<P> Additionally, one digest format edition was published as The Best of DC #4 (March--April 1980). The 1970s Rudolph stories were written and drawn by Sheldon Mayer . </P> <P> In 1958, Little Golden Books published an illustrated storybook, adapted by Barbara Shook Hazen and illustrated by Richard Scarry . The book, similar in story to the Max Fleischer cartoon short, is no longer in print, but a revised Little Golden Books version of the storybook was reissued in 1972 . </P> <P> Perhaps the most well - known version of all the Rudolph adaptations is the Rankin / Bass Productions version of 1964 . Filmed in Japan, with all sound recordings done in Toronto, Canada, the show premièred on NBC . As the producers of the special only had the song as source material and did not have a copy of the original book, they interpolated an original story around the central narrative of the song, one that differed from the book . This re-telling chronicles Rudolph's social rejection among his peers and his decision to run away from home . Rudolph is accompanied by a similarly outcast elf named Hermey, who skipped elf practice to become a dentist, along with a loud, boisterous, eager prospector named Yukon Cornelius who was in search of wealth . Additional original characters include Rudolph's love interest, Clarice; the antagonistic "Abominable Snow Monster"; and, as narrator, the living Sam the Snowman, voiced by Burl Ives . </P> <P> In the 1964 stop - motion movie, Rudolph is born to Donner the Reindeer and Donner's wife . He is discovered by Santa to have a shiny, glowing red nose . Donner, regardless of Rudolph's defect, trains him to be a normal reindeer with skills such as gathering food and hiding from the "Abominable Snow Monster", a giant, furry white beast . To hide Rudolph's nose, Donner puts dirt on it to cover it with a black coating . This causes Rudolph to talk in a funny accent, as told by the Rudolph's peers . A short time later, Rudolph joins his peers at the Reindeer Games, where he meets Fireball, who is initially friendly and has a shock of strawberry blond hair on his head, and Clarice, a female spectator who takes a liking to Rudolph . Clarice's flirtation inspires Rudolph to perform better than all of his peers at flying, but in his excitement he knocks the black cover off his nose, revealing a red glow that causes Fireball and the others to turn against him; this distraction, in turn, prompts the coach (Comet) to ban Rudolph from the Reindeer Games . Clarice remains loyal to him, only to be ordered by her father not to shame the family by associating with "a red - nosed reindeer ." </P>

When did the movie rudolph the red-nosed reindeer come out