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:

Comedy | 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 | North Pole | 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
Al Nesor	...	Stobo
Josip Elic	...	Shim (as Joe Elic)
Jim Bishop	...	Lomas
Lin Thurmond	...	Children TV Announcer
Don Blair	...	TV News Announcer
Tony Ross	...	Santa's Helper
Scott Aronesty	...	Santa's Helper
Ron Rotholz	...	Santa's Helper (as Ronnie Rotholz)
Glenn Schaffer	...	Santa's Helper
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Gene Lindsey	...	Polar Bear (uncredited)

Directed by
Nicholas Webster

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

Produced by
Paul L. Jacobson	....	producer
Arnold Leeds	....	associate producer
Joseph E. Levine	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Milton Delugg

Cinematography by
David L. Quaid		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
William Henry		(as Bill Henry)

Art Direction by
Maurice Gordon

Set Decoration by
Jack Wright III		(as John K. Wright 3rd)

Costume Design by
Ramsey Mostoller

Makeup Department
George Fiala	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Arnold Leeds	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Gerry Rich	....	assistant director

Art Department
Frank Hoch	....	scenic artist
Edward Swanson	....	head carpenter
Jack Wright Jr.	....	property master (as John K. Wright Jr.)

Sound Department
Dennis Maitland	....	sound mixer (as Dennis L. Maitland)

Camera and Electrical Department
Duke Brady	....	special lighting effects
Richard Falk	....	gaffer
Martin Nallan	....	key grip
Michael Zingale	....	camera operator (as Michael C. Zingale)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Virginia Schreiber	....	wardrobe mistress

Editorial Department
Anthony Termini	....	edit supervisor

Music Department
Milton Delugg	....	conductor
Nick Tagg	....	musical coordinator

Other crew
Fritz Hansen	....	martian furniture
Marguerite James	....	script supervisor (as Margurite James)
Robert J. Rosenthal	....	production comptroller (as Robert Rosenthal)
Brett Webster	....	technical advisor (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Jalor Productions

Distributors

• Embassy Pictures Corporation (1964) (USA) (theatrical)
• Delta Expedition (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• Alpha Video Distributors (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Reel Media International (2004) (worldwide) (VHS)
• EastWest Entertainment (2005) (USA) (DVD) (as "Santa Claus Defeats the Aliens")
• ACME-TV (2011) (worldwide) (DVD)
• Another World Entertainment (2007) (Denmark) (DVD)
• Apprehensive Films (2008) (USA) (DVD)
• Brentwood Home Video (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Entertainment One (2011) (USA) (DVD)
• Firebox (2007) (Finland) (DVD)
• Front Row Video (2001) (USA) (VHS)
• Genius Entertainment (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Mill Creek Entertainment (2007) (USA) (DVD)
• Passport Video (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• Reel Media International (2007) (worldwide) (all media)
• Something Weird Video (SWV) (????) (USA) (VHS)
• Synergy Entertainment (2009) (worldwide) (DVD)
• Valley Star Video (????) (USA) (VHS) (as "Santa Claus Defeats the Aliens")
• Westlake Entertainment Group (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Woodhaven Entertainment (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Yleisradio (YLE) (2007) (Finland) (TV)

Special Effects

• Haberstroh Studios (special photographic effects)

Other Companies

• Alan Shane Associates  casting
• Dawson of N.Y.C.  tower of crystal fountain
• L & L Animation  titles
• Louis Marx & Co.  special toys
• Michael Myerburg Studios  studio
• Vogue Dolls Inc.  dolls

Also Known As:

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 | Finland:K-18 (self applied) (2008) | USA:Not Rated

Filming Locations:

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

Company:

Jalor Productions

Trivia:

Most of the film was shot in an abandoned aircraft hangar on Long Island, New York.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When Stobo looks in on the toy fight, the popping sounds and flying projectiles suddenly cease (film was stopped to put the ball in his mouth).

Quotes:

Santa Claus:Well, when Voldar "accidentally" left us in the airlock and then came up here and "accidentally" threw the door switch, we knew we had to get out of there in a hurry or that would be the end of us. Eh, uh, "accidentally," of course.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Best Worst Movie (2009)

Soundtrack:

Hooray For Santy Claus

Paging Edward D. Wood

If the fabulously awful yet admirably enthusiastic director Ed Wood had ever made a kids' holiday flick, this would have been it.

This movie is not bad, if by bad you mean boring and a waste of time. It's spectacularly appalling, the way "Plan 9" is. They obviously had a budget of about fifty bucks to make this, and it shows.

But some of us love these evidences that once upon a time in America there was such a thing as real independent cinema, and all-afternoon multi-feature holiday shows at neighborhood theaters that only had one screen, and sing-along events built into kids' movies, and fun that didn't depend on multi-billion dollar special effects.

This is one of those movies that you will laugh at and make fun of, yet long for the days when local, independent television stations aired it on a Saturday afternoon before Christmas. You'll make jokes about it, but catch yourself absentmindedly humming "Hooray for Santy Claus!" for the rest of your life. And you'll amaze your friends with -- "I know what movie Pia Zadora made her debut in, and you don't!"