A Visit to Santa

Last updated

A Visit to Santa
Produced byClem Williams
Distributed byClem Williams Films
Release date
  • December 1963 (1963-12)
Running time
12 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

A Visit to Santa is a 12-minute live action American children's Christmas film produced for distribution at the end of 1963. Other than the opening text, "CLEM WILLIAMS FILMS presents A Visit To Santa", there are no other credits. [1]

Contents

Plot

After "Jingle Bells" melody, played on a small Hammond Organ with chimes, is heard during the brief opening credits, two children, who appear to be five or six years old, are seen in a bunk bed almost unintelligibly saying goodnight to their mother. The boy, Dick, is in the upper bunk and the girl, Ann, who is in the lower bunk, says, "oh, Dick, I wonder if Santa ever got our letter".

The visuals become blurry and a male narrator states, "yes, Ann, far up in the North Pole, Santa is reading your letter now". In a spacious living room setting, seated in a large easy chair and dressed in full traditional apparel, Santa is holding a sheet of paper which is shown in close-up to depict, in large-lettered children's handwriting, "Dear Santa / DicK and I would LiKe To visiT You. / CouLD we PLEase visit you at The NoRTH PoLE beFore CHriSTmAs ? / DicK And ANN".

Upon reading the letter, Santa says, "Why not" and calls elf Toby to prepare the magic helicopter and bring the two children to him. Toby responds, "your'all words are my command, Santa". Appearing in Dick and Ann's bedroom, Toby awakens them with the words, "hurry up and get dressed and we will fly to Santa", as the narrator explains to the audience, "it's just a short hop in the magic helicopter".

Walking through a castle-style entrance inscribed "Santa", Toby leads Dick and Ann into Santa's living room and is then dismissed by Santa who, still seated in his large easy chair, takes the children onto his lap, as documentary footage of seasonal celebrations and Santa pageantry appears on the screen, with the narrator recounting how Christmas is observed in various cities and towns. A Christmas parade, with main focus on Santa, is seen in the Pennsylvania city of McKeesport. Santa gives Dick and Ann a tour of "The Village Toy Shop" which appears as a series of Christmas doll and toy exhibits as well as displays in a large department store. Santa then leads them to his toy warehouse where preparations are made for Christmas Eve distribution.

At the end of the visit, Santa shows them an elaborate model train display, as the narrator says, "I wonder if Ann will be as excited as Dick. There's trains of all kinds, coming and going, starting and stopping, logging trains, freight trains, streamliners, old-time choo-choos — I'll bet daddy would enjoy this too". As part of the train exhibit, an elaborate miniaturized mockup is also on display depicting an entire town through which a circus parade is passing.

As Toby returns to Santa's living room in preparation for taking the children home, Santa, continuing to sit in his easy chair, tells Dick and Ann, "So glad you came... the entire Christmas celebration is to commemorate the birth of Jesus Christ hundreds of years and the wonderful spirit of Christmas...". Toby then leads the children towards the front camera and out of range, as Santa turns in his chair and, addressing the audience, exclaims, "Merry Christmas! Merry Christmas to all! Merry Christmas!", with "The END" slide placed on the screen to the sound of the calliope "Jingle Bells". [2]

Background

Produced by Pittsburgh-based Clem Williams films, [3] the short was shot in McKeesport, with the toy section of the city's department store, The Famous, serving as Santa's Workshop, [4] and in Pittsburgh, where Christmas toy displays of various stores are used to augment the oversized imagery of Santa's North Pole workshop. There is very little ambient dialogue — the soundtrack primarily consists of holiday music and the narrator's voice, with much of the narration presented in the form of rhymed or free verse. [5]

Legacy

It has since garnered a reputation as a camp classic due to multiple airings on Turner Classic Movies. [6]

It was spoofed by RiffTrax on December 19, 2007. [7]

Related Research Articles

<i>Santa Claus Conquers the Martians</i> 1964 film directed by Nicholas Webster

Santa Claus Conquers the Martians is a 1964 American science fiction comedy film directed by Nicholas Webster, produced and written by Paul L. Jacobson, based on a story by Glenville Mareth, that stars John Call as Santa Claus. It also features a ten-year-old Pia Zadora as Girmar, one of the Martian children. The film also marks the first documented appearance of Mrs. Claus in a motion picture, coming three weeks before the television special Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, which also featured Mrs. Claus.

The Little Engine That Could is an American folktale that became widely known in the United States after publication in 1930 by Platt & Munk. The story is used to teach children the value of optimism and hard work. Based on a 2007 online poll, the National Education Association listed the book as one of its "Teachers' Top 100 Books for Children".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rankin/Bass Animated Entertainment</span> Former production company known mainly for animated holiday specials

Rankin/Bass Animated Entertainment was an American production company located in New York City, and known for its seasonal television specials, usually done in stop motion animation. Rankin/Bass' stop-motion productions are recognizable by their visual style of doll-like characters with spheroid body parts and ubiquitous powdery snow using an animation technique called Animagic.

<i>The Beach Boys Christmas Album</i> 1964 studio album by the Beach Boys

The Beach Boys' Christmas Album is the seventh studio album by the American rock band the Beach Boys, released November 9, 1964 on Capitol Records. It contains five original songs and seven standards on a Christmas theme. The album proved to be a long-running success during subsequent Christmas seasons, initially reaching No. 6 on Billboard's Christmas LP's chart in its initial release and eventually going gold. Music historian James Perone wrote that it is "regarded as one of the finest holiday albums of the rock era".

<i>A Muppet Family Christmas</i> 1987 Christmas television special featuring the Muppets

A Muppet Family Christmas is a Christmas musical television special starring Jim Henson's Muppets. It first aired on December 16, 1987, on the ABC television network in the United States. Its teleplay was conceived by longtime Muppet writer Jerry Juhl, and directed by Peter Harris and Eric Till. This television special was filmed at 9 Channel Nine Court in Toronto, Ontario. The special features various Muppets from The Muppet Show, Sesame Street, Fraggle Rock, and Muppet Babies. It also stars Gerard Parkes as Doc from the North American wraparound segments of Fraggle Rock, and Henson as himself in a cameo appearance at the end. In the plot, the Muppets surprise Fozzie Bear's mother with a Christmas visit to her farmhouse, unaware of her planned getaway to Malibu.

<i>Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer</i> (TV special) 1964 television film

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer is a 1964 Christmas animated television special produced by Videocraft International, Ltd. and currently distributed by NBCUniversal Television Distribution. It first aired December 6, 1964, on the NBC television network in the United States and was sponsored by General Electric under the umbrella title of The General Electric Fantasy Hour. The special was based on the 1949 Johnny Marks song "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" which was itself based on the poem of the same name written in 1939 by Marks' brother-in-law, Robert L. May. Since 1972, the special has aired on CBS; the network unveiled a high-definition, digitally remastered version of the program in 2005, re-scanned frame-by-frame from the original 35 mm film elements.

<i>Jingle All the Way</i> 1996 film by Brian Levant

Jingle All the Way is a 1996 American Christmas family comedy film directed by Brian Levant. It stars Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sinbad as two rival fathers, mattress salesman Howard Langston (Schwarzenegger) and postal worker Myron Larabee (Sinbad), both desperately trying to purchase a Turbo-Man action figure for their respective sons on a last-minute shopping spree on Christmas Eve. The film's title is borrowed from the lyrics of the popular Christmas song "Jingle Bells".

Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party is an event hosted at Disney's Magic Kingdom in Florida on select evenings in November and December leading up to Christmas. It features holiday entertainment such as a parade, dance parties, character meet-and-greets, and complimentary treat stations. The event runs from 7:00 pm to midnight, but party guests may enter beginning at 4:00 pm. The event requires purchasing a separate ticket from the general admission ticket counter.

<i>Santa Claus</i> (1959 film) 1959 Mexican film

Santa Claus is a 1959 Mexican fantasy film directed by Rene Cardona and co-written with Adolfo Torres Portillo. In the film, Santa Claus works in outer space and battles with a demon named Pitch, sent to Earth by Lucifer to ruin Christmas by killing Santa and "making all the children of the Earth do evil".

<i>Frosty the Snowman</i> (TV special) 1969 film directed by Jules Bass

Frosty the Snowman is a 1969 American animated Christmas television special produced by Rankin/Bass Productions. It is the first television special featuring the character Frosty the Snowman. The special first aired on December 7, 1969, on the CBS television network in the United States, airing immediately after the fifth showing of A Charlie Brown Christmas; both scored high ratings. The special has aired annually for the network's Christmas and holiday season every year since.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dickory Doc</span>

Dickory Doc was a local children's television series which aired from 1966 to 1969. The show was produced by Kaiser Broadcasting and broadcast on UHF Channel 48 WKBS-TV in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and on UHF Channel 56 WKBG-TV in Boston, Massachusetts and number of other major cities. The show was created by Aldo Farnese and Chic Laganella.

Christmas Cracker is a 1963 animated short about Christmas, co-directed by Norman McLaren, Gerald Potterton, Grant Munro and Jeff Hale for the National Film Board of Canada. It was nominated for an Oscar in 1965.

The Tangerine Bear is a 48-minute animated film for children released on November 11, 2000. It was directed by Bert Ring, and is based on the 1997 book of the same name by Betty Paraskevas and Michael Paraskevas. The voice cast includes famous celebrities Tom Bosley, Jenna Elfman, Howie Mandel, David Hyde Pierce, Jonathan Taylor Thomas, Ralph Manza, and Marlon Wayans. The story is narrated and sung by country/western singer Trisha Yearwood. It was produced by Family Home Entertainment and Hyperion Pictures, and distributed by Artisan Entertainment. Entertainment Rights held distribution rights to the film outside the United States.

<i>Santa and the Ice Cream Bunny</i> 1972 American film

Santa and the Ice Cream Bunny is a 1972 American musical fantasy film written, composed, shot, edited and directed by Richard Winer to frame Barry Mahon's Childhood Productions films for a Christmas release. The plot concerns Santa Claus' attempts to free his sleigh from the sands of a Florida beach, assisted by local children.

<i>Tokyo Disneyland Electrical Parade Dreamlights ~Christmas~</i> 2007 soundtrack album by Tokyo Disneyland

Tokyo Disneyland Electrical Parade Dreamlights ~Christmas~ is the Christmas version of the Tokyo Disneyland Electrical Parade Dreamlights. It opened in 2007 and runs during the holidays. The parade includes the regular floats and characters dressed up for the holidays. The soundtrack is almost identical to the regular, but has a holiday theme.

Santa and the Fairy Snow Queen is a 1951 short fantasy film directed by Sid Davis.

Jingle All the Way is a 2011 American stop motion animated children's television special produced for Hallmark Channel, directed by Chel White and produced at Bent Image Lab. The show is inspired by Hallmark Cards' 2010 stuffed toy Jingle the Husky Pup and its accompanying interactive storybook, Jingle All the Way. The special premiered on the Hallmark Channel on November 25, 2011.

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer is a 1948 animated short film produced and directed by Max Fleischer for Jam Handy based on the 1939 Robert L. May poem of the same name, about a flying reindeer who helps Santa Claus.

References

  1. ↑ Bartok, Dennis; Joseph, Jeff (August 25, 2016). "A Thousand Cuts: The Bizarre Underground World of Collectors and Dealers Who Saved the Movies, p.121". Univ. Press of Mississippi, Aug 25, 2016. ISBN   9781496808622 . Retrieved October 24, 2017.
  2. ↑ Internet Archive
  3. ↑ "Two kids at the Eastland Shopping Plaza are hoping Santa..."(Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, December 5, 1963, p.45)
  4. ↑ Togyer, Jason (December 22, 2008). "Visit to Santa, 1963". The Tube City Almanac {McKeesport}. Retrieved October 24, 2017.
  5. ↑ Simon, Perry Michael (December 22, 2010). "Revisiting a Beloved Christmas Classic: 'A Visit to Santa'". Nerdist. Archived from the original on October 25, 2017. Retrieved October 24, 2017.
  6. ↑ 5 Reasons 'A Visit To Santa' Is The Creepiest Holiday Film Ever|Chicago, Il Patch
  7. ↑ RiffTrax
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.