Original Figures From 1964 'Rudolph' Film Find Home In Midtown

MIDTOWN, GA — A famous red-nosed reindeer and his red-suited, jolly boss have arrived in Midtown Atlanta.

The original reindeer puppet and Santa from the 1964 stop-motion children's feature "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" landed in Midtown's Center for Puppetry Arts on Tuesday, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. An anonymous donor bought the two puppet figures for $368,000 at an auction Nov. 13 and gave them to the center on semi-permanent loan.

After production of the Christmas classic, the filmmakers handed out the poseable figures — Rudolph, Santa, Hermey the elf, Sam the Snowman, Bumble, Clarice (Rudolph's crush) and others — as souvenirs, the AJC reported. One crew member gave about six of the figures to children in her family, "who played with them harshly."

In 2006, a nephew of a Rankin/Bass Animated Entertainment employee — the production company behind the "Rudolph" film — brought the Rudolph and Santa figures to the experts at the PBS production "Antiques Road Show," according to the AJC. The figures were deemed genuine, worth $8,000 to $10,000.

After being restored, the figures were sold to a collector, who put them up for auction on Nov. 13 until the anonymous donor purchased Rudolph and Santa for $368,000.

"These were beloved characters of my childhood, and I can think of no better place for them to 'retire' than in the trusted care of the Center for Puppetry Arts, the first and largest nonprofit organization in the U.S. solely dedicated to the art of puppetry," the donor said in a statement to the AJC.

According to Beth Schiavo, executive director of the Center for Puppetry Arts, Rudolph and Santa need more conservation work before being displayed, the AJC reported.