The Man in the Santa Claus Suit

Television film directed by Corey Allen

The Man in the Santa Claus Suit

Genre	Drama
Screenplay by	George Kirgo
Story by	Leonard Gershe
Directed by	Corey Allen
Starring	Fred Astaire Gary Burghoff John Byner Bert Convy Majel Barrett
Music by	Peter Matz
Country of origin	United States
Original language	English
Production
Executive producers	Dick Clark Al Schwartz
Producer	Lee Miller
Cinematography	Woody Omens
Editor	Lovel Ellis
Running time	104 minutes
Production company	Dick Clark Productions
Original release
Network	NBC
Release	December 23, 1979 (1979-12-23)

The Man in the Santa Claus Suit is a 1979 American made-for-television Christmas fantasy drama film starring Fred Astaire (in his final television film role), Gary Burghoff, John Byner, Bert Convy, and Majel Barrett about three different men (a fugitive tramp, a lonely schoolteacher and a divorced father) who all purchase Santa Claus suits for various reasons. The film was originally broadcast on NBC on December 21, 1979.

Plot

The mysterious owner of a New York City costume store (Astaire) rents Santa suits to three different men. He later shows up in various roles (chauffeur, policeman, jeweler, hot dog vendor, taxi driver, floor walker and choral director) to help the men change their lives.

Bob Willis (Burghoff) is a math teacher who is madly in love with a young fashion model and prominent figure in the disco scene, Polly Primer (Tara Buckman). Polly, however, is dating wealthy and handsome Rod Sanborn (Greenan). He hopes to impress her by showing up in a Santa suit, but withdraws when he learns of Rod's marriage proposal to her. Polly is not sure to marry Rod and hints to Bob that she longs for being swept away by another guy, but Bob is too shy to act on it. Realizing he would lose her forever to Rod, he interrupts her at a fashion show and tells her he loves her. Polly then reveals having fallen in love with him ever since he first spoke about math, and she accepts his marriage proposal.

Stan Summerville was once a promising chef, but is now a homeless crook who found a firearm used in a bank robbery by Babyskin (Barth) and Bruno Betinger (Feinberg). Stan rents a Santa Claus in order to hide from them, and while his friend Eddie (Vitte) distracts the criminals, he breaks into a wealthy residence to rob the people who live there. Residents are Dora (Fabray) and Dickie Dayton (Gould), a once poor couple who became millionaires after striking oil. They love performing and disapprove of their bratty grandchildren Melissa (Lytton) and Lance (Petersen), remembering the days that they did hard labor to earn money. Because of once being poor, they sympathize with Stan - despite him holding them at gunpoint - and they decide to nurse him back to health after their butler Chandler (Wells) hits Stan unconscious. While Stan restores his faith in humankind due to the hospitality of the Daytons, Babyskin and Bruno track him to the mansion. Ultimately, Melissa and Lance save the day by attacking the criminals, and the police reward Stan with $25,000 for capturing the wanted criminals.

Gil Travis (Convy) is a busy political aide who works for a Senator, and rents a Santa suit to surprise his estranged son Terry (Gower) on Christmas Eve in between his tight working schedule. His wife Linda (Bundy) separated from him because he was never home, and Terry is equally as estranged to him. Both Gil and Linda long for the days when Gil was a struggling writer whose novel only sold fourteen copies, though their happiness was defined by love instead of money. During Christmas, he shows Linda that he has learned to put family first, by ignoring his work to tuck his son into bed.

In the end, the costume shop owner reveals himself to be Santa Claus as he flies into the night aboard his sleigh.

Cast

Fred Astaire in nine roles (costume shop owner, chauffeur, policeman, jeweler, hot dog vendor, taxi driver, floor walker, choral director and Santa Claus)
Gary Burghoff as Bob Willis
John Byner as Stan Summerville
Bert Convy as Gil Travis
Tara Buckman as Polly Primer
Brooke Bundy as Linda Travis
Eddie Barth as Babyskin
Ron Feinberg as Bruno Betinger
Nanette Fabray as Dora Dayton
Harold Gould as Dickie Dayton
Ray Vitte as Eddie
Debbie Lytton as Melissa
Patrick Petersen as Lance
Danny Wells as Chandler
Carlo Imperato as Dom
Andre Gower as Terry Travis
David Greenan as Rod Sanborn
Majel Barrett as Miss Forsythe

Production

Music

Opening theme

The opening theme was That Once a Year Christmas Day performed by Fred Astaire.

Show Tunes

The Daytons sing a variety of show tunes including:

"Mississippi Mud"
"The Sidewalks of New York"
"I Love My Baby, My Baby Loves Me"

Reception

Release

The Man in the Santa Claus Suit aired on NBC on December 23, 1979. The film was released on August 1, 1989 on VHS.

References

Citations

Young 2000, p. 383.
Rosewarne 2017, p. 357.
Bowler, Gerry (2000). The World Encyclopedia of Christmas (1st ed.). Toronto: McClelland & Stewart. ISBN 978-0771015311.
Crump 2001, p. 363.
Sherman 2000, p. 210.
The Man in the Santa Claus Suit. Video Treasures (VHS). Beverly Hills, California: Anchor Bay Films. August 1, 1989. ASIN 6301454766. Retrieved May 29, 2020.

Sources

Young, R. G. (2000). The Encyclopedia of Fantastic Film: Ali Baba to Zombies (1st ed.). Lanham, Maryland: Applause Theatre & Cinema Books. p. 383. ISBN 978-1557832696.
Crump, William D. (2001). The Christmas Encyclopedia. New York City: McFarland & Company. p. 363. ISBN 978-0786410347.
Sherman, Fraser A. (2000). Cyborgs, Santa Claus and Satan: Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films Made for Television. New York City: McFarland & Company. p. 210. ISBN 978-0786407934.
Rosewarne, Lauren (2017). Analyzing Christmas in Film: Santa to the Supernatural. Lanham, Maryland: Lexington Books. p. 357. ISBN 978-1498541817.

External links

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