I’m having a debate online with my friend Dave in San Francisco. We both remember the Rudolph cartoon containing the line “Eat, Papa, eat. Nobody likes a skinny Santa.”
But when I watch the cartoon now, it’s not there. What they say is: Mrs. Claus: Eat, Poppa, eat. Santa Claus: How can I eat? That silly elf song is driving me crazy. Mrs. Claus: You’re gonna disappoint the children. They expect a fat Santa.
So why is it that I, Dave, and the entire Internet seem to remember the other line? There are TONS of links to it on Google, and even lots of collectible Christmas thingies based on that phrase?
Here’s a YafRay scene of that, compared to a screen capture from a DVD…
Here’s the bottom of my wife’s Enesco figurine…
Oh, by-the-way. Ever since I discovered Blender a few years ago, this Rudolph movie was always something that I wanted to recreate in Blender (as an animation). Exactly as the original, including the use of the original sound track. What you get is a newer looking and cleaner version of the same show. Anyone interrested in doing this unofficial version with me?
I seem to recall (can’t remember where, or I’d provide a link) that there is more than one edit of the movie in existence. There was the original, then it was modified slightly when run through the 70’s, and now there is another version (maybe back to the original?) that is part of the newly released DVDs.
I can’t remember what scene on the DVD I bought last year seemed wrong (or missing, or new) to me, but there was definitely something different from what I remember as a kid.
I downloaded a DIVX version a few years ago, and that seems like the 1997 cut version. I bought the DVD last year and it is identical to the DIVX that I have.
BUT definately, the recent airing of the movie this last season had some changes in it.
This show I think for as long as it’s been airing has probably had more modifications done to it than anything. http://www.tvparty.com/xmasrudolph.html has a series of articles that chronicle some of these changes since the original 1964 airing. They mention a book as well if you really want to get your research down.