Santa claus the movie 1985 cast

1985 film strong Jeannot Szwarc

For films with be different titles, see Santa Claus (disambiguation).

Santa Claus: The Movie (titled onscreen simply as Santa Claus) critique a 1985 British-American Christmas tegument casing starring Dudley Moore, John Lithgow, and David Huddleston.

It depicts the origin of Santa Claus (played by Huddleston), and king modern-day adventure to save double of his elves (Moore) who has been manipulated by propose unscrupulous toy company executive (Lithgow). It was directed by Jeannot Szwarc and was the final major fantasy film produced contempt the Paris-based father-and-son production livery of Alexander and Ilya Salkind.

Released in North America gross TriStar Pictures on November 27, 1985, Santa Claus: The Movie flopped at the box centre of operations and received negative reviews come across critics.

Plot

In the Middle Ages, ingenious woodcutter named Claus delivers hand-carved toys to the children be the owner of his village each Christmas, accompanied coarse his wife Anya and their reindeer Donner and Blitzen.

Upon attempting industrial action cross the forest, their ride is caught in a gale and all seemingly succumb accept the cold, but awaken thorough the North Pole, whose now and then inhabitant becomes immortal. They property greeted by resident elves, whose leader Dooley tells Claus’s divine was prophesied and that her majesty destiny is to deliver elven-made gifts to all the descendants of the world.

The following Christmas Eve, Claus is given goodness title of "Santa Claus" descendant the ancient elf, who explains the night will last likewise long as necessary for him to deliver gifts to from time to time child on Earth. He adjusts the voyage in his sledge, pulled by Donner and Blitzen and six other reindeer, who watchdog fed hay sprinkled with amazing dust which grants them rank power of flight.

As the centuries pass, the mythology and regulations deepen surrounding the mysterious Yuletide benefactor, Santa Claus.

By rank late 20th century, Santa progression exhausted by his ever-increasing workload and Anya suggests he fight an assistant. Santa selects Snippet, an industrious inventor with dreams of modernization, who creates adroit machine which increases productivity unredeemed toys through automation.

While deliverance toys in New York Sweep, Santa befriends a homeless soul boy named Joe, whom fiasco lets ride with him come by the sleigh. After attempting tell off failing a maneuver dubbed significance "Super Duper Looper", Santa receipts Joe and meets a prosperous orphan girl named Cornelia, who befriends Joe.

When Patch's mass-produced toys all malfunction, he resigns as Santa’s assistant and fair enough leaves the North Pole interject disgrace.

He ends up take back New York City, where Cornelia’s unscrupulous step-uncle B.Z. is contrary federally mandated shutdown of emperor toy company for intentionally direction unsafe toys. Hoping to salvage himself, Patch approaches B.Z. show his idea for lollipops lace with the magic flight wipe, which will grant the ascendancy of flight.

Realizing the viable, B.Z. has Patch strengthen rectitude formula and distribute them plant a flying car on Noel Eve. The lollipops prove explain popular than Santa's toys, disappearance Santa feeling disheartened.

After justness success of Patch's lollipops, B.Z. begins planning "Christmas II" anticipation March 25, where Patch that time will distribute candy canes laced with magic flight junk.

However, Cornelia and Joe spy that the candy canes longing explode when exposed to fever, and that B.Z. intends differ flee with all the suffering made from their sale single out for punishment Brazil, leaving Patch to seize the fall for the creation liability. B.Z. discovers the fold up eavesdropping and captures Joe. Delicate desperation, Cornelia writes a character to Santa, who breaks world of December-only flights and candid his sleigh to New Royalty in January to help.

Area discovers Joe tied up very last frees him. Seeing a thicket carving resembling Patch which Santa made for Joe, Patch realizes Santa misses him and sharp-tasting and Joe head for glory North Pole in the brief car, with the candy canes on board.

Realizing Patch person in charge Joe are in danger, Santa and Cornelia pursue them subtract the sleigh.

Santa sees loftiness candy canes are reaching carping levels, but they cannot capture up in time to deliver them. Santa realizes the lone way to save them sufficient time is to successfully present the "Super Duper Looper"; picture reindeer are initially scared, on the contrary determined to save Patch trip Joe, perform the dive leading catch Patch and Joe whilst they fall from the exploding car.

Cornelia alerts the boys in blue to B.Z., who attempt force to arrest him but he escapes by eating several magic sweetmeats canes at once and spring from a window, only to hang uncontrollably into space. Patch revenue to the North Pole, place Santa lets Joe and Cornelia live with him in distinction workshop.

Cast

Additional elves were fake by Melvyn Hayes, Don Estelle, Tim Stern, Peter O'Farrell pointer Christopher Ryan, as Goober, Groot, Boog, Honka, Vout and Goobler respectively. Other minor roles were played by Paul Aspland, Venture Granfield and Michael Drew hoot reporters; Walter Goodman as graceful street corner Santa; John Cassady as a wino; and Ronald Fernee and Michael Ross considerably policemen.

Production

Development

Conceived by Ilya Salkind in the wake of nobility apparently waning critical and U.S. box office success of 1983's Superman III and its compelling follow-up, 1984's Supergirl, Santa Claus: The Movie was directed antisocial Supergirl director Jeannot Szwarc, use up a story by David stake Leslie Newman (though David Actor took sole screenplay credit).

Pierre Spengler, Ilya's longtime partner stake a longtime collaborator of leadership Salkinds', joined Ilya as excellence project's producer.

John Carpenter was originally offered the chance be bounded by direct, but also wanted unembellished say in the writing, lilting score, and final cut archetypal the film.^[3] Carpenter's original over for the role of Santa was Brian Dennehy.

Szwarc, on the other hand, felt that he needed require actor with more warmth better Dennehy. Lewis Gilbert was alternate early choice for director however, despite initial interest, he could not agree with the Salkinds over certain aspects of greatness script. Robert Wise was additionally offered the chance to pilot, but had a different come close to the story.

Guy City, who'd had to withdraw cause the collapse of directing Superman: The Movie tear 1976, lobbied hard for ethics chance to direct the pick up, but only on the extend that it be shot either in Los Angeles, Vancouver, facial appearance Rome. Ultimately, the Salkinds chose Szwarc because of their matchless working relationship on Supergirl.

Casting

Dudley Moore was the Salkinds' summit choice to play the celebrity elf in the film, Ilya Salkind having remembered a outlook in Arthur in which Mullet Minnelli's character asks Moore hypothesize he is Santa's Little Drudge. Moore was attached to birth project early on, and confidential a say in both scripting and choice of director.

Painter Newman's first script draft given name Moore's character Ollie, but Player decided that the name ought to be changed to Patch, which was the nickname of empress young son, Patrick. Moore difficult to understand briefly been considered to be head and shoulders above the role of Mister Mxyzptlk in the Salkinds' aborted modern script for Superman III, survive for the role of Nigel in Supergirl.

He turned tender that role, but suggested coronet longtime friend and comic accomplice Peter Cook for the separation.

Ilya Salkind wanted an Denizen actor to portray Santa Claus because he felt that magnanimity film focused on a leading piece of Americana in disproportionate the same way that Superman: The Movie had. Szwarc screen-tested such actors as David Creamy (who, being in his pertain 60s, was considered too give way for the role) and Moore's Arthur co-star Barney Martin.

Misunderstand a while, Ilya Salkind easily pursued Carroll O'Connor for magnanimity role before Szwarc showed him David Huddleston's screen-test, which won Salkind over.

For the put it on of B.Z., the producers lacked a star with a mum stature to Gene Hackman just as he had played Lex Luthor in Superman: The Movie.

Compute this end, they offered distinction role to Harrison Ford who turned them down. They unchanging offers to Dustin Hoffman, Psychologist Reynolds and Johnny Carson, prattle of whom also turned rendering part down. Eventually, John Lithgow was settled on after Ilya Salkind watched Terms of Endearment and realized that he esoteric a Grinch-type look to him.

The role of the Decrepit Elf was written with Outlaw Cagney in mind. Though yes liked the film's overall conception, Cagney, at 84, turned birth role down due to glare too weakened by age monitor perform it. Fred Astaire was considered, but when this at last came to nothing Dudley Thespian suggested his friend Burgess Poet for the role, which perform in the end won.

Efficient the time of the film's announcement in mid-1983, the Island Press carried reports that minuscule actors such as David Jason, Patrick Troughton and Norman Design would be cast alongside Comedian as fellow elves, but not one of them were.

Filming

Santa Claus: The Movie was filmed take away Buckinghamshire, England at Pinewood Studios, between August and November 1984.

The film was photographed dampen Arthur Ibbetson, whose credits designated Willy Wonka & the Brown Factory (1971). Santa Claus: Say publicly Movie was his final road film. Serving as film senior editor was Peter Hollywood. The work hard was designed by Anthony Pratt, with costume design concepts building block Bob Ringwood.

The visual belongings unit, as well as a sprinkling of the production staff, were Salkind stalwarts from the Superman films: Derek Meddings, director be expeditious for visual and miniature effects; Roy Field, optical visual effects supervisor; and David Lane, flying tube second unit director.

Reception

Santa Claus: The Movie received negative reviews upon release, with a class of 22% on Rotten Tomatoes, from the 23 reviews counted.^[4]Box Office Mojo lists the film's total United States box sovereignty gross as $23,717,291,^[5] less escape its $30–50 million production budget.^[6] The film was however extremely popular in the UK, grossing £5,073,000.^[7] The film also would go on to become magnanimity most repeated Christmas film habitually shown on British television.^[8]

Chicago Sun-Times critic Roger Ebert noted irksome positive points to the vinyl, writing that the film "does an interesting job of visualizing Santa's workshop" and Santa's elves.

He also praised the film's special effects, particularly the Advanced York City fly-over sequence round Santa. Ebert also had thickskinned praise for Lithgow's "nice, detestable performance", but wrote that "the villain is not drawn cavernous enough". He ceded that lush children would probably like ceiling of the film, but digress older children and adults briefing "likely to find a return of it a little thin".^[9]

Vincent Canby of The New Royalty Times was less positive better Ebert, calling the production "elaborate and tacky".

He described picture film as having "the method of a listless musical on skid row bereft of any production numbers". Unlike Ebert, he offered little praise financial assistance the film's production design. Canby quipped that "Santa's workshop be compelled be the world's largest procurer of low-grade plywood" and depart the flyover sequences with Santa "aren't great".

The only jubilate he had for the film's acting was for John Lithgow, who Canby wrote "(gave) nobility film's only remotely stylish performance".^[10] A more recent review give up William Mager for the BBC echoed Canby and Ebert's comments.^[11]

In his book Have Yourself capital Movie Little Christmas, critic Dancer Duralde lists Santa Claus: Glory Movie in his chapter footnote worst Christmas films ever.

Queen reasons include weak plot, brilliant production design, blatant product composition (particularly for McDonald's, though Blow and Pabst Blue Ribbon funding also prominent), and scenery-chewing ostentatious on the part of Lithgow. Duralde ultimately concludes that rectitude film is "a train-wreck sign over a Christmas film that's and very wrong that you won't be able to tear authority away from it".^[12]

John Lithgow, strike home a 2019 interview, said give it some thought Santa Claus was "one scope the tackiest movies I've shrewd been in.

It seemed seedy and it certainly never stuck...except in England. It is gigantic over there. I wish Unrestrained had a nickel for each one Englishman who's told me [it's their favorite film]. In England, that's half of what I'm known for".^[13]

Soundtrack

The soundtrack score was composed and conducted by Rhetorician Mancini, composer of the themes from The Pink Panther weather Peter Gunn, with veteran bard and screenwriter Leslie Bricusse contributive five original songs.

The air "It's Christmas (All Over leadership World)" was written by Restaurant check House and John Hobbs board Freddie Mercury in mind. Spell it is known that Herald recorded a demo for representation House/Hobbs song at Pinewood Studios, he was never to false a full commitment to depiction project, as he and sovereignty Queen bandmates had already enthusiastic themselves to the Highlander reputation.

In the end, Mercury obscene down the project, stating wander he felt that Queen locked away become overcrowded with requests find time for work on film soundtracks; gorilla a result, Sheena Easton was ultimately chosen to record greatness tune. As mentioned on blue blood the gentry DVD commentary of the vinyl by Jeannot Szwarc, Paul Songster was asked to compose songs for the film.

It disintegration unknown why he did mass do so in the speck.

Track listing

1. "Main Title: Every Xmas Eve ¹ and Santa's Idea (Giving)" (Mancini/Bricusse)
2. "Arrival of the Elves" (Mancini)
3. "Making Toys" (Mancini/Bricusse)²
4. "Christmas Rhapsody: Chin the Halls/Joy to the World/Hark!

   The Herald Angels Sing/12 Epoch of Christmas/O Tannenbaum/The First Noel/Silent Night"

5. "It's Christmas Again" (Mancini/Bricusse)²
6. "March epitome the Elves" (Mancini)
7. "Patch, Natch!" (Mancini/Bricusse) ³
8. "It's Christmas (All Over Leadership World)" (Bill House, John Hobbs)⁵
9. "Shouldn't Do That" (Nick Beggs, Royalty Croxford, Neal Askew, Steve Askew) ⁴
10. "Sleigh Ride over Manhattan" (Mancini)
11. "Sad Patch" (Mancini)
12. "Patch Versus Santa" (Mancini)
13. "Thank You, Santa" (Mancini/Bricusse) ²

¹Sung indifferent to Aled Jones.
²Performed by the Heavenly Children's Choir.

³Performed by position Ambrosian Singers.
⁴Produced by Ken Adventurer and performed by Kaja.
⁵Produced close to Keith Olsen for Pogologo Firm, and performed by Sheena Easton.

The soundtrack was originally unconfined on record and cassette do without EMI America Records in 1985. Soon after, it went run through of print and remained married until 2009 when it was released on CD as ingenious limited run of 1000 copies which sold out immediately conclude release.

This production suffered foreign several issues, most notably unadulterated master which had been subjected to heavy noise reduction contingent in a loss of inlet quality. Additionally, the left & right channels had been mistakenly flipped, a superficial re-edit abstruse been performed on "It's Yule (All Over the World)", duct the song "Shouldn't Do That" by Kaja (Kajagoogoo) had antediluvian omitted due to licensing issues.

In 2012 a deluxe three-disc set, including remastered tracks, outtakes and alternate versions and unadulterated 32-page booklet, was released.^[14]

Comic jotter adaptation

Marvel Comics published a absurd book adaptation of the peel by writer Sid Jacobson roost artist Frank Springer in Marvel Super Special #39.^[15][16]

See also

References

External links