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{{short description|American dramatist (1928–92)}}
'''Romeo Muller, Jr.''' ([[August 7]], [[1928]] – [[December 30]], [[1992]]) was an [[United States|American]] [[actor]] and [[writer]] most remembered for writing [[screenplay]]s such as for the 1964 TV special ''[[Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (television special)|Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer]]''.


{{For|the rapper, model, basketball player, entrepreneur, and actor|Romeo Miller}}
Muller was born [[August 7]], [[1928]] in the [[Bronx, New York]] and raised on [[Long Island, New York|Long Island.]] His talents in the arts were evident very early on. At age 11, he became a [[puppetry|puppeteer]] at his grade school and eventually he began writing his own plays.


{{Use mdy dates|date=November 2016}}
His career in [[theatre]] began when he joined an acting troupe called "Theater Go Round" in [[Virginia Beach, Virginia]] with producer/friend Lesley Savage. At this time Romeo wrote plays such as ''Angel With The Big, Big Ears'' and ''The Great Getaway'', which eventually became the [[Rankin-Bass]] [[off Broadway]] play ''A Month Of Sundays''. Since Romeo was a big man at 6'2" (1.88 m) and 300 pounds (136 kg), he decided to stray away from acting and turn his attention towards writing.


{{Infobox person
After writing material for comedian [[Jack Benny]], Muller was discovered by [[CBS]] founder [[William Paley]] and selected to be a staff writer for the prestigious ''[[Studio One (television series)|Studio One]]'' and ''[[Philco Theatre]]''. He wrote one of the most popular episodes for the ''Studio One'' series entitled "Love Me To Pieces Baby".
| name = Romeo Muller
| image = Romeo Muller.png
| imagesize = 180px
| caption =
| birth_name = Romeo Earl Muller, Jr.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=__riAAAAMAAJ&q=%22ROMEO+EARL%22+MULLER|title=Dramas and Works Prepared for Oral Delivery|date=December 30, 2017|publisher=U.S. Government Printing Office|accessdate=December 30, 2017|via=Google Books}}</ref>
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1928|08|07}}
| birth_place = [[Bronx, New York]], [[United States|USA]]
| death_date = {{Death date and age|1992|12|30|1928|08|07}}
| death_place = [[High Falls, New York]], [[United States|USA]]
| occupation = [[Screenwriter]], [[actor]]
}}


'''Romeo Earl Muller, Jr.''' (August 7, 1928 – December 30, 1992) was an American [[screenwriter]] and [[actor]] most remembered for his [[screenplay]]s for the [[Rankin/Bass Productions|Rankin/Bass]] Christmas specials including ''[[Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (TV special)|Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer]]'', ''[[The Little Drummer Boy (TV special)|The Little Drummer Boy]]'', ''[[Frosty the Snowman (TV special)|Frosty the Snowman]]'', and ''[[Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town (TV special)|Santa Claus Is Coming to Town]]''.
In [[1963]], Muller met with producer/directors [[Arthur Rankin, Jr.]] and [[Jules Bass]] and began a relationship that would last for years. Rankin and Bass asked Romeo to write a screenplay for their first Network television special, entitled ''[[Return To Oz]]'', which aired on [[National Broadcasting Company|NBC's]] ''[[The General Electric Fantasy Hour]]''. The show was a success and set the stage for the most popular [[Christmas television special|holiday television special]] of all time ''[[Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (television special)|Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer]]''. Muller embellished the short story into an hour-long broadcast and added a variety of characters into the story.


==Early years==
Muller is also known for his screenplays in other such films as ''[[Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town]]'', ''[[The Little Drummer Boy]]'', ''[[Here Comes Peter Cottontail]]'', and ''[[Frosty the Snowman]]'', among many others.
Muller was born in the [[Bronx, New York]], the son of Mildred (Kuhlmann) and Romeo Earl Muller. He was raised on [[Long Island, New York|Long Island.]] His talents in the arts were evident very early on. At age 11, he became a [[Puppetry|puppeteer]] at his grade school and eventually he began writing his own plays.


His career in [[theatre]] began when he joined an acting troupe called "Theater Go Round" in [[Virginia Beach, Virginia]] with producer/friend Lesley Savage. At this time Romeo wrote plays such as ''Angel With The Big, Big Ears'' and ''The Great Getaway'', which eventually became the [[Rankin-Bass]] [[off Broadway]] play ''A Month Of Sundays''. Since Muller was a big man at 6'2", 300 pounds (1.88 m, 136&nbsp;kg), he decided to stay away from acting and turn his attention towards writing.
Muller died in [[1992]] at the age of 64.

==Career==
After writing material for comedian [[Jack Benny]], Muller was discovered by [[CBS]] founder [[William S. Paley]] and selected to be a staff writer for the prestigious ''[[Studio One (anthology series)|Studio One]]'' and ''Philco Theatre''. He wrote one of the most popular episodes for the ''Studio One'' series entitled "Love Me To Pieces, Baby".

In 1963, Muller met with producer/directors [[Arthur Rankin, Jr.]] and [[Jules Bass]] and began a relationship that would last for years. Rankin and Bass asked Romeo to write a screenplay for their first Network television special, entitled ''[[Return to Oz (TV program)|Return to Oz]]'', which aired on [[National Broadcasting Company|NBC's]] the ''[[General Electric Fantasy Hour]]''. The special was a success and set the stage for the most popular [[Christmas television special|holiday television special]] of all time ''[[Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (TV special)|Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer]]''. Muller embellished the short story into an hour-long broadcast and added a variety of characters into the story. He is also known for his screenplays in other such films as ''[[Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town (TV special)|Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town]]'', ''[[The Little Drummer Boy (TV special)|The Little Drummer Boy]]'', ''[[Here Comes Peter Cottontail]]'', and ''[[Frosty the Snowman (TV special)|Frosty the Snowman]]'', among many others.

In 1965, several [[Theatre-Five]] radio productions featured Muller as writer and/or actor.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.otrplotspot.com/famousAuthors.html#romeoMuller|title=Plot Spot - Famous Authors on Radio|website=www.otrplotspot.com|access-date=2019-03-22}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.rusc.com/old-time-radio/Romeo-Muller.aspx?t=9613|title=Romeo Muller|website=www.rusc.com|access-date=2019-03-22}}</ref>

He was also the voice of the narrator, a talking sun, in the first three [[Strawberry Shortcake]] TV specials from the 1980s, which he also wrote and co-produced.

Muller read his favorite and first Christmas story every year on Christmas Eve on New York radio station WGHQ. This story was reworked with a different ending for an animated film in 1992 and aired days before Muller died.

In 2002 the book ''Jill Chill & the Baron of Glacier Mountain'' by Ed McCray featured a character named Romeo after Muller. The book is written in the style of the old Christmas specials that Muller had written.

==Death==
Muller died of a [[Myocardial infarction|heart attack]] in his sleep on Wednesday, 30 December 1992, shortly after receiving a diagnosis of [[cancer]].<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/1993/01/02/obituaries/romeo-muller-jr-64-writer-for-animation.html][https://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/story/entertainment/2017/12/07/rudolph-frosty-and-yukon-cornelius-can-call-ulster-county-home/912844001/ Romeo Muller Jr., 64, Writer for Animation Dies]</ref>

== Work ==

=== Plays ===
* ''Angel With the Big, Big Ears''
* ''A Month of Sundays''
* ''Superman''
* ''The Great Git-Away''

===Filmography===
{{col-begin}}
{{col-break|width=50%}}
; Holiday TV specials
* ''[[Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (TV special)|Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer]]'' (1964)
* ''Cricket on the Hearth'' (1967)
* ''[[The Mouse on the Mayflower]]'' (1968)
* ''[[The Little Drummer Boy (TV special)|The Little Drummer Boy]]'' (1968)
* ''[[Frosty the Snowman (TV special)|Frosty the Snowman]]'' (1969)
* ''[[Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town (TV special)|Santa Claus is Comin' to Town]]'' (1970)
* ''[[Here Comes Peter Cottontail]]'' (1971)
* ''[[Rudolph's Shiny New Year]]'' (1975, 1976)
* ''[[Frosty's Winter Wonderland]]'' (1976)
* ''[[The Easter Bunny Is Comin' to Town]]'' (1977)
* ''[[Nestor, the Long–Eared Christmas Donkey]]'' (1977)
* ''[[The Stingiest Man in Town]]'' (1978)
* ''[[The Little Rascals Christmas Special]]'' (1979)
* ''[[Jack Frost (TV special)|Jack Frost]]'' (1979)
* ''[[Rudolph and Frosty's Christmas in July]]'' (1979)
* ''[[Thanksgiving in the Land of Oz]]'' (aka ''Dorothy in the Land of Oz'') (1980)
* ''[[Pinocchio's Christmas]]'' (1980)
* ''[[The Leprechaun's Christmas Gold]]'' (1981)
* ''[[Peter and the Magic Egg]]'' (1983)
* ''[[Father Christmas (1991 film)|Father Christmas]]'' (1991)
* ''Noël'' (1992)
* ''The Twelve Days of Christmas'' (1993)
* ''[[The Legend of Frosty the Snowman]]'' (2005) '''(Posthumous writing credit)'''
{{col-break}}

; Other TV specials
* ''[[Return to Oz (TV program)|Return to Oz]]'' (1964)
* ''[[The Mad, Mad, Mad Comedians]]'' (1970)
* ''[[The Enchanted World of Danny Kaye]]: The Emperor's New Clothes'' (1972)
* ''[[Willie Mays and the Say-Hey Kid]]'' (1972)
* ''[[The Hobbit (1977 film)|The Hobbit]]'' (1977)
* ''[[It's a Brand New World]]'' (1977)
* ''[[Puff the Magic Dragon (film)|Puff the Magic Dragon]]'' (1978)
* ''[[Puff the Magic Dragon in the Land of Living Lies]]'' (1979)
* ''[[The Return of the King (1980 film)|The Return of the King]]'' (1980)
* ''[[The World of Strawberry Shortcake]]'' (1980)
* ''[[Strawberry Shortcake in Big Apple City]]'' (1981)
* ''[[Puff and the Incredible Mr. Nobody]]'' (1982)
* ''[[Strawberry Shortcake: Pets on Parade]]'' (1982)
* ''[[The Flight of Dragons]]'' (1982)
* ''[[The Wind in the Willows (1987 film)|The Wind in the Willows]]'' (1987)
* ''[[Peppermint Rose]]'' (1993)

{{col-end}}

{{col-begin}}
{{col-break|width=50%}}

; TV series
* ''The Smokey Bear Show'' (1969–70)
* ''[[The Reluctant Dragon and Mr. Toad Show]]'' (1970–71)
* ''[[The Tomfoolery Show]]'' (1970-71)
* ''[[The Jackson 5ive (TV series)|The Jackson 5ive]]'' (1971–73)
* ''The Osmonds'' (1972–74)
* ''[[The Comic Strip (TV series)|The Comic Strip]]'' (1987) (''The Mini-Monsters'' segments)
* ''[[ThunderCats]]'' ("The Mask of Gorgon") (1987)
* ''[[The Kids from C.A.P.E.R.]]'' (1976–77)

{{col-break}}

; Feature films
* ''[[The Daydreamer (film)|The Daydreamer]]'' (1966)
* ''[[The Wacky World of Mother Goose]]'' (1967)
* ''[[Marco (1973 film)|Marco]]'' (1973)

{{col-end}}

==References==
{{reflist}}


==External links==
==External links==
<ul><li> {{iMDb name|612239}}</li></ul>
* {{imdb name|id=0612239|name=Romeo Muller}}

{{Authority control}}


[[Category:1928 births|Muller, Romeo]]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Muller, Romeo}}
[[Category:1992 deaths|Muller, Romeo]]
[[Category:1928 births]]
[[Category:People from the Bronx|Muller, Romeo]]
[[Category:1992 deaths]]
[[Category:Christmas television specials|*]]
[[Category:20th-century American dramatists and playwrights]]
[[Category:Long Islanders|Muller, Romeo]]
[[Category:20th-century American male writers]]
[[Category:Television writers|Muller, Romeo]]
[[Category:20th-century American screenwriters]]
[[Category:American male television writers]]
[[Category:American people of German descent]]
[[Category:American television writers]]
[[Category:Animation screenwriters]]
[[Category:People from Long Island]]
[[Category:People from the Bronx]]
[[Category:Screenwriters from New York (state)]]

Latest revision as of 01:13, 26 November 2024

For the rapper, model, basketball player, entrepreneur, and actor, see Romeo Miller.

Romeo Muller
Born
Romeo Earl Muller, Jr.[1]

(1928-08-07)August 7, 1928
Bronx, New York, USA
DiedDecember 30, 1992(1992-12-30) (aged 64)
High Falls, New York, USA
Occupation(s)Screenwriter, actor

Romeo Earl Muller, Jr. (August 7, 1928 – December 30, 1992) was an American screenwriter and actor most remembered for his screenplays for the Rankin/Bass Christmas specials including Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, The Little Drummer Boy, Frosty the Snowman, and Santa Claus Is Coming to Town.

Early years

[edit]

Muller was born in the Bronx, New York, the son of Mildred (Kuhlmann) and Romeo Earl Muller. He was raised on Long Island. His talents in the arts were evident very early on. At age 11, he became a puppeteer at his grade school and eventually he began writing his own plays.

His career in theatre began when he joined an acting troupe called "Theater Go Round" in Virginia Beach, Virginia with producer/friend Lesley Savage. At this time Romeo wrote plays such as Angel With The Big, Big Ears and The Great Getaway, which eventually became the Rankin-Bass off Broadway play A Month Of Sundays. Since Muller was a big man at 6'2", 300 pounds (1.88 m, 136 kg), he decided to stay away from acting and turn his attention towards writing.

Career

[edit]

After writing material for comedian Jack Benny, Muller was discovered by CBS founder William S. Paley and selected to be a staff writer for the prestigious Studio One and Philco Theatre. He wrote one of the most popular episodes for the Studio One series entitled "Love Me To Pieces, Baby".

In 1963, Muller met with producer/directors Arthur Rankin, Jr. and Jules Bass and began a relationship that would last for years. Rankin and Bass asked Romeo to write a screenplay for their first Network television special, entitled Return to Oz, which aired on NBC's the General Electric Fantasy Hour. The special was a success and set the stage for the most popular holiday television special of all time Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. Muller embellished the short story into an hour-long broadcast and added a variety of characters into the story. He is also known for his screenplays in other such films as Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town, The Little Drummer Boy, Here Comes Peter Cottontail, and Frosty the Snowman, among many others.

In 1965, several Theatre-Five radio productions featured Muller as writer and/or actor.[2][3]

He was also the voice of the narrator, a talking sun, in the first three Strawberry Shortcake TV specials from the 1980s, which he also wrote and co-produced.

Muller read his favorite and first Christmas story every year on Christmas Eve on New York radio station WGHQ. This story was reworked with a different ending for an animated film in 1992 and aired days before Muller died.

In 2002 the book Jill Chill & the Baron of Glacier Mountain by Ed McCray featured a character named Romeo after Muller. The book is written in the style of the old Christmas specials that Muller had written.

Death

[edit]

Muller died of a heart attack in his sleep on Wednesday, 30 December 1992, shortly after receiving a diagnosis of cancer.[4]

Work

[edit]

Plays

[edit]
  • Angel With the Big, Big Ears
  • A Month of Sundays
  • Superman
  • The Great Git-Away

Filmography

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Dramas and Works Prepared for Oral Delivery". U.S. Government Printing Office. December 30, 2017. Retrieved December 30, 2017 – via Google Books.
  2. ^ "Plot Spot - Famous Authors on Radio". www.otrplotspot.com. Retrieved March 22, 2019.
  3. ^ "Romeo Muller". www.rusc.com. Retrieved March 22, 2019.
  4. ^ [1]Romeo Muller Jr., 64, Writer for Animation Dies
[edit]
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