Santa Claus (1985)

Director:

Jeannot Szwarc

Writers:

David Newman (story) &
Leslie Newman (story) ...

Release Date:

29 November 1985 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Family | Fantasy

Tagline:

Guess Who's Coming To Town!

Plot:

The first half of this film, set hundreds of years ago, shows how the old man who eventually became Santa Claus was given immortality and chosen to deliver toys to all the children of the world. The second half moves into the modern era, in which Patch, the head elf, strikes out on his own and falls in with an evil toy manufacturer who wants to corner the market and eliminate Santa Claus.

Plot Keywords:

Toy | Santa Claus | Elf | Street Kid | Christmas Hater

Cast

Dudley Moore	...	Patch
John Lithgow	...	B.Z.
David Huddleston	...	Santa Claus
Burgess Meredith	...	Ancient Elf
Judy Cornwell	...	Anya Claus
Jeffrey Kramer	...	Towzer
Christian Fitzpatrick	...	Joe
Carrie Kei Heim	...	Cornelia
John Barrard	...	Dooley
Anthony O'Donnell	...	Puffy
Melvyn Hayes	...	Goober
Don Estelle	...	Groot
Tim Stern	...	Boog
Peter O'Farrell	...	Honka
Christopher Ryan	...	Vout

Also Known As:

Santa Claus: The Movie (USA) (promotional title)

Runtime:

107 min

Country:

UK | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Rankcolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.20 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby (35 mm prints) | 70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints)

Certification:

Singapore:PG | West Germany:o.Al. | Iceland:L | Australia:G | Finland:S | Sweden:Btl | UK:U | USA:PG | Norway:7

Filming Locations:

Albert R. Broccoli 007 Stage, Pinewood Studios, Iver Heath, Buckinghamshire, England, UK

Company:

Calash Corporation

Quotes:

Santa Claus: How can I do so much in just one night?
Ancient Elf: Oh, yeah, well know this: time travels with you. The night of the world is a passage of endless night for you, until your mission is done.

Movie Connections:

Featured in A Hollywood Christmas (1996) (V)

Soundtrack:

Thank You, Santa!

A Christmas treat!

While this movie admittedly has its detractors I personally am NOT one of them. It's utterly charming. Among it's strengths-it's perfectly cast, all the way from Dudley Moore on down to the extras. The sets are breathtaking, and the music is engaging (including Sheena Easton's beautiful "Christmas All Over the World"). With all this movie has going for it it does have its drawbacks. The first half definitely works better than the latter. It seems almost as if they were trying to make 2 movies for the price of 1, and that does detract from the overall effect. It gets a bit confusing once it hits the half-way point but it is still worth seeing all the way through. It's the sort of movie that can still hold up after repeated viewings. You can watch it with your kids, or make a guilty pleasure out of watching it by yourself. Either way do yourself a favor and watch it.