Santa Claus

This pleasant fantasy feature is particularly worth seeing for the very nice visuals it contains, combining outdoor footage from Alaska with interesting depictions of 'Santa Claus' in his workshop. Despite its age, the relatively unchanged nature of the material allows it to hold up rather well, and it could almost work as a holiday feature for today's audiences.

The story starts with two children sneaking out of their bedroom on Christmas Eve, so that they can talk to Santa when he comes. Most of the movie simply shows Santa's descriptions of his home and activities, and most of his leisurely explanations are entertaining to watch.

The main titles prominently call attention to the location footage in Northern Alaska, and with good reason, since these sequences contain some beautiful arctic scenery plus some enjoyable views of arctic animals. The indoor sequences also have some high points, in their depictions of toy-making and toy delivery. These sequences are rather old-fashioned, yet sometimes quite detailed.

By the nature of the material, the feature has a noticeable nostalgic feel, and in this case it works quite well due to the resourceful photography and the interesting settings.