The 1964 TV special directed by Larry Roemer follows Rudolph, the son of one of Santa's reindeer who is born with a glowing red nose and is teased because of his appearance. When a snowstorm threatens Santa's flight, the residents of the North Pole learn that Rudolph and others who are different, like Hermey the dentist elf, shouldn't be scorned.
Rudolph was voiced by a woman named Billie Mae Richards, who also performed the vocal work for the character for other Rankin/Bass films like "Rudolph's Shiny New Year."
Before setting off on their adventure, the song sung by Rudolph and Hermey has switched between broadcasts – it was formerly a song titled "Fame and Fortune" but is now often the song "We're a Couple of Misfits."
