Step 1 : Introduction to the question "Who is the father of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer?"
...According to the 1964 television special Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Donner is explicitly identified as Rudolph’s father. This portrayal firmly established Donner’s paternal role in popular culture and became the most widely accepted version of the story. While the original 1939 poem by Robert L. May does not name Rudolph’s parents, the enduring popularity of the Rankin/Bass special effectively canonized Donner as Rudolph’s father, a portrayal that has been repeated in countless books, broadcasts, and holiday references ever since.
