Santa's Enchanted Village (1964)

Director:

Manuel San Fernando

Writers:

K. Gordon Murray (story)
Manuel San Fernando (screenplay)

Genre:

Family | Short | Fantasy

Plot Keywords:

Santa Claus | Christmas | Independent Film

Directed by
Manuel San Fernando

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
K. Gordon Murray		story
Manuel San Fernando		screenplay

Produced by
K. Gordon Murray	....	producer

Cinematography by
Gene Gropper

Film Editing by
Jack Remy		(as J.R. Remy)

Production Management
Leonard Simons	....	production manager

Sound Department
Charles Guanci	....	sound editor

Camera and Electrical Department
Charles Ray	....	camera operator: second unit

Other crew
Gil Miret	....	title designer

Distributors

• K. Gordon Murray Productions
• United American Video (1987) (USA) (VHS) (on "Santa's Fairy Tales Vol. 1")

Runtime:

12 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Mono

Movie Connections:

Edited from Santa Claus (1959)

Santa's Enchanted Village is another of K. Gordon Murray's piece of...well read below

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

Like Santa's Magic Kingdom that I reviewed last year, this was another ineptly made children's holiday short produced by schlockmeister K. Gordon Murray and filmed on location at a Santa's Village in California and Illinois. For one thing, the narrator claims that to make Santa feel at home, each of the village made in his name has a "North Pole made of real ice". Really? Even in summer? Seeing an adult in a giant Stinky the Skunk costume brings a creepy vibe especially in close-up. And don't get me started on the adult-in-a-wolf costume who complains of his ulcer to Santa (who laughs at his expense!) because of his sixteen-hour work days without Stinky helping, who has an out-of-tune accordion playing whenever he walks, and tells Stinky at a children's puppet show (which is real ineptly performed here) how he "works his butt off for the Children of the Universe". LOL! And how about those teen elves who look like they've never been at a rock 'n' roll concert? Not to mention the repetitious marching music (which would have been at home at a Nazi parade) when the skunk and the elves make their toys. Those pre-teen kids sure take their time running away from Stinky during the puppet show. (And one of them actually decides to strike a conversion with him !) And one more thing, the skunk's and Puss-in-Boots' voices are really amateurishly and annoyingly banal! Makes me wish "Mystery Sceince Theatre 3000" was still on the air so I can hear what Joel or Mike and 'bots would comment on as this really monotonous piece of junk was unspooling in their Satellite of Love...