Santa Claus [1985]

Country of Origin: USA / UK
Year of Production: 1985
Running Times: 107 mins
Format: Rankcolor     35mm     J-D-C Scope
Ratio: 2.35:1
Sound: Dolby

PRODUCTION
Production Company: An Alexander and Ilya Salkind Production / Calash Corporation / GGG / Santa Claus Ltd / TriStar Pictures
Production Executive: Pauline Goutelenq
Producers: Ilya Salkind, Pierre Spengler
Co-Producer: Alyssa Cartegena [uncredited]
Associate Producer: Robert Simmonds
Production Manager [North America and Antarctica]: Chris Coles
Production Supervisor: Vincent Winter

SCRIPT
Script: David Newman
Story: David Newman, Leslie Newman

DIRECTION
Director: Jeannot Swzwarc
2nd Unit / Flying Sequence Director: David Lane
1st Assistant Director: Derek Cracknell

PHOTOGRAPHY
Director of Photography: Arthur Ibbetson
Additional Director of Photography: Paul Beeson
Camera Operators: Wally Byatt, David Worley, Trevor Coop, Jeff Paynter, John Morgan
Electrical Supervisors: John May, Jack Thetford, Fred Webster
Stills: Bob Penn
Aerial / Background Stills: Cervin Robinson

EDITING AND POST PRODUCTION
Editor: Peter Hollywood
Assistant Editors: Les Healey, Margaret Thompson, Beverley Lamb

MUSIC
Music: Henry Mancini
Songs: Henry Mancini, Leslie Bricusse
Songs Performed By: Sheena Easton [Christmas All Over The World]; Kaja [Shouldn't Do That]; Bill House; John Hobbs; Nick Beggs; Stuart Coxford; Neal and Steve Askew; Aled Jones
Songs Producers: Keith Olson, Ken Scott
Music Editor: Bob Hathaway
Music Recorded At: The Music Centre
Music Recorded By: Dick Lewsey
Music Publishers: EMI; Infinite Music
Soundtrack Album Consultants: Burt Berman, Bob Buzink

SOUND
Sound Editors: Don Sharpe, Archie Ludski, Rocky Phelan
Sound Mixer: David Grozier
Sound Re-Recorded At: Pinewood Studios
Sound Re-Recorded By: Graham Hartstone

MAKE UP AND COSTUMES
Make Up: Paul Engelen, Stuart Freeborn
Dudley Moore's Make Up: Penny Shawyer
Hair: Colin Jamieson, Jan Jamieson, Elaine Bowerbank
Costume Designer: Bob Ringwood
Dress Supervisor: Wally Hill
Wardrobe: Patrick Wheatley

SPECIAL EFFECTS
Special Effects: Effects Associates Ltd, Martin Gutteridge, Graham Longhurst, Ted Grumbt, Bill Stoyle, Bob Harman
Supervisor of Animatronic Designer: John Coppinger
Animatronic Designers: Richard Padbury, Gus Ramsden, Graham High, David Hayes

VISUAL EFFECTS
Director of Visual and Miniature Effects: Derek Meddings
Supervisor of Optical Effects: Roy Field
Visual Effects Photography: Paul Wilson
Model Camera: Mark Gardiner
Optical Effects: Optical Film Effects Unlimited, Martin Body, Peter Chiang, Dick Dimbleby, Doug Ferris, Peter Harmon, Denis Bartlett
Optical Editor: Brian Mann
Front Projection Consultant: Roy Moores
End Credits Designer: Camera Effects Ltd

DESIGN AND SET CONSTRUCTION
Production Designer: Anthony Pratt
Supervising Art Director: Tim Hutchinson
Art Directors: Don Dossett, John Hoesli, Malcolm Stone
Set Decorator: Stephanie McMillan
Props: Eddie Fowlie
Construction Manager: John Patterson
Construction Supervisors: David Edwards, Denis Pack, Jack Wild, John Kilpatrick, Barry Saunders, Don Taylor, Paul Clogg, Graham Pearse, Ron Fallon, Lies Silk, Paul Mills, Fred Newbury, Peter Beard
Illustrator: John Rose, Lucy Richardson

MISCELLANEOUS
Script Supervisor: Pamela Carlton
Production Accountant: John Trehy
Accounts: Christine Samways, Bobby Johnson, Betty Williams
Choreography and Movement: Pat Garrett
Executive Assistant to Producer: Maria Monreal
Assistant to Alexander Salkind: Eyal Rimmon
Assistant to Pierre Spengler: Trudy Balen
Assistant to Ilya Salkind: Barry Isaacson
Production Assistants: Elaine Burt, Susan Ford, Alyssa Cartegena [uncredited]
Director's Secretary: Jane Dixie
Director of Publicity: Gordon Arnell
Animals Supplied By: Animal Acts of Hollywood, David McMillan, Gary Brewer, Christy Miele, Don Reynolds, Fess Reynolds, Helena Walsh, Maria Carter
Marketing Consultant: Craig Miller [uncredited]

LOCATIONS
Studio: Pinewood Studios, Iver Heath, Buckinghamshire, England, UK

CASTING
Casting: Lynn Stalmaster and Associates
Casting Director: Anne Henderson

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]
Dickie Arnold [Goobler]
Aimée Delamain [storyteller]
Dorothea Phillips [Miss Tucker]
John Hallam [Grizzard]
Judith Morse [Miss Abruzzi]
Jerry Harte [Senate Chairman]
Paul Aspland, Sally Cranfield, Michael Drew [reporters]
John Cassady [wino]
Ronald Fernee, Michael Ross [policemen]
Walter Goodman [street corner Santa]

Old age is starting to catch up with Santa Claus and he needs to recruit some help getting all those toys to their new owners. Patch the elf wants to be Santa's new helper, but is beaten by a more organised elf who relies on traditional methods over Patch's more experimental approach. Patch sets up his own toy company to prove his worth but is targeted for takeover by greedy toy magnate B.Z. and his massive corporation...

A dreadful piece of whimsy so saccharine that should come with a health warning for diabetics. It's heart is in the right place [it attacks the way that big business has hijacked Christmas] but is too cutesy to deliver its message effectively. The cast seem out of their depth and even the great John Lithgow isn't enough to make this bloated effort watchable. Even the execrable Santa Claus Conquers the Martians [1964] is more fun than this...

UK
Video Distributors: Cannon Video; Warner Home Video
Laserdisc Distributor: Image

USA
Theatrical Distributor: TriStar Pictures
Video Distributor: Media Home Entertainment

CENSORSHIP HISTORY

Australia
Rating: G

Finland
Rating: S

Sweden
Rating: Btl

UK
Rating: U

USA
Rating: PG

1985
November
29: USA - theatrical release

December
7: Sweden - theatrical release
20: Finland - theatrical release

Guess Who's Coming To Town!

The Legend Comes To Life.

Seeing Is Believing!

Santa Claus. The Spirit Of Christmas. But Who Is He Really?

Santa Claus - The Movie - advertising title
Joulupukki - Finnish title
La storia di Babbo Natale - Italian title

MAGAZINES

Cinefantastique January 1986 pp.16-18 [USA]
illustrated article

Première December 1985 p.18 [France]
review [by Jean-Philippe Guerand]

Radio Times 19 December 1992 - 1 January 1993 pp.48, 118 [UK]
review, credits

Video the Magazine February 1984 p.67 [UK]
review

NEWSPAPERS

Sunday 24 November 1985 p.8 [UK]
illustrated article

BOOKS

The A-Z of Science Fiction and Fantasy Films p.231
credits, review

Creature Features Strikes Again p.333
credits, review [by John Stanley]

Science Fiction, Horror and Fantasy Film and Television Credits Supplement: Through 1987
credits

Elliot's Guide to Films on Video [3rd edition] p.700
credits, review

OTHER SOURCES

screen
credits

KEYWORDS

businessmen, children, christmas, elves, father christmas, reindeers, santa claus, sleighs, toys

Last Updated: 6 March, 2007