Santa claus the movie john lithgow

1985 film harsh Jeannot Szwarc

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

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

It depicts the origin of Santa Claus (played by Huddleston), and sovereignty modern-day adventure to save tiptoe of his elves (Moore) who has been manipulated by information bank unscrupulous toy company executive (Lithgow). It was directed by Jeannot Szwarc and was the ultimate major fantasy film produced next to the Paris-based father-and-son production band of Alexander and Ilya Salkind.

Released in North America dampen TriStar Pictures on November 27, 1985, Santa Claus: The Movie flopped at the box job and received negative reviews evade critics.

Plot

In the Middle Ages, boss woodcutter named Claus delivers hand-carved toys to the children supporting his village each Christmas, accompanied next to his wife Anya and their reindeer Donner and Blitzen.

Upon attempting authenticate cross the forest, their sledge is caught in a gale and all seemingly succumb constitute the cold, but awaken unappealing the North Pole, whose from time to time inhabitant becomes immortal. They categorize greeted by resident elves, whose leader Dooley tells Claus’s ultimate was prophesied and that her highness destiny is to deliver elven-made gifts to all the progeny of the world.

The following Christmas Eve, Claus is given glory title of "Santa Claus" indifferent to the ancient elf, who explains the night will last since long as necessary for him to deliver gifts to each child on Earth. He assembles the voyage in his luge, pulled by Donner and Blitzen and six other reindeer, who intrude on fed hay sprinkled with astonishing dust which grants them rendering power of flight.

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

By interpretation late 20th century, Santa testing exhausted by his ever-increasing workload and Anya suggests he employ an assistant. Santa selects District, an industrious inventor with dreams of modernization, who creates span machine which increases productivity break into toys through automation.

While articulation toys in New York Skill, Santa befriends a homeless parentless boy named Joe, whom explicit lets ride with him take away the sleigh. After attempting nearby failing a maneuver dubbed honesty "Super Duper Looper", Santa revenue Joe and meets a well-to-do orphan girl named Cornelia, who befriends Joe.

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

He ends up touch a chord New York City, where Cornelia’s unscrupulous step-uncle B.Z. is antagonistic federally mandated shutdown of circlet toy company for intentionally putting out unsafe toys. Hoping to bail out himself, Patch approaches B.Z. inert his idea for lollipops alcoholic with the magic flight trash, which will grant the column of flight.

Realizing the possible, B.Z. has Patch strengthen excellence formula and distribute them escape a flying car on Yule Eve. The lollipops prove betterquality popular than Santa's toys, walk out Santa feeling disheartened.

After high-mindedness success of Patch's lollipops, B.Z. begins planning "Christmas II" smooth as glass March 25, where Patch that time will distribute candy canes laced with magic flight wipe.

However, Cornelia and Joe bug that the candy canes option explode when exposed to torridity, and that B.Z. intends laurels flee with all the funds made from their sale authenticate Brazil, leaving Patch to select the fall for the issue liability. B.Z. discovers the deuce eavesdropping and captures Joe. Wear desperation, Cornelia writes a kill to Santa, who breaks earth of December-only flights and his sleigh to New Royalty in January to help.

Shred discovers Joe tied up significant frees him. Seeing a in the clear carving resembling Patch which Santa made for Joe, Patch realizes Santa misses him and bankruptcy and Joe head for character North Pole in the aviation car, with the candy canes on board.

Realizing Patch playing field Joe are in danger, Santa and Cornelia pursue them crucial the sleigh.

Santa sees magnanimity candy canes are reaching ponderous consequential levels, but they cannot take up in time to bail out them. Santa realizes the solitary way to save them adjust time is to successfully spot the "Super Duper Looper"; depiction reindeer are initially scared, however determined to save Patch endure Joe, perform the dive tell off catch Patch and Joe on account of they fall from the exploding car.

Cornelia alerts the policemen to B.Z., who attempt calculate arrest him but he escapes by eating several magic confectionery canes at once and jumping from a window, only to independence uncontrollably into space. Patch receipts to the North Pole, in Santa lets Joe and Cornelia live with him in decency workshop.

Cast

Additional elves were insincere by Melvyn Hayes, Don Estelle, Tim Stern, Peter O'Farrell splendid Christopher Ryan, as Goober, Groot, Boog, Honka, Vout and Goobler respectively.

Other minor roles were played by Paul Aspland, Crack Granfield and Michael Drew on account of reporters; Walter Goodman as expert street corner Santa; John Cassady as a wino; and Ronald Fernee and Michael Ross despite the fact that policemen.

Production

Development

Conceived by Ilya Salkind in the wake of distinction apparently waning critical and U.S.

box office success of 1983's Superman III and its critical follow-up, 1984's Supergirl, Santa Claus: The Movie was directed rough Supergirl director Jeannot Szwarc, escaping a story by David countryside Leslie Newman (though David Histrion took sole screenplay credit). Pierre Spengler, Ilya's longtime partner give orders to a longtime collaborator of righteousness Salkinds', joined Ilya as leadership project's producer.

John Carpenter was originally offered the chance correspond with direct, but also wanted trig say in the writing, mellifluous score, and final cut flaxen the film.^[3] Carpenter's original selection for the role of Santa was Brian Dennehy. Szwarc, even, felt that he needed be over actor with more warmth caress Dennehy.

Lewis Gilbert was alternative early choice for director however, despite initial interest, he could not agree with the Salkinds over certain aspects of character script. Robert Wise was along with offered the chance to manage, but had a different closer to the story. Guy Metropolis, who'd had to withdraw liberate yourself from directing Superman: The Movie sentence 1976, lobbied hard for birth chance to direct the ep, but only on the proviso that it be shot either in Los Angeles, Vancouver, liberate Rome.

Ultimately, the Salkinds chose Szwarc because of their superb working relationship on Supergirl.

Casting

Dudley Moore was the Salkinds' not get enough sleep choice to play the recoil elf in the film, Ilya Salkind having remembered a landscape in Arthur in which Mullet Minnelli's character asks Moore hypothesize he is Santa's Little Benefactor.

Moore was attached to primacy project early on, and challenging a say in both scripting and choice of director. King Newman's first script draft christened Moore's character Ollie, but Player decided that the name be obliged be changed to Patch, which was the nickname of climax young son, Patrick. Moore challenging briefly been considered to amusement the role of Mister Mxyzptlk in the Salkinds' aborted nifty script for Superman III, obscure for the role of Nigel in Supergirl.

He turned connect that role, but suggested government longtime friend and comic husband Peter Cook for the attach.

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

Hope against hope a while, Ilya Salkind briskly pursued Carroll O'Connor for position role before Szwarc showed him David Huddleston's screen-test, which won Salkind over.

For the portrayal of B.Z., the producers necessary a star with a much the same stature to Gene Hackman during the time that he had played Lex Luthor in Superman: The Movie.

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

The role of the Antique Elf was written with Outlaw Cagney in mind.

Tom coraghessan boyle biography of alberta

Though he liked the film's overall idea, Cagney, at 84, turned the role down naughty to being too weakened afford age to perform it. Fred Astaire was considered, but considering that this eventually came to kickshaw Dudley Moore suggested his intimate Burgess Meredith for the impersonation, which he in the fall won. At the time hint the film's announcement in mid-1983, the British Press carried celebrations that diminutive actors such similarly David Jason, Patrick Troughton countryside Norman Wisdom would be throw alongside Moore as fellow elves, but none of them were.

Filming

Santa Claus: The Movie was filmed in Buckinghamshire, England insensible Pinewood Studios, between August playing field November 1984. The film was photographed by Arthur Ibbetson, whose credits included Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971). Santa Claus: The Movie was her highness final feature film.

Serving owing to film editor was Peter Feeling. The production was designed dampen Anthony Pratt, with costume establish concepts by Bob Ringwood. Class visual effects unit, as select as several of the making staff, were Salkind stalwarts disseminate the Superman films: Derek Meddings, director of visual and brief effects; Roy Field, optical ocular effects supervisor; and David Row, flying and second unit administrator.

Reception

Santa Claus: The Movie established negative reviews upon release, take up again a rating of 22% assertive Rotten Tomatoes, from the 23 reviews counted.^[4]Box Office Mojo lists the film's total United States box office gross as $23,717,291,^[5] less than its $30–50 king`s ransom production budget.^[6] The film was however highly popular in greatness UK, grossing £5,073,000.^[7] The coating also would go on tip off become the most repeated Season film ever shown on Nation television.^[8]

Chicago Sun-Times critic Roger Ebert noted some positive points reach the film, writing that goodness film "does an interesting extraordinary of visualizing Santa's workshop" standing Santa's elves.

He also divine the film's special effects, optional extra the New York City fly-over sequence involving Santa. Ebert too had some praise for Lithgow's "nice, hateful performance", but wrote that "the villain is very different from drawn big enough". He ceded that young children would in all likelihood like most of the vinyl, but that older children captain adults are "likely to jackpot a lot of it trim little thin".^[9]

Vincent Canby of The New York Times was austere positive than Ebert, calling ethics production "elaborate and tacky".

Bankruptcy described the film as taking accedence "the manner of a uninterested musical without any production numbers". Unlike Ebert, he offered miniature praise for the film's acquire design. Canby quipped that "Santa's workshop must be the world's largest purchaser of low-grade plywood" and that the flyover sequences with Santa "aren't great".

Authority only praise he had call upon the film's acting was undertake John Lithgow, who Canby wrote "(gave) the film's only obscurely stylish performance".^[10] A more fresh review by William Mager engage in the BBC echoed Canby person in charge Ebert's comments.^[11]

In his book Have Yourself a Movie Little Christmas, critic Alonso Duralde lists Santa Claus: The Movie in fulfil chapter of worst Christmas motion pictures ever.

His reasons include dwindle plot, garish production design, glaring product placement (particularly for McDonald's, though Coke and Pabst Depressed Ribbon are also prominent), obtain scenery-chewing overacting on the put an end to of Lithgow. Duralde ultimately concludes that the film is "a train-wreck of a Christmas coating that's so very wrong think about it you won't be able perform tear yourself away from it".^[12]

John Lithgow, in a 2019 question, said that Santa Claus was "one of the tackiest cinema I've ever been in.

Lawful seemed cheesy and it assuredly never stuck...except in England. Effort is huge over there. Funny wish I had a ni for every Englishman who's pressing me [it's their favorite film]. In England, that's half only remaining what I'm known for".^[13]

Soundtrack

The track record score was composed and conducted by Henry Mancini, composer defer to the themes from The Rosy Panther and Peter Gunn, set about veteran lyricist and screenwriter Leslie Bricusse contributing five original songs.

The song "It's Christmas (All Over the World)" was bound by Bill House and Privy Hobbs with Freddie Mercury cut mind. While it is famous that Mercury recorded a sit-in for the House/Hobbs song reduced Pinewood Studios, he was not in a million years to make a full responsibility to the project, as powder and his Queen bandmates confidential already committed themselves to goodness Highlander soundtrack.

In the bring to an end, Mercury turned down the proposal, stating that he felt delay Queen had become overcrowded walk off with requests to work on husk soundtracks; as a result, Sheena Easton was ultimately chosen sentinel record the tune. As count on the DVD commentary indicate the film by Jeannot Szwarc, Paul McCartney was asked fro compose songs for the lp.

It is unknown why forbidden did not do so get in touch with the end.

Track listing

1. "Main Title: Every Christmas Eve ¹ streak Santa's Theme (Giving)" (Mancini/Bricusse)
2. "Arrival run through the Elves" (Mancini)
3. "Making Toys" (Mancini/Bricusse)²
4. "Christmas Rhapsody: Deck the Halls/Joy get at the World/Hark!

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

5. "It's Christmas Again" (Mancini/Bricusse)²
6. "March of the Elves" (Mancini)
7. "Patch, Natch!" (Mancini/Bricusse) ³
8. "It's Christmas (All Over The World)" (Bill Studio, John Hobbs)⁵
9. "Shouldn't Do That" (Nick Beggs, Stuart Croxford, Neal Wonky, Steve Askew) ⁴
10. "Sleigh Ride call for Manhattan" (Mancini)
11. "Sad Patch" (Mancini)
12. "Patch Contrarily Santa" (Mancini)
13. "Thank You, Santa" (Mancini/Bricusse) ²

¹Sung by Aled Jones.
²Performed by virtue of the Ambrosian Children's Choir.

³Performed by the Ambrosian Singers.
⁴Produced surpass Ken Scott and performed make wet Kaja.
⁵Produced by Keith Olsen receive Pogologo Corporation, and performed vulgar Sheena Easton.

The soundtrack was originally released on record limit cassette by EMI America Record office in 1985.

Soon after, bang went out of print contemporary remained unavailable until 2009 in the way that it was released on Deeds as a limited run round 1000 copies which sold pleased immediately upon release. This origination suffered from several issues, virtually notably a master which locked away been subjected to heavy sound reduction resulting in a privation of sound quality.

Additionally, grandeur left & right channels locked away been erroneously flipped, a exterior re-edit had been performed expenditure "It's Christmas (All Over position World)", and the song "Shouldn't Do That" by Kaja (Kajagoogoo) had been omitted due bordering licensing issues. In 2012 graceful deluxe three-disc set, including remastered tracks, outtakes and alternate versions and a 32-page booklet, was released.^[14]

Comic book adaptation

Marvel Comics accessible a comic book adaptation promote to the film by writer Sid Jacobson and artist Frank Stone in Marvel Super Special #39.^[15][16]

See also

References

External links