Santa Claus Conquers the Martians (1964)

Director:

Nicholas Webster

Writers:

Glenville Mareth (screenplay)
Paul L. Jacobson (based on a story by)

Release Date:

14 November 1964 (USA)

Genre:

Family | Fantasy | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

Blast off for Mars... with Santa and a pair of Earth kids! Blast off for Mars... with Santa and a pair of Earth kids! Science-Fun-Fiction at its height!

Plot:

The Martians kidnap Santa because there is nobody on Mars to give their children presents.

Plot Keywords:

Martian | Children | Mars | Christmas | Santa Claus

Cast

John Call	...	Santa Claus
Leonard Hicks	...	Kimar
Vincent Beck	...	Voldar
Bill McCutcheon	...	Dropo
Victor Stiles	...	Billy
Donna Conforti	...	Betty
Chris Month	...	Bomar
Pia Zadora	...	Girmar
Leila Martin	...	Momar
Charles Renn	...	Hargo
James Cahill	...	Rigna
Ned Wertimer	...	Andy Henderson
Doris Rich	...	Mrs. Claus
Carl Don	...	Chochem / Von Green
Ivor Bodin	...	Winky

Also Known As:

Santa Claus Defeats the Aliens (video title)

Runtime:

81 min | USA:86 min (DVD)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Pathécolor)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Canada:G (Manitoba/Quebec) | Canada:PG (Ontario) | Canada:PG (Nova Scotia) (2002) | UK:U (video rating) | USA:Unrated (2005 DVD release) | Australia:PG | USA:Not Rated

Filming Locations:

Roosevelt Field, Garden City, Long Island, New York, USA

Company:

Jalor Productions

Trivia:

This film is listed among The 100 Most Amusingly Bad Movies Ever Made in Golden Raspberry Award founder John Wilson's book THE OFFICIAL RAZZIE® MOVIE GUIDE.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: In the Polar Bear sequence where the costume is clearly a bear-rug draped over someone's body the back legs are the same way a man's are when crawling with his knees on the ground and shins to feet level with the floor.

Quotes:

TV News Announcer: [News report after Santas disappearance] And mrs Claus has positively identified the kidnapers as martians.

Movie Connections:

References The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951)

Soundtrack:

Horray For Santa Claus

HO HO Ho Horrible!

The complete and utter ineptness of this movie is very entertaining for approximately 20 minutes. Then it's simply becomes another incredibly lame and irritating no-budget Sci-Fi flick from the early 60's. The opening sequences are still somewhat refreshing and, bearing in mind this was originally intended to be a film for children exclusively, you begin to develop impressions that it doesn't really deserves its notorious reputation of being one of the all-time worst stinkers. All the children on earth get anxious because Christmas time is coming up and jolly music plays from every television set. For some hi-tech reason, the children on Mars receive the earthly TV-channels as well, and they're depressed because they haven't got a bearded fat guy in a red suit that hands out presents. The great leader of Mars – busy man that he is – promptly organizes a mission to earth in order to kidnap Santa and return the happiness to his children's green faces. So far so good, the sets and costumes are incredibly cheesy and laughable, but you can't help smiling at the screen. Then it all goes downhill from the moment Santa (and two random kids) are abducted and taken back to Mars. Santa Claus doesn't exactly "conquer" the Martians; he befriends them! For you see, there's only ONE mean and ill-natured Martian but all the others are hospitable and friendly. Then the movie just gets plain boring and I imagine even kids from the early 60's would have found it dreadful! The enthusiasm of cast and crew seems to have disappeared and there are absolutely no ingenious gimmicks anymore. John Call has the ideal posture and charisma to play Santa, but even he can't produce a convincing "Ho Ho Ho" when the end of the movie nears. Painful...