Romeo Muller: The Man Who Scripted Christmas

In this installment of ‘Profiles in History,’ we meet a young puppeteer whose gift for writing establishes some of America’s best Christmas traditions.
Romeo Muller: The Man Who Scripted Christmas
Hermey and Rudolph, in the "We're a Couple of Misfits" musical sequence, in "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer." Public Domain
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Romeo Muller (1928–1992) dedicated his life to show business at an early age. Born in the Bronx and raised in Long Island, Muller grew up near the heart of American entertainment. As a child, he became fascinated with puppets, even creating his own marionettes. With the help of his father, who built a small puppet theater, young Muller scripted his shows and put on performances, including at his local school.

Muller pursued a career as an actor, joining a small acting troupe in Virginia Beach called Theater Go Round. From actor, he transitioned to director, writer, and producer of plays. One of his plays, “The Great Getaway,” became an off-Broadway performance called “A Month of Sundays.” The stage performances soon moved to radio and television where he focused on writing.

A Holiday Opportunity

Muller garnered the attention of CBS after having written some successful material for Jack Benny. He was hired as a writer for CBS’s Studio One drama, which had a run of 10 years from 1948 to 1958. It was the early 1960s, however, when Muller’s career skyrocketed.
Dustin Bass
Dustin Bass
Author
Dustin Bass is the creator and host of the “American Tales” podcast and cofounder of “The Sons of History.” He writes two weekly series for The Epoch Times: Profiles in History and This Week in History. He is also an author.