Before we get into this amazing holiday classic and why it is so popular, we need to go back to who created it. Born in New York City, Louis Markes graduated from a city college in 1888 and got his masters in the emerging field of Electrical Engineering from Cornell. He was an expert in illuminating buildings, and he planned the lighting for many important government buildings. This is important for the making of this movie because he learned how to use lights and things to make the movie happen. In 1947, Marks married Margaret H. May, who had a very similar background.

The character Rudolph was created in a time of sadness. His boss suggested a Christmas tale about animals. This suggestion got him thinking, and he remembered his daughter Barbara loved the deer at the Chicago Lincoln Park Zoo. In 1975, he asked an artist in the Montgomery Ward art department to sketch a deer. This sketch became the model for his artwork. After the sketches were finished, he started to write the poems. After his wife had died, he said he needed Rudolph now more than ever. He fought a long way to get the rights for his poems, and after a while he finally did. In the 50’s and 60’s, Marks put out a huge Rudolph statue. After he died, the statue was donated. So that is how Rudolph the Red- Nosed Reindeer was made.