Holiday Memories of Yesteryear

Two nights ago, I was out driving and flipped on the radio.

It was set to a station that is all holiday music.
 

I heard him, Burl Ives singing Holly Jolly Christmas….

INSTANTLY… it was December of 1989…...

My 2 children were clamoring…….

“When will it be on”?
 

“How soon is 20 minutes”?

7 year old Nicole and 5 year old Vincent were excitedly anticipating

the TV broadcast of ………  Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer.

My eyes filled with tears and a part of me longed for those children

of yesteryear.    But alas…. that was then.   I do have Kevin who is

11 years old, and I know how in a heartbeat time moves on.
   

Burl Icle Ivanhoe Ives passed away in April of 1995 at the age of 85.

His distictive voice was actually a ghost from my own childhood. 

The Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer debuted on TV in December of 1964.

At that time I was 6 years old, but it’s always felt like the annimated

show has been a part of my life.
 

Thank you Mr Ives, Ummm I mean Sam the Snowman,

for the memories of generations of children…. even grown ones who

remember when.
 

IF you don’t have Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer on DVD,

you can catch it here is the USA   on………..………….

Monday Dec 3 – 9 pm Eastern time    The Family Channel

Tuesday Dec 4 – 8 pm Eastern time   CBS

A couple of You Tube videos of Mr Ives singing
on the animated Rudolph Show ……

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ki1JRTUeawg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6aNUm1ePMDs

Mr Ives talks about his role as Sam……..

"When I lent my voice to Sam the snowman back in 1964, 1 had no idea
that the special would air on network television every year since then.
When I tour across the country, I am recognized as Sam by everyone from
the airline stewardesses down to the smallest of children.
The popularity of that special overshadows my Oscar performance in
The Big Country and my performance as ‘Big Daddy’ in Cat On A Hot Tin Roof" put together."

"I loved that special, so much that we have had wood figures of the Rudolph
characters made and we decorate our front lawn with them every Christmas.
The role of Sam came natural to me because I like singing to children
because they like good songs and they are interested in some of the
same things I am, like frogs, flies and bees. I worked on several projects
with Rankin/Bass over the years ........and enjoyed making them all,
but Rudolph is still the most popular. ‘Silver and Gold’ and ‘Holly Jolly Christmas’
are two of my favorite and most requested songs.
I am grateful to have been a part of that special."

http://www.burlives.com/Fun.htm

Rudolph that Amazing Reindeer

by Stanley Frankel

About half way down the page at this link you will find this fascinating story.
It’s about Robert May the author of the Rudolph story.
Reprinted from Good Housekeeping Magazine.

http://www.frankel-y.com/append.htm