Ernest Saves Christmas (1988)

Director:

John R. Cherry III

Writers (WGA):

Ed Turner (story)
B. Kline (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

11 November 1988 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Family | Fantasy

Tagline:

A holiday comedy unlike any other!

Plot:

Ernest helps Santa Claus as he searches for his successor.

Plot Keywords:

Santa Claus | Christmas | Holiday | Christmas In Danger | Actor Playing Multiple Roles

Cast

Jim Varney	...	Ernest P. Worrell
Douglas Seale	...	Santa
Oliver Clark	...	Joe Carruthers
Noelle Parker	...	Harmony (as Noëlle Parker)
Gailard Sartain	...	Chuck
Billie Bird	...	Mary Morrissey
Bill Byrge	...	Bobby
Robert Lesser	...	Marty
Key Howard	...	Immigration Agent
Jack Swanson	...	Businessman
Buddy Douglas	...	Pyramus
Patty Maloney	...	Thisbe
Beecher Martin	...	Agent Skippy
Barry Brazell	...	Cab Passenger
George Kaplan	...	Mr. Dillis
Bill Welter	...	Waiter (as Bill Christie)
Joe Candelora	...	Arresting Officer
Danny Dillon	...	Booking Officer
Lindsey Alley	...	Patsy
Phran Gauci	...	Lacy
Bill Cordell	...	Carl
Larry Francer	...	Brad
Jackie Welch	...	Animal Officer
Daniel Butler	...	Animal Officer
Antonio Fabrizio	...	Mean-Looking Man (as Antonio Fabrizzio)
Bob Norris	...	Police Chief Spenks
Carmen J. Alexander	...	Police Officer (as Carmen Alexander)
Miriam P. Saunders	...	Receptionist
Cyndi Vicino	...	Make-up Artist
Tom Nowicki	...	Crew Member
Michael O. Smith	...	Studio Guard
Jesse Stone	...	Elderly Man
Angelique Walker	...	Girl
Zachary Bowden	...	Boy
Donna Phillip Miller	...	Mom
Paul Darby	...	Ticket Agent
Cynthia Ergenbright	...	Museum Person
Bob Barnes	...	Controller #1
Mike Hutchinson	...	Monster
Douglas Brush	...	Commander
D. Christian Gottshall	...	Controller #2
Ray Russell	...	Stage-Hand
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Jon Freda	...	Tourist (uncredited)
Rosa Nevin	...	Business Person at Work Building (uncredited)
Jennifer Peña	...	Granddaughter (uncredited)

Directed by
John R. Cherry III		(as John Cherry)

Writing credits (WGA)
Ed Turner		(story)
B. Kline		(screenplay) and
Ed Turner		(screenplay)

Produced by
Joseph Akerman Jr.	....	executive producer (as Joseph L. Akerman Jr.)
Doug Claybourne	....	producer
Martin Erlichman	....	executive producer
Justis Greene	....	co-producer
Coke Sams	....	co-producer
Ed Turner	....	associate producer
Stacy Williams	....	producer

Original Music by
Mark Snow		(music composed by)

Cinematography by
Peter Stein		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Sharyn L. Ross

Casting by
Kathleen Letterie

Production Design by
Ian D. Thomas

Art Direction by
Ian D. Thomas		(as Ian Thomas)

Set Decoration by
Chris August

Costume Design by
Peter Mitchell

Makeup Department
June Brickman	....	key makeup artist (as June Rudley Brickman)
Robert Hallowell II	....	beard design
Robert Hallowell II	....	hair design
Linda Morganroth Hardy	....	hair assistant (as Linda Hardy Morgenroth)
Linda Morganroth Hardy	....	makeup assistant (as Linda Hardy Morgenroth)

Production Management
Carol Sue Byron	....	unit production manager
Justis Greene	....	unit production manager
Daniel J. Heffner	....	executive in charge of production

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Patrice Leung	....	first assistant director
Douglas A. Raine	....	second assistant director
Coke Sams	....	second unit director
Todd Turner	....	second second assistant director

Art Department
Robert Beck	....	assistant property master (as Robbie Beck)
Vicky Bowlin	....	set dresser
Robert Burdick	....	carpenter
Chris Carpenter	....	set dresser
James F. Clayton	....	construction coordinator (as Jim Clayton)
Sandi Cook	....	scenic painter
Gregory Gossett	....	carpenter
Todd Hatfield	....	scenic painter
Edward 'Tantar' LeViseur	....	property master (as Tantar Leviseur)
Kim McClees	....	set dresser
Ryan Schultz	....	carpenter
Rick Thompson	....	carpenter
Tina Zeno	....	set dresser

Sound Department
Vanessa Theme Ament	....	foley artist
Sally Becom	....	sound apprentice
Mark Berger	....	supervising re-recording mixer
Todd Boekelheide	....	sound re-recording mixer
Karen Brocco	....	assistant sound effects editor
Francesca Dodd	....	sound apprentice
Patrick Dodd	....	sound supervisor
Nick Hammond	....	boom man (as Nicholas Hammond)
Sharon Smith Holley	....	cable person
Polly Holmes	....	assistant sound effects editor
Mark Levinson	....	assistant dialogue editor
Douglas Murray	....	sound designer
David Parker	....	sound re-recording mixer
Philip Rogers	....	sound recordist
Rich Schirmer	....	sound mixer
Robert Shoup	....	sound effects editor
Mark Zimbicki	....	boom man

Special Effects by
Jama Ball	....	special effects assistant
Vince Gimondo	....	special effects welder
Mike Vézina	....	special effects assistant (as Mike Vezina)
Mike Weesner	....	special effects coordinator

Visual Effects by
Glenn Campbell	....	motion control operator
Bernie Gagliano	....	optical line-up
Allen Gonzales	....	effects animation
Cynthia Neill Knizek	....	visual effects inbetweener (as Cynthia Knizek)
Kevin Koneval	....	optical camera operator
John Kuhlman	....	optical line-up
Paul Lasaine	....	matte artist
Tim McHugh	....	visual effects supervisor
Peter Montgomery	....	motion control operator
Ron Osenbaugh	....	color timer
Brian Raymond	....	effects librarian
Bob Rundell	....	optical supervisor
Steve Rundell	....	visual effects producer
Carolyn Soper	....	visual effects coordinator
Lucy Tanashian-Gentry	....	storyboard artist (as Lucy Tanashian)
Doug Ulm	....	optical camera operator (as Douglas Ulm)

Stunts
Tom Bahr	....	stunt player (as Thomas J. Bahr)
Bobby J. Foxworth	....	stunt player (as Bobby Foxworth)
Jerry Gatlin	....	stunt coordinator
Gene Hartline	....	stunt player
Robert Jauregui	....	stunt player
Candice Orsini	....	stunt player (as Candi Orsini)
Tony Shepherd	....	stunt actor: Shopper
Chuck Waters	....	stunt double: Ernest

Camera and Electrical Department
Mary Antinozzi	....	camera production assistant
Terry Arthur	....	key grip
Suzanne Cobb	....	electrician
Armanda Costanza	....	assistant camera
Robert Dracup	....	gaffer (as Bob Dracup)
Dale Emminger	....	best boy
Scott Forrester	....	grip
Howard Fox	....	grip
Shelley Gazin	....	still photographer
Vince Gimondo	....	grip welder
Frank Godwin	....	second assistant camera (as W. Frank Godwin)
David A. Harp	....	first assistant camera
Billy Hendricks	....	electrician
Robert Hoelen	....	grip
Jeff Hurst	....	best boy
Jeff Hurst	....	gaffer: second unit
Michael Lonzo	....	director of photography: second unit (as Michael D. Lonzo)
Billy Mears	....	dolly grip
Craig Mitchell	....	grip
D.L. 'Pete' Peterson	....	crane operator
Nik Petrik	....	first assistant camera
Thomas Pielemeier	....	grip (as Tom Pielemeir)
Tommy Ray Sullivan	....	electrician (as Tommy Sullivan)
James Tomaro	....	electrician (as James Tamaro)

Casting Department
Veronica Krupski	....	extras casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Shawn Barry	....	costume supervisor
Lynda Foote	....	costumer

Editorial Department
Gina Gallo	....	second assistant editor
David Grant	....	apprentice editor
Farrel Levy	....	first assistant editor (as Farrel Jane Levy)

Music Department
Walt Borchers	....	scoring crew
Tom Boyd	....	musician: oboe soloist
Terry Brown	....	scoring crew
Joanie Diener	....	music editor (as Joanie Diener Rowland)
Chuck Garsha	....	scoring crew
William Ross	....	orchestrator
Armin Steiner	....	scoring mixer
James Thatcher	....	musician: french horn

Transportation Department
Tom Akos	....	driver
Andy Burr	....	driver
Karen Chalk	....	driver
Russell Davis	....	driver
Dan Douglas	....	driver
Steve Duff	....	driver
Michael Foster	....	driver
Neil Hyman	....	transportation captain (as Neil A. Hyman)
A. Welch Lambeth	....	transportation coordinator
Walter Lambeth	....	driver
Big John Moore	....	driver
Bill Pitts	....	driver
Lee Siler	....	driver (as William Lee Siler)
Cactus Simser	....	driver
Cecil Stone	....	driver (as Cecil Stone Jr.)
Doug White	....	driver
Prentis Woods	....	driver

Other crew
Buck Allen	....	location manager (as Russell Roy 'Buck' Allen)
Steve Brown	....	first aid
Carol Sue Byron	....	production accountant
Stephanie Byron	....	assistant accountant
Loolee DeLeon	....	production coordinator
Stel Deleon	....	production secretary (as Stel DeLeon)
Theresa Eubanks	....	script supervisor
Bernie Fidelo	....	first aid
Sara Fuller	....	location manager
Barbara Gaddy-Edrington	....	animal handler (as Barbara Gaddy)
Barbara Gaddy-Edrington	....	animal trainer (as Barbara Gaddy)
John Garrett	....	production assistant
Sharon Haley	....	assistant: Mr. Cherry
Joe Holmes	....	black and white processing (as Joseph Holmes)
Michael C. Hutchinson	....	craft service (as Mike Hutchinson)
Barbara Lange	....	production coordinator
Alan Levi	....	production assistant
Steve Martin	....	animal handler
Steve Martin	....	animal trainer
Polly Ann Mattson	....	production assistant (as Polly Mattson)
Ken Parker	....	animal handler
Ken Parker	....	animal trainer
Joe Parra	....	black and white processing
Gayle Phelps	....	animal handler
Gayle Phelps	....	animal trainer
Sandy Stoller	....	script supervisor: second unit
Darrin Tindall	....	production assistant
John White	....	black and white processing
Karen Yokomizo	....	assistant accountant
Robert J. Dietze II	....	production assistant (uncredited)
Lisa S. Girolami	....	associate production executive (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Touchstone Pictures (presents)
• Silver Screen Partners III (in association with)
• Emshell Producers (producer) (as Emshell Producers Group)

Distributors

• Buena Vista Pictures Distribution (1988) (USA) (theatrical)
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1991) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• Touchstone Home Video (1996) (USA) (VHS)
• Touchstone Home Video (2002) (USA) (DVD)

Special Effects

• Buena Vista Visual Effects (special visual effects by) (as The Buena Vista Visual Effects Group)

Other Companies

• Coca-Cola Company, The  used by permission: Sundblom Santa Claus illustrations are property of
• Curtis Publishing Co.,  used by permission: certain copyrighted artwork (as Curtis Publishing Company)
• National Car Rental  special thanks to
• Saul Zaentz Film Center  post-production sound facilities

Also Known As:

Runtime:

95 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:L | Australia:G | USA:PG (No. 29380)

Filming Locations:

Disney's Hollywood Studios, Walt Disney World, Lake Buena Vista, Florida, USA

Company:

Touchstone Pictures

Trivia:

During filming, production ran into trouble when the reindeer began to shed their antlers, so replacement antlers had to be obtained.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When Ernest arrives on the sleigh, the lady with Santa starts to brush away the snow before it starts flying around her head.

Quotes:

Harmony Star:Ernest, I'm not really a morning person, so could you keep it down to a dull... roar?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Cinemassacre's Monster Madness: Ernest Scared Stupid (#4.27)" (2010)

Fun, delightful, Christmas Movie

If you wasn't to thrilled with Ernest Goes to Camp, write it off and give this one a shot. A good story involving Ernest helping Santa Clause find a replacement before Christmas Eve is fun, and delightful. Jim Varney again does a terrific job playing the dimwitted goofball. Entertaining from start to finish, this is the best of the Ernest series.

Rating: B