization of Santa, who comes across as mean/uncaring. He compares poorly to King Moonracer, the other leadership figure seen.