Santa Claus: The Movie
Santa Claus: The Movie was a 1985 Christmas movie starring Dudley Moore and John Lithgow. It was the penultimate major feature, and last major fantasy film, produced by the Paris-based father-and-son production team of Alexander and Ilya Salkind. Released in North America on November 27, 1985 by Tri-Star Pictures, the film was a straightforward, nondenominational attempt to explore the mysteries of Santa Claus, the key objective being to answer some of the most basic questions many children have about Santa: How do his reindeer fly? How did Santa and his wife make it to the North Pole? How does he manage to go up the chimneys? At the same time, the film supplemented its answers to these and other questions by telling a contemporary story in which one of Santa's elves (here called the Vendequm), a far-seeing visionary named Patch, sets out to accomplish Santa's toymaking methods on his own, unaware that he might be ruining the magic of Christmas in the process.
External links
- Santa Claus at IMDb
Conceived by Ilya Salkind in the wake of apparently waning critical and U.S. box office success of Superman III (1983) and its immediate follow-up, Supergirl (1984), the film was directed by veteran film and television helmer Jeannot Szwarc (Jaws 2 [1978]; Somewhere in Time [1980]) from a story by David and Leslie Newman, who had written the three previous Superman films, and were not involved with Supergirl. David Newman, however, took sole screenplay credit.
I. THE STORY (WARNING: Possible spoilers follow.)
1. The Origins of Santa
The film's storyline is divided into two basic parts. The first part takes place in an unspecified period during the early or late 14th Century, where Claus (David Huddleston) is a simple peasant woodcutter in his late fifties who, with his wife Anya (Judy Cornwell), delivers his gifts to the children of a typical village.
One night, following a particularly routine visit, Claus and Anya are caught in a violent blizzard that seemingly freezes them and their reindeer, Donner and Blitzen, to death. Mere monents later, however, the four of them, along with their sleigh, reawaken to find themselves deposited in a spectacular frozen plain: the "ice mountains, way up at the top of the world," the home of the fabled Vendequm, or Elves. Leading the contingent that greets them is a venerable old Elf named Dooley (John Barrard), who then tells Claus and Anya that they have been expected.
Also in the contingent of Elves is a wide-eyed, overzealous fellow named Patch (Moore), who is joined by his three faithful companions Boog (Tim Stern), Honka (Peter O'Farrell) and Vout (Christopher Ryan). Dooley instructs the four to take charge of the reindeer and sleigh, and the kindly couple are led into the wondrous, wooden-shaped world of the Elvish Compound. Before long, Dooley explains to Claus and Anya that they have been brought here to spend eternity crafting and giving a fantastic array of toys of all descriptions to every child on Earth.
Later, Patch introduces Claus to the six other deer who will join Donner and Blitzen in helping the old woodcutter make his rounds: Prancer and Dancer, Dasher and Vixen, Comet and Cupid. In an extended montage sequence, set to the film's major song, "Making Toys," we see various aspects of the final preparations for Santa's very first Christmas Eve journey, climaxing with 'Season's Greetings,' in which the North Star's light effuses the Great Hall of the Elvish Compound with that unmistakable Christmas magic.
Later, the supreme moment arrives when Claus, resplendent in his full red-suited regalia, is greeted by the Ancient One (Burgess Meredith), the oldest and wisest of all the Elves, who explains to Claus that he and Anya represent the fulfillment of a prophecy that a "Chosen One" would be brought into the Elves' world who, "having no child of his own, would love all children everywhere, and that he himself would be an artisan, and a craftsman, and a skilled maker of toys." The Ancient One then presents the Chosen One with his sacred duties --- and the name by which he will be known throughout the world for all time to come: Santa Claus.
At that point, Santa boards his newly recrafted sleigh, while the reindeer are fed with an incredible feed that grants them the power of flight. With a boisterous "YO!" Santa takes off, to the delighted cheers of the Elves --- and so, a Legend is born!
The opening portion concludes with a second montage exploring Santa's subsequent adventures across the intervening centuries: the reasons for the creation of his 'naughty-or-nice' list; the many letters sent to him from all over the world; and his initially hostile reaction to Clement Clarke Moore's poem "'Twas the Night Before Christmas." (Anya suspects that it has something to do with the cookies!)
2. New York City, Present Day
The second part of the film opens in present-day New York City. In an alley somewhere on Manhattan's Upper East Side, a young 10-year-old boy, Joe (Christian Fitzpatrick) struggles to keep himself warm. Directly across the street, in an elegant Colonial townhouse, a 9 1/2-year-old girl named Cornelia (Carrie Kei Heim) suddenly notices the boy before being scolded about her homework by her nanny, Miss Tucker (Dorothea Phillips).
Meanwhile, at the North Pole, Santa meets with Patch and another elf, Puffy (Anthony O'Donnell), to tell them both that in the coming weeks he will choose one of them to be his Official Assistant (the idea having been based on a suggestion from Anya). This leads to the film's third major montage sequence, in which the modern-era-loving Patch, with Boog, Honka and Vout helping out, creates a giant automated toymaking machine, the Patch-o-Matic Supertoy Constructor; while Puffy, obsessed with quality in every detail, creates dozens of dolls, pillows and other toys that reflect his passion for the finest craftsmanship around. Patch's belief in modern methods of production, however, wins the day; and he becomes Santa's Assistant.
Later, as Santa takes flight on another routine Christmas Eve, he notices young Joe, digging through various garbage bins in search of food. The cynical 10-year-old has spent too many Christmases witnessing various drunks wearing Santa suits --- but when young Joe finds himself face to face with the real deal, his tough guy attitude almost completely melts down --- ever more so when Santa offers the lad a ride on his sleigh! The sequence, "Sleigh Ride Over Manhattan," has had such a powerful impact that excerpts of it were used for many years by Radio City Music Hall to open its annual Christmas Spectacular, starring the Rockettes.
Christmas morning finds a scene of unexpected chaos, as all around the world, dozens of toys fall apart in the hands of their owners --- and all of them created with the Patch-o-Matic Supertoy Constructor. The reluctant elf, who secretly has harbored a fear that his fellow Elves might not be as willing to embrace his view of the modern world as he himself, removes his Assistant's apron from his waist before Santa can even rebuke him; later, in the stables he shares with the reindeer, Patch laments that even Santa, despite his kind-hearted demeanor, might not like him at all either. Overwhelmed with pride, he leaves the Elvish Compound, determined to prove himself to Santa --- no matter what it takes.
3. Patch Meets B.Z.
We first glimpse the Human known only as B.Z. (Lithgow) as he testifies before a Senate Subcommittee Hearing on Toy Safety; after two graphic demonstrations of his company's shoddy manufacturing processes, B.Z. is threatened with revocation of his license as a manufacturer unless he recalls all the toys he has put on the market. Later, B.Z. consults with his Head of Research and Development, Dr. Eric Towzer (Jeffrey Kramer, now an executive with David E. Kelley Productions). Santa, meanwhile, reacts to the news that Patch has run away.
Days later, Patch encounters B.Z. and Towzer, suggesting that they use him, Patch, to create "something special" with a "secret ingredient." B.Z. goes him one better by explaining about advertising on television; the result proves to be a commercial that is broadcast on every network on Earth! Joe and Cornelia are among the many children who witness Patch's commercial; Cornelia's particular interest is strong in that she is B.Z.'s own step-niece! Santa, too, watches the commercial; but declares that, regardless of what Patch has done, it's still Christmas Eve .... and there's still a job to be done!
Hours later, B.Z. and Towzer are joined by Ms. Abruzzi, B.Z.'s secretary (Judith Morse) and Grizzard, his bodyguard and chauffeur (John Hallam). In an abandoned corner of B.Z.'s factory and headquarters, a makeshift landing pad has been constructed for the sole use of one vehicle: the Patchmobile, in which Patch himself will journey through the skies, delivering puce-colored lollipops laden with the Elf's "secret ingredient." Stomping on the pedal, Patch activates his brand-new "delivery system," and before long the Patchmobile takes to the skies, directly mimicking Santa's own Christmas flight!
All the while, Santa and his reindeer soar through the Manhattan skyline, determined to give his present to the children as he had always done. But Santa soon learns popularity is often fickle: every house on Santa's route has one or several of Patch's lollipops! Santa takes comfort, though, in the knowledge that Joe has remained loyal; since he'd first met the Jolly Old Elf, the boy had been spending much of his time with Cornelia .... and, no doubt, both had become friends. But the magic of Patch's Puce Pops becomes so insatiable that soon the whole world is captivated by them; as a result, B.Z. calls a press conference at which he announces that Patch will be a B.Z. Toys exclusive!
Patch, however, remains reluctant as ever, and now considers himself ready to return to the North Pole. But B.Z. suggests to Patch that there might be a way to follow up on his success; this occurs when the Elf reveals to the Human that children are able to fly because of the magic contained in the lollipops. Perhaps if the same formula could be applied using candy canes, maybe even more success could come Patch's way? Indeed, B.Z. wastes no time in giving the new idea a name: Christmas II!
A few nights later, it is raining. Joe ventures to Cornelia's townhouse for a little visit; 'Corny,' as Joe has often called her, deduces that he has come down with a slight fever; accordingly, she sets out to remedy Joe's malady. Meanwhile, back at Santa's, he has begun to suffer bouts of depression, having concluded that perhaps the concept of Christmas is no longer any good. Later that same night, Towzer arrives at the townhouse to find B.Z. a little bit frazzled (it is, after all, three o'clock in the morning). The two men then go to the kitchen for some drinks and conversation --- and to listen to B.Z. gloat that he means to take over Christmas. But Joe and Cornelia, have unexpectedly overheard B.Z.'s plan; they race quickly to hide themselves, but Joe is soon captured by a quickly summoned Grizzard, who then gags the boy and takes him to B.Z.'s factory.
4. Santa to the Rescue!
As B.Z. and Towzer clear themselves up from the brief moment of excitement, Towzer reveals that the candy canes, although innocently magical, overreact when exposed to extreme heat, rendering them volatile. B.Z. dismisses this news as a reckless afterthought, and proposes to Towzer that the two of them escape to Brazil, thus leaving Patch to take the rap for all the mayhem. Next morning, however, Cornelia writes to Santa concerning Joe's capture. When Santa learns of the events, he orders Boog, Honka and Vout to prepare the reindeer, only to be told by the three that Comet and Cupid have come down with the flu. Santa quickly decides to make do with six deer, and soon races off to Cornelia's to find out everything.
At B.Z.'s factory, Patch discovers the captured Joe, who at first avenges himself upon the Elf for having ruined Christmas --- until Patch discovers that Joe has been carrying around a perfect wooden likeness of Patch himself, crafted by Santa's very own hands: Patch's 'elf-portrait'! Fueled by the possibility that Santa may like Patch after all, the Elf and the boy soon join forces, in the hope of giving Santa a present. Quickly, the two new friends stuff the Patchmobile with as many candy canes as they are able to place in the car --- both of them unaware of the canes' lethal side effects!
At that same moment, B.Z., in his office going over the final details of Christmas II, is interrupted by the sounds of a police siren. As Corny explains to Santa, she had called the cops to stop her stepuncle before he could realize his horrible plot! Within moments, Towzer and Grizzard are restrained by several of New York's Finest; B.Z., however, decides that there's still one way out: he eats the several candy canes in his desk, and leaps out of the window, just as the cops move in for the bust. To their and B.Z.'s unexpected surprise, the toy mogul soon finds himself literally floating on air! Higher and higher he floats, ultimately disappearing into the stratosphere.....
Meanwhile, Patch and Joe, aboard the Patchmobile, zoom over the skies of the North American continent, hellbent on making it back to Santa's headquarters with their big pile of candy cane presents. Santa and Corny in the sleigh soon give chase. As Patch and Joe pour on the speed, the intensity of the heat from the candy canes begins to increase, so much so that before long, even Patch and Joe are no longer able to maintain control of the craft. Finally, a desperate Santa orders Donner to execute the one move that, in all of the team's prior adventures, he has never been able to accomplish: the SuperDuper Looper! Armed with the knowledge that Patch is aboard that endangered vessel, Donner fixes his gaze on his beloved Elf friend, never looking down --- and yet completing the maneuver with expert timing! In that same moment, the Patchmobile --- candy canes and all --- explodes, its oversize parts hurtling in every direction, the boy and the Elf screaming in fear all the while! But down swoops the sleigh like a powerful rollercoaster --- until, at the last possible second, Patch and Joe plummet into the back of Santa's sleigh! Triumphant, Santa chortles with well-deserved glee, and before long our friends return to the top of the world.
The film concludes with a joyous celebration among Humans and Elves --- in which Joe decides it might be neat to stay with Santa and Anya. Cornelia wastes no time thinking the exact same thing. Dooley, already burdened with a cornucopia of responsibilities, reacts with cheerful mockingness: "As if I don't have enough to do! Now, I'm going to have to be a schoolteacher!"
"School?!" gulp Joe and Corny, their faces falling. Regardless, everyone bursts out laughing. And so, the magic of Christmas is restored to the children of the world..........
II. THE MOVIE
Made at Pinewood Studios, Iver Heath, Buckinghamshire, England --- legendary home of the James Bond films --- between August and November 1984, Santa Claus: The Movie was photographed by the late Arthur Ibbetson (it was, in fact, his last feature film; Ibbetson is best known as the cinematographer for Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory [1971]): production designed by Anthony Pratt; film edited by Peter Hollywood; and featured the spectacular costume design concepts of Bob Ringwood. The music was composed and conducted by the late Henry Mancini (famous for, among other things, the Pink Panther and Peter Gunn themes), with veteran lyricist and screenwriter Leslie Bricusse contributing five original songs: "Every Christmas Eve (Main Title)," sung by Aled Jones; "Patch! Natch!", performed by the Ambrosian Singers; "Making Toys," "It's Christmas Again" and "Thank You, Santa!", performed by the Ambrosian Children's Choir. The song score was complemeted by two additional tracks: "Shouldn't Do That," written by Nick Beggs, Stuart Croxford, Neal Askew and Steve Askew, produced by Ken Scott, and performed by Kaja; and the end-title theme, "It's Christmas All Over the World," written by Bill House and John Hobbs, produced by Keith Olsen, and sung by Sheena Easton.
The visual effects unit, as well as several of the production staff, were comprised of Salkind stalwarts from the Superman films: Derek Meddings, director of visual and miniature effects; Roy Field, optical visual effects supervisor; and David Lane, flying and second-unit director. On its first U.S. release, the film ended up taking $23.5 million; this despite boasting of a $50 million budget.
While many critics marveled at the opening portion of the film (one online reviewer called it "one of the most spirited, atmospheric and visually wondrous depictions of the Father Christmas story that's ever been put to the screen"), others could not get past the alleged blandness of Huddleston in the title role, or Lithgow's over-the-top scenery-chewing as B.Z., or Patch's repeated use of "elf-explanatory" or "elf-control" or similar words. By and large, however, some reviewers of the film willingly sat back and had fun, precisely as its creators had intended.
One reviewer, writing in the Internet Movie Database, suggests, as some historians of the Salkinds' films have recently done, that a large part of the problems with their films had their origins behind the scenes: "Bust-ups with several directors [Richard Donner, for example] and screenwriters [Supergirl's David Odell, for another example] often hindered the finished results, forcing the producers to settle for second-best." But since then, filmmakers in general, and historians of Christmas movies in particular, are beginning to rediscover the mystique of Santa Claus: The Movie, most recently through Anchor Bay Entertainment's recent DVD of the film, which includes the film's making-of documentary, "Santa Claus: The Making of The Movie," introduced by Huddleston himself, in character as Santa; Moore serving as on-screen host; and narrated by Ted Maynard, who had also narrated the film's original U.K. trailer. The documentary originally aired in the U.S. on ABC, on Christmas Eve, 1987, and, with the exception of the later Superboy series, was the last major work the Salkinds had specifically prepared for television.
Of the few surviving cast members, Lithgow is currently appearing in the Broadway musical remake of the film, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels; Cornwell is a mainstay of British television, having starred in the popular BBC sitcom Keeping up Appearances; and, as mentioned, Kramer is a top executive with David E. Kelley Productions. As for the film's two child actors, Carrie Kei Heim is now a practicing attorney and sometime world traveller; Christian Fitzpatrick's present whereabouts, however, remain unknown at the present writing. In September 1999, Dudley Moore went public with the news that he had been diagnosed with PSP (progressive supranuclear palsy); he died in May 2002 of pneumonia-related PSP complications, at the home of his caregiver, Ms. Rena Fruchter, in Plainfield, New Jersey. He was 66.