With Merlin's aid, Santa Claus must defeat the evil machinations of the devil Pitch to ruin Christmas.With Merlin's aid, Santa Claus must defeat the evil machinations of the devil Pitch to ruin Christmas.With Merlin's aid, Santa Claus must defeat the evil machinations of the devil Pitch to ruin Christmas.
- Awards
- 1 win total
- El Diablo
- (as José Luis Aguirre 'Trosky')
- El mago Merlín
- (as Armando Arriola 'Arriolita')
- La niña pobre (Lupita)
- (as Lupita)
- Padre despertado
- (as Leopoldo Ortín Jr.)
- Padre de Billy
- (as Manolo Calvo)
- Niño malo
- (as niño J. Carlos Méndez)
- Niño malo
- (as niño Jesús Brook)
- Madre despertada
- (as Enriqueta Lavat)
- El herrero Llavón
- (as Ángel D'Stefani)
- Abuelo despertado
- (as Gmo. Bravo Sosa)
- Narrator
- (English version)
- (voice)
Featured reviews
At the time,I marveled that the on-screen tint of SANTA CLAUS was almost "pink and white", so much had the color of the sprocket-torn prints changed color.
The film is kinda creepy! I thought so then--and still do, actually. I was highly entertained then, as I still am! It's amusing in a "retarted-elf" sort of way. By the way,the image quality looks much better on the DVD I have now than it did in the theater, circa 1969-74.
If you are expecting maybe "the lost RANKIN-BASS Christmas special-forget it! If you want FELLINI DOES Christmas--read on...
By nature, the dubbing on these foreign films (the original version here was in Spanish)always makes them seem "surreal". This adds to the films inherent oddness. It is also pretty scary in that a "mishevious demon" (as described in the original US trailer) spends the entire film trying to turn decent kids "evil". One particularly nightmarish scene has a young "latch-key" boy wishing he had parents for Christmas-suddenly the "port-a-family" emerges out of giant "Christmas presents-of-the-mind" until he realizes he's just daydreaming! See this,Christmas lovers--and if you're a stoner, save your stash--this film will make you think you're hallucinating...without drugs!
To say that Santa Claus is strange is an understatement. The story is pretty much a shambles, with incoherent and disconnected scenes, and the writing is awful but makes me laugh, one of the few times when writing as bad as it is brings a smile to my face. The Devil himself looks very, very fake, while they do bastardise Santa Claus a bit. There are also some very night-marish images, as a child I got night-mares from the reindeer alone, as an adult I am not so scared any more but I do get the shivers even looking at them.
That said, it is better paced than Santa Claus Conquers the Martians, it has better effects I think(they're not great but they aren't appalling either) and sets and colours wise it is quite lavish. The film is a good length, it starts off quite well with some interesting songs, the climax is thrilling and while they are not great by any stretch of the imagination the actors look as though they are having a ball.
All in all, this is a very creepy and strange movie, but I was entertained. 5/10 Bethany Cox
From the opening scenes showing children from different parts of the world singing their insipid theme songs (seriously, this segment is nearly 20 freakin' minutes long and has nothing to do with the plot!) to the thrilling conclusion in which Merlin pops up from outta nowhere and saves the day (don't mind him, he's from Barcelona), this is childhood trauma at its finest. And no matter how hard I try, no matter how many different therapists I visit, I just... can't... get... those... reindeer's...laughter...out... of... my ... head!
Avoid this mind-bending piece of trash like you'd avoid a sex-starved whale during mating season. Still, if flaming gay demons with a serious case of the overacting flu are something for you, I guess you should give it a try. But really, this movie isn't worth your time and mental health.
Santa lives in space with little kids and a senile magician (Mrs. Claus probably filed for divorce decades ago!) He uses listening devices (made up of applainces and human organs. I am not kidding!!!) to spy on children on earth. he also pauses to watch a frightening puppet show, a Mexican glamour gal go shopping, etc. etc. Then we meet Santa's enemy- Pitch. Pitch is a prissy devil who dances alot, complains of stomach cramps, and uses wild hand gestures when he talks. Pitch has to destroy Christmas or Satan will make his ulcer worse!
The plot gets crazier when Santa moonlights as a bartender, children have dreams that look like cheaply rendered LSD trips (with nagging dolls, parents that arrive in coffin-like boxes) I am not making any
of this up. This is possibly the strangest Christmas movie ever made. Box up that CD of old Chrsitmas caroles. This Christmas, this loopy wonder should be on your TV.
Did you know
- TriviaThis film did not receive a general release in the United States. The U.S. distributor, K. Gordon Murray, booked it as a special children's matinée, to be shown once or twice.
- GoofsWhen seen through Santa's telescope, the earth is revolving in the wrong direction.
- Quotes
Evil Doll: Why don't you steal us. We can all be yours!
Lupita: No, you know that stealing is bad, and I want to be good.
Evil Doll: But you must learn to steal!
Lupita: No. You know stealing is bad, and I want to be good.
Evil Doll: We dolls don't like good little girls!
Lupita: No. To steal is evil, and I don't want to be evil.
Evil Doll: You must be evil if you want a doll!
Lupita: No, you know stealing is evil, and I don't want to be evil.
Evil Doll: Steal, fight, and we will all be yours!
Lupita: No. I don't want to be evil, and stealing is evil.
Evil Doll: You want to good, eh, you don't want to be bad?
Lupita: No, you know stealing is bad, and I want to be good.
Evil Doll: Well then, you'll never have a doll! HAHAHAHAH!
- Alternate versionsA 1989 U.S. home video release was "substantially re-edited and abridged" to "remove all seemingly objectionable material." This version is missing all material involving Pitch. The running time was reduced to 63 minutes and the film retitled "Santa Claus: The Motion Picture" in order to cash in on the big budget production Santa Claus (1985).
- ConnectionsEdited into Santa's Enchanted Village (1964)
- SoundtracksNoche de Paz (Stille Nacht)
Music by Franz Xaver Gruber (uncredited)
Lyrics by Joseph Mohr (uncredited)
Public Domain
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Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Languages
- Also known as
- Santa Claus vs. The Devil
- Filming locations
- Production company
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
- Runtime1 hour 34 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 2.35 : 1