Welcome to KringleQuest.com, v.5, or KringleQuest.com, Fifth Edition, your #1 home for all things Santa Claus: The Movie™! There's MUCH MORE to our Kringleverse than Santa Claus: The Movie™ per se; hence, our Opening Page which welcomes you and takes you, among other places, to KQ5 Special Features, where we spotlight the incredible stuff you'll explore as you journey here. Our Sitemap helps you get the most out of this, the ONLY unofficial Santa Claus: The Movie™ website --- from our List of Sources & Acknowledgements, where you can check out a few of the books and people that helped us develop this website in the first place, to our words of wisdom for those who'd like to set up a Salkind tribute site all their own!
This site was conceived and developed during Christmas 1998 as SCTM.com: A 15th Anniversary Tribute. It's one of several websites that have been influenced by the vision of the webmaster known only as Hiphats, who, in September 1996, led the charge that inspired the campaign to share with the world a fully-restored edition of Superman: The Movie ®. Now, long after the original release of Superman: The Movie ®, our site has even more news, links and other information! There's always more Santa stuff to be done, and we keep doing more of it than any other Santa site on the web! So tell your friends, the local media, or anyone else about us! Send us your Kringle stories, too: Richard@ElfWithoutJingles.com through blackbeardpirate81@yahoo.com and Santa@ElfWithoutJingles.com!
Given that Richard has a super-fabulous Santa suit, he figured it was time you folks should want to give him a jingle, and have the chance to watch our favorite Elf Without Jingles make his own special Kringle magic happen for your special event or gathering! Details here, or go here, here and here!
Join Jonathan as he and his guests share stories, advice, and the latest news and information from the world of the multibillion-dollar multiverse that IS the Business of Santa Claus! You can also listen here!
"You may have heard the Nativity story ---- but you only probably know one part of it," says author-artist Russell Ince, who here reveals the untold story of how Santa's stopover in Bethlehem began a chain of events that would later shape the entire destiny of civilization! Learn more here! And also coming soon from the mind of Russell Ince: The Order of Santa Claus! It will be fantastic!
When more than 300 Santas and their friends returned to Albion, New York, birthplace and lifelong home of the first great Kringle teacher, Charles W. Howard, for a Conference devoted to Howard's memory, the magic was, putting it utterly, insatiable. From a vendor display to various award presentations, from the administering of the Santa Claus Oath to the rededication ceremonies for the still-in-bloom International Peace Garden, this event made sure that Charles Howard's legacy will never be forgotten.
We've always loved how the world celebrates Christmas. Find out more about it here!
This unusual hour-long documentary, The Real Face of Santa, takes you deep into the heart of the physical Claus as, for the first time, digital forensic technology creates a stunning representation of what Nicholas, Bishop of Myra, would have looked like in his mid-60's.
A new Christkindlmarkt setting was constructed in the village of Sandee for a new contest organized and hosted by Heiner Sjols, owner/operator of das Nordseehostel at Sandee, and patroned by Olaf Lies, Minister of Economic Affairs, Labor and Transportation. Proceeds from the event benefited Children's Hospital at Wilhelmshaven. For additional details, click here!
Father Joseph Marquis executive produces and stars as both Santa and Sinterklaas in Saint to Santa: How St. Nicholas Became Santa Claus, a delightfully kid-friendly recap of Santa's historical origins. Learn more here!
It all began with an idea for a fund-raising campaign at Kickstarter.com:
Peters Entertainment --- yes, THAT Jon Peters --- optioned the rights to Elise Primavera's Auntie Claus book series, with a view toward making the books into a stop-motion animated film. Originated at San Francisco's Athena Studios, under producer Brice Parker, Auntie Claus: The Movie received $42,486 from 591 backers via Kickstarter.com. Sadly, though, the movie itself could not be finalized; learn why here.
But now, almost a decade later, Mr. High School Musical himself, Kenny Ortega, has signed a deal to do multi-year projects for Netflix, one of them being a new Auntie Claus movie, which Ortega will direct, choreograph and executive produce. Tiffany Paulsen is set to write the screenplay. Further details coming soon!
Our friends at the Film Society of Lincoln Center showcased the films of Richard Lester, including both Musketeer movies, A Hard Day's Night and Help!, SuperII and III, and, in its U.S. big-screen debut, the ill-fated Return of the Musketeers. The presentation's title: Richard Lester: The Running, Jumping Pop Cinema Iconoclast.
There's no better place to share the wonder of the season, and spend some face time with Santa, than right here. Join Santa, his wife Holli, his Royal Little Brother, King Celwyn Claus of the Northwoods: King Celwyn's beloved consort, Queen Wysdom; the Royal Kids, Princesses Snowfall, Evergreen and Sugarplum and Prince Jack Frost; wolf defender Arrow; noble reindeer Blitzen (natch!); faithful Elf C.J. Kufflebug; Dr. Owlbert Hootsworth; Twinkles the Talking Christmas Tree and Saemus the Leprechaun ---- and just c'mon up!
It was an unprecedented gathering the likes of which the world had never seen before: Santas of every description coming together for the first time in the most family-friendly city on Earth: Branson, Missouri. They'd call it Discover Santa. Now, a decade later, the call sounded again ---- Discover Santa 2016!
Jolly Old Elves from all 48 continuous United States and all 11 Canadian Provinces, plus Europe and Australia, reassembled for a full week of fellowship, exploration and excitement. A decade ago, over 40 Santa organizations across North America, representing some 4000 Santas, Mrs. Clauses and others..... and in the summer of 2016, they returned to Branson for an entire 4-day festival of EVERYTHING Claus, at Branson's Chateau on the Lake Resort, Spa & Convention Center, where a spectacular list of items made magic: The Parade of the Red Suits; Morning Breakfast, two days of Workshops with special guest speakers; plus the first-ever "SNO-lympics," along with a Gala Reception and Closing Night Dinner. Discover Santa 2016 was developed by Tim Connaghan's Kringle Group LLC and the Branson Convention and Visitors' Bureau in partnership with local, regional, national and international Santa organizations throughout the world. And, as you might expect, proceeds from the event benefitted Toys for Tots. For more information, please visit Tim's various websites of the Kringle Group, or e-mail santa@thekringlegroup.com. And now available, through Tim Connaghan and the Kringle Group LLC, is Discover Santa 2016's companion documentary, Claus Encounters: A Search for Santa, directed, as Fate would have it, by one of the event's attendees, Santa Bo Turner.
Who was next to insult our fave Kringle movie? The Huffington Post, that's who! (We just talked about them here.) Santa Claus: The Movie™ is ranked among the residents of Dan "Mighty Movie" Persons' "Temple of Bad"! Now, we're cool!
From the files of CarrickFergusTimes.co.uk:
As part of its 2013 Christmas film programme, Northern Ireland's Courtyard Theatre Picture House at Ballyearl, Newtown Abbey, recently offered its customers a chance to vote for the films that they would most like to see over the coming holidays. Throughout the summer, visitors to the Theatre @ the Mill's Facebook presence looked at 11 holiday blockbusters: Santa Claus: The Movie™ (natch!); The Polar Express, Lassie, Miracle on 34th Street ® (presumably the 1994 version), It's a Wonderful Life ®, Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, Tim Burton's Nightmare Before Christmas, White Christmas, The Railway Children --- and, for some stupid reason, Bad Santa and The Towering Inferno. And the four films who got the most votes were: The Polar Express, Home Alone 2, Miracle on 34th Street ® (1994) and It's a Wonderful Life ®. Thanks to those who at least voted for us.
The Man of Steel, Santa's next-door neighbor, has been around for close to nine decades, Salkind fans, so to add some icing to his birthday cake, DC Comics released Action Comics ® Issue #1000! Knowing that Supes and Santa are pretty much next-door neighbors, we asked the Jolly Old Elf to write a very special Birthday Greeting, just for us! Man of Steel is now out on DVD and Blu-ray; click here for our thoughts on it.
From the files of the Kansas City Star, and archived by the Elves of Christmas Present, here is an inspiring, true story of the Saulsbury family who, having lost their 3-year-old daughter Hannah to cancer, sent her 5-year-old brother Hunter to make Hannah's last wish a reality: to fly into the Christmas night with Santa.....
Since Macy*s began supporting the Make-a-Wish Foundation, over $65 million to date has been raised for the charity, including the epic Santa Claus Project, counterparting Yes, Virginia: The Animated Special. The half-hour CGI-animated show coincides each year with the store's official declaration of National "Believe" Day ®. In addition, there's Yes, Virginia: The Musical, book and lyrics by Bill Schermerhorn, music by Macy*s Senior VP/Creative Director Wesley Whatley, based upon the animation teleplay by Chris Plehal. Originally created for students in Grades 3 through 6, the show was tested over 10 years ago by students from Stagedoor Manor Performing Arts Training Center at Loch Sheldrake, NY, who subsequently premiered the show in 2003 at Macy*s Thanksgiving Day Parade ®. Yes, Virginia: The Musical was later followed by Yes, Virginia --- The Concert, performed by the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra, John Morris Russell conducting. The live performance originated at Cincinnati Music Hall, as part of the annual Holiday at Pops Weekend, hosted by Ann Hampton Callaway. Now, witness Macy*s 2019 Believe commercial, "Santa Girl."
Many of you are already familiar with the film Nicholas of Myra: The Story of Saint Nicholas, the first movie entirely about the complete saga of St. Nicholas. The project's mission: to show everyone how Santa embodies the true spirit and meaning of Christmas, and to do so in a way that is deeper and more profound than most people had ever imagined. The film's writer/director, Gerald Hartke, and the movie's co-producer and star, Matthew Mesler, have completed the film's post-production, with over $3000 raised through the Indiegogo campaign. Says Gerry Hartke:
"Thank you to all our investors and our Indiegogo backers for your ongoing support. It's been an enlightening opportunity for Matt Mesler and myself to hear the kind of personal feedback that has been shared by every supporter of the movie from various cultures and parts of the world. We look forward to sharing this wonderful film with you in the weeks and months ahead!"
Be sure to recommend and share the facebook.com/NicholasOfMyraMovie page with your friends and family! You can also visit here, here and here to learn more!
The St. Nicholas Institute Honorary Banquet at the St. Paul of the Cross Retreat & Conference Center, 23333 Schoolcraft Avenue, Detroit, Michigan, is hosted by Father Joseph Marquis, in his full Sinterklaassian splendor, along with Fr. Rennie Kaufman, Associate Director, who is also the event's musical director, and his daughter Esther. Learn more about the St. Nicholas Institute Banquet Awards Gala when you visit www.stnicholasinstitute.org.
For three Wednesday nights --- December 9th, 16th and and 23rd, 2020 --- four more teams of families, whose video submissions were randomly selected from video clips submitted by families from all over the country, showcased their Christmas displays based on originality, adherence to the Christmas spirit, and plain ol' awesomeness! To date, more than $2.3 million has been bestowed upon each season's winners. Your judges are Taniya Nayak and Carter Oosterhouse. At stake: $50,000 per each episode, the coveted Light Fight Trophy, and nothing less than good ol' bragging rights! And again, viewers will be treated to the Light Fight HEAVYWEIGHTS, light shows that are so massive that they extend beyond typical household frames.....
Taniya and Carter are looking for:
See every Year Eight episode here; and let's take a look back on Year Six, starting with Taniya launching Hour One with the Richardsons from Madison, Mississippi, and their teenage son, the self-proclaimed "King of all Inflatables," with his HUGE collection of more than 300 of them; after that, you had the Vaughans, from Alexandria, Virginia, with their incredible all-wire-framed Enchanted Forest; then came the Salveson-Sangali team from Port St. Lucie, Florida, and a full-on forest of 72 full-sized themed Christmas trees; and finally, the episode's eventual winners, the Hanleys from Cleveland, Texas, with a brilliantly-detailed historically-accurate ranch display, including "Big Red," the largest reindeer lighting display in Texas! See here for the full plot!
Carter then took over for Hour Two, starting with the Heides from Merrick, New York, and their young teenage son's passion for blow molds and collectables; then there were the Strycharzes from Wethersfield, Connecticut, which rocked everyone's world with thousands of synchronized lights; followed by the Watchorns of Ponca, Nebraska, who took used tires, old wire spools, and broken inflatables and transformed them into a gigantic maze; and lastly, Hour Two's eventual winners, the Menashes from Seattle, with their own traditional display. See the full episode here!
As mentioned above, viewers will see THE HEAVYWEIGHTS: light displays that are so incredibly HUGE, no single land area could contain them. And the first Heavyweights episode delivered on its promise, from We Care Park in Kokomo, Indiana, to the Cotton Family Farmhouse Christmas Village in Weirsdale, FL; and then, from Patti's 1880's Settlement in Grand Rivers, Kentucky, in Weirsdale, FL, to the Historic Clifton, Ohio Mill (who won the hour, by the way), the episode certainly lived up to its boasting! Discover the results here!
Taniya then followed things up in Hour Two, starting with that hour's eventual victors, the Mures from Rockaway Beach, Queens, New York who donate the funds from their annual lighting display to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation; and afterwards, Mickey and Minnie Baus from Windermere, FL, with an all-Disney tribute light display; the Macks from Fox River Grove, Illinois, with a Halloween/Christmas lighting hybrid; and finally, the Tom Taylor-Jerry Goldstein family in San Francisco, and their 60-foot-tall Douglas Fir tree, with superbright lights all over it! See it all here!
The Rockaway Beach segment was made possible through the support of the New York City Mayor's Offices of Citywide Events and Media & Entertainment; along with the New York City Police, Fire, Sanitation and Transportation Departments; and received the cooperation of the New York State Governor's Office for Motion Picture and Television Development.
And to add to the icing, there was also an All-Star recap of the series' first five seasons!
Carter began Hour One of the final two episodes in Year Six with the Medhursts from Greeley, Colorado; the Gilleys from Ballplay, Alabama (the evening's eventual big winners); David Chuchla from Phoenix, Arizona; and the Smiths from Temecula, California. Then in Hour Two, the ironically-named Peace Family from Escondido, California shivered Taniya's timbers with a super-swashbuckling Pirate Christmas light show; next came the Schmidts from Waco, Texas (where everything is always bigger and better) with a Nativity-inspired carousel show; then Taniya had to correctly spell the name of the Chmielewskis from Bismarck, North Dakota, to activate their incredible "12 Days of Christmas" displays; and finally, you had the night's last big winners for this season, the Yoasts from Ambler, Pennsylvania, and their huge megabulb light garden.
Visit lightfightcasting.com now to nominate your own house, or somebody else's house, in time for Year Nine in 2021!
In this new independent feature film and companion novel, a new telling of Santa's backstory reveals a middle-aged Kris Kringle confronting a personal tragedy.
When you're totally crazy for Christmas, chances are you're gonna have at least one Scrooge in the family --- and this film is about her, her long-distance boyfriend, and the Christmas party they plan together. And the most exciting part has been the fact that YOU got the chance to help make this movie happen!
Starring Santa Hall of Famer Edward Asner, Yvette Rachelle as Snowflake the Elf, and the film's writer-director, Bryan Michael Stoller, this ho-ho-ho-larious romp through a four-legged friend's journey through all 12 Days of Christmas is bound to tickle everyone's funny bone! Join the Whitehaven family as they follow Santa to save their dog, Rusty! Packed with original songs from Dolly Parton, John Schnider and legendary songwriters Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, Santa Stole Our Dog! is now out on DVD, Blu-ray and Digital Copy DVD from Winterland Entertainment LLC and Universal Studios Home Entertainment!
The national tour, starring Sam Hartley as Buddy, Morgan Billings Smith as Deb, George L. Brown as Mr. Greenaway, Kenny Clement as Santa, Tristan Klaphake as Mike, and Marie Lemon as Emily, may be in your city soon; check back for more on the Buddy story that demands you to believe! See photos from the tour here!
They, of course, were the late Arthur Rankin, Jr., and his partner Jules Bass --- and now, famous Rankin/Bass ® historian Rick Goldschmidt has taken his Enchanted World of Rankin/Bass website to its next level, with the official Enchanted World documentary film, which he also hosts and executive produces. As part of the project, Rick has also published The Arthur Rankin, Jr. Scrapbook, featuring never-before-seen printed material from the Rankin/Bass Archives. Now, the next chapter in Rick's Rankin/Bass making-of chronicles has emerged, as Rick explores the making of two other major Rankin/Bass adventures, in his new book, The Making of "Santa Claus is Comin' to Town" and "The Daydreamer." Head for RankinBass.com and MiserBros.com to discover more!
Santa's got his very own radio network, gang! You can even tune in if you have a fixin' for Christmas in July (or August, or whenever!)! You can also hear iHeart Christmas Classics, iHeart Christmas Country, iHeart Christmas R&B and iHeart Christmas Rock!
The International Brotherhood of Real-Bearded Santas took control of Denver's Omni Hotel Complex for its International Santa Celebration, hosted by Arvada, Colorado's own RockyMountainSanta.com and all the other Rocky Mountain Santas! This 5-day global gathering of Clauses had EVERYTHING: workshops, seminars, an exclusive fashion show, a talent-and-music show, a new Vendor Showcase and Reunion Luncheon --- and much, much more! And even Phil Wenz showed up to induct nine new Kringles into his International Santa Claus Hall of Fame, as well as welcome the next generation of Kringles! It was also a bittersweet moment for veteran Santa Bob Elkin, who announced his retirement as IBRBS' President and CEO at the end of June.
Hosted by Santa's Elves and the Santa Claus Museum and Village, this weekend-long salute to Jim's legacy, featuring Phil Wenz, Pat Koch and her family and various special guests, spotlighted panel discussions, commentaries about Jim's life, legacy, and overall impact on life in America's Christmas Hometown. Marking the 70th Anniversary of the publication of Jim's booklet, It's Fun to Be a REAL Santa Claus, and the 10th Anniversary of the Santa Claus Oath, the event was headquartered at Santa's Lodge on West Christmas Boulevard in Santa Claus, Indiana.
It is, simply, the world's oldest and most legendary school of its kind: Midland, Michigan's one and only Charles W. Howard Santa Claus School! Always three days in October --- October 1st, 2nd and 3rd, 2020, to be more precise --- never compromising, never accepting advertising, and still watched over faithfully by Tom and Holly Valent! There's also a second Charles W. Howard Santa School for those who wish to attend, but are waylaid due to the main School's extensive waiting list. Tom is a Year Two inductee into the Santa Claus Hall of Fame, whose Claus class remains the undisputed crown jewel in our business. Here's the New York Times profile and video of one particular session at Midland. Recently, we were alerted to the news that Holly Valent had been taken to the hospital, to undergo surgery to battle what Tom described as "an aggressive cancerous tumor." Since then, Holly has returned home after an extensive stay with the doctors at the Mayo Clinic; "She's recovering well," reports Tom, "and still has her beautiful smile." We, of course, trust that Tom and Holly will continue to teach another generation of Santas as long as the good Lord allows them!
Denver, Colorado's American Events and Promotions' Professional Santa Claus School, conducted by Susen Mesco, holds its 38th Annual Session at the Central Denver Conference Center, August 27th through 30th, 2020, where it remains the nation's most comprehensive educational program devoted specifically to the training of professional Santas and Mrs. Clauses! But Susen recently took her act on the road; details at SantaVisitsUSA.com/SantaSchoolOnTour!
So, can the World Santa Claus Congress top itself yet again after another super-successful celebration? You bet it can! Our friends from Bakken, the world's oldest, continuously operational amusement park, in Klampenbourg, Denmark, near Copenhagen, never fail to give the world a big Kringle party, so stay tuned, because there's still more to come during the off-season and afterwards!
Join Santa Nigel Harvey in his secret storytelling grotto in London, where his adventures come to magnificent, elegantly real life! You can also count down with Nigel here! Nigel also stars in the classic holiday musical, Santa, Santa!
You've believed a man can fly before, Salkind fans, but now, get ready to give your Blu-ray player the Greatest Superworkout EVER! From Warner Home Video: It's a bird, it's a plane --- it's Superman ®: The Complete Motion Picture Anthology, 1978-2013 --- and, like its predecessor, it is beyond faster than a speeding bullet! We're talking Superman: The Movie ® in its Original Theatrical Release and 2000 Expanded Versions; Superman II ® in its Original Theatrical Version and the Richard Donner Cut; Superman ® III; WB/Cannon's Superman IV: The Quest for Peace; Bryan Singer's Superman Returns ™ and Zack Snyder's Man of Steel ™! Plus, two making-of documentaries narrated by Ernie Anderson; Superman's 50th Birthday Special, hosted by Dana Carvey, and executive produced by Lorne Michaels; the SuperIII making-of, narrated by Al Matthews; the 2001 documentaries hosted by Marc McClure; vintage Supertoons from Max and Dave Fleischer; an exclusive-to-Blu-ray tribute to Christopher and Dana Reeve --- and tons more! Can you handle it all?!
It was the only TV show good enough to be an Alexander and Ilya Salkind Production --- and now, one of its longtime fans, Rennie Cowan, hosts, directs and executive produces this full-length documentary about the legacy of Superboy: The Series (a/k/a The Adventures of Superboy). Other than Ilya Salkind, the documentary features interviews with stars John Haymes Newton, Gerard Christopher, Stacy Haiduk and Jim Calvert. Click here for more details, e-mail Ronnie at superboytheater@yahoo.com, or log onto KryptonChronicles.com.
(We should also note that Superboy: The Series --- The Complete Second Season, along with The Adventures of Superboy: The Complete Third Season, are currently available on Blu-ray and HD DVD from DC Comics and Warner Home Video.)
WBKR-FM Radio in Owensboro, KY offers this revealing look at the Santa Claus: The Movie™ cast --- then .... and now!
Prior to Quartet Records' announcement, we found out about another version of the Santa Claus: The Movie™ Original Motion Picture Soundtrack, composed and conducted by Henry Mancini. This version is available through the website iOffer.com, and contains two bonus tracks for material presumably never used in the film: Carol for Another Christmas and The Christmas Song (it must be assumed that this version is NOT the Nat "King" Cole original). Click here for the full details.
The website alone should explain things, but for you newcomers, the Santa Claus Hall of Fame is dedicated to the study and research of some of the most iconic Santas and Mrs. Clauses in history. The Hall's mission: to document the men and women who over the years have contributed to carrying on Santa's Christmas legacy. Headquartered at Santa's Candy Castle in Santa Claus, Indiana, the Hall of Fame numbers 85 inductees. They are:
Check out five exciting documentary features about the magic of Santa! First, They Wore the Red Suit: The Santa Documentary, written, directed and photographed by Larry Peter, examines three aspects of the Kringleverse: "the legend of Santa, the vocation of being Santa, and the Santa industry, showing how all three have merged into the public's perception of what Santa is today." They Wore the Red Suit is a project of Power Plant Productions LLC.
Meanwhile, Becoming Santa, directed by Jeff Myers, introduces us to Jack Sanderson. For a single year, Myers' camera follows Jack as he struggles to triumph in his efforts of becoming a successful first-time Kringle! This was the 2010 South by Southwest Festival Audience Award Winner; and it continues to generate much buzz!
Next, there's John Paget and James Waugh's Believe! The True Story of Real-Bearded Santas, which explores the passion, joy and wonder that go with being a Real-Bearded Santa!
In a fourth documentary, Tommy Avallone's I am Santa Claus, we meet five Real-Bearded Santas ---- four of whom have done the job before, and one getting his first exposure to the Kringleverse. We watch as these five Clauses reveal their true, human side. To see footage from the new film, click here.
Finally, there's Santa Land, in which we meet Ray and Marlene Kraatz, official Santa and Mrs. Claus of Zephyrhills, Florida, as they spend what will later prove to be their last days on Earth attending the 2009 Santa Gathering at Branson, Missouri.
It was, and is, America's first true theme park. And its incredible true story is told in this fascinating documentary, whose world premiere was held at the Somerville Theatre, as part of the Boston Independent Film Festival, as a result of a massive Kickstarter campaign that ended with $23,218 in overall contributions! Here, finally, is the REAL story of Santa's Workshop at North Pole, New York, and the family that continues to run it against literally impossible odds! Congratulations, producer Christa Orth, director Ali Cotterill, and all who were involved in the making of this delightful film! An encore screening was held at the Lake Placid, New York Center for the Arts! The filmmakers and some of those appearing in the film then headlined a live panel discussion. A third successful screening took place at the Bow Tie Cinema, in Red Bank, NJ, as part of the Indie Street Film Festival, followed by another screening @ the Clinton Street Theatre Public Domain Xinema, Portland, OR; and again @ the Northwest Film Forum, Seattle! Then, the documentary was screened in the Big Apple proper ----- first, at the IFC Center in Greenwich Village, Manhattan, and later, at Cinepolis Chelsea, 260 West 23rd Street, Midtown Manhattan, as part of the 9th Annual New York City Documentary Festival! And it didn't stop there: the DVD, Digital Copy and Blu-ray Editions are now available through atNorthPoleNYFilmStore.com! The movie was later shown in Rome, NY, at the Cinema Capitol Theatre of the Capitol Arts Complex, 230 West Dominick Street, and was followed by screenings at the Park Theatre, 14 Park Street in Glens Falls, New York; at the Palace Theatre of Lake Placid, 2430 Main Street; at the Academy Auditorium, as part of the It's A Wonderful Life Festival; then at the North Park Theatre in Buffalo, followed by two more screenings: first in Buffalo, again at the North Park Theatre, then an evening screening at the Proctors' Theatre, 432 State Street, Schenectady, NY. As noted, the film is now avallable on DVD, DVD Digital and Blu-ray, and was honored as an Official Selection of Berlin's Weihnachtsfilm Festival, where a special Christmas Eve screening took place, preceded by the 15-minute short subject, Mr. Christmas, directed by Nick Palmer, and telling the story of a man who has spent over 30 years transforming his Northern California home into a towering Christmas display. North Pole, NY then had still another screening, this time in Watertown, New York, at the Dulles State Office Building, as part of the Snowtown Short Film Festival. The filmmakers made live appearances, headlined Q&A and meet-n'-greet sessions, photo/selfie ops, and all the rest of it. Visit the Facebook and Twitter presences to discover more about this wonderful park, where Santa still rules long after the rest of the Whiteface Mountain landscape gave up long, long ago!
A new 15-minute short film from Norway, The Downfall of Santa Claus, had its North American Premiere as part of the famous Tribeca Film Festival! Written and directed by Robert Depuis, the film tells the story of young Vetle, played by Jonathan Gebuhr, who must team up with Santa, played by Jan Saelid, to convince the world to believe in Big Red again before he fades into eternal nothingness! Visit here for photos, videos, venue and event information, showtimes and more!
The IBRBS had a successful first International Santa Claus Convention in Tampa/St. Petersburg, Florida. For a look back, check out facebook.com/groups/IBRBSantas/!
Carolina Christmas is a spectacular 2 1/2-mile drive-thru park and village on the track and infield of Charlotte, North Carolina Motor Speedway. It's one of the biggest-ever holiday LED shows on American soil, encompassing over 500 displays, plus a realistic Living Nativity, and special kids' zones with food, rides, and Santa photo ops. The LED technology used to create Carolina Christmas generates over 12,000 kilowatt hours of electricity, less than 10 typical North Carolina households in a given month. Salisbury, NC-based Miller Davis is the event's official management company.
There were three officially sanctioned Closing Santa Claus Oath Ceremonies in the epic saga of the Great Santa Claus Oath Book! The first was held at the National Christmas Center in Paradise, Lancaster County, PA (long since closed); the second, at Charles W. Howard's old homestead in Albion, New York; and the third and final ceremony, at Santa's Candy Castle in Santa Claus, Indiana, starting point of the Book's epic journey. The Book remains sealed and protected in its Santa Claus Time Capsule, which itself has been buried beneath the World's Largest Santa Claus Statue. Here's what's in that Time Capsule:
The Complete Santa Claus Oath Book, including:
The Time Capsule also includes:
So when will the world see the Book again? Saturday, November 3rd, 2035, that's when --- the 100th Anniversaries of four significant Santa-related events, all of which took place in 1935 A.D.: the founding of Santa's Candy Castle in Santa Claus, Indiana; the dedication of the Town of Santa Claus' World's Largest Santa Statue; the founding by Santa Jim Yellig of the Santa Claus American Legion; and the first year in which Charles W. Howard began his career as a department store Santa Claus! Team KQ4 salutes Legendary Santa Claus Phil Wenz for his efforts as creator and author of the Santa Claus Oath; and we certainly hope that the next generation of Santas, Mrs. Clauses, Elves, Helpers, and Reindeer Handlers will be there to renew the spirit kept alive by those who have gone before them. Please send your tributes and thank-you notes to Phil at santafromsantasvillage@msn.com
When New York Times staff photographer Fred R. Conrad decided he wanted to pursue Santa, he did it in a very big and a very cool way! Check it out; and check out some of the Times' visions of Santa in glorious black-and-white!
Santa Claus: The Movie™ is too jam-packed to be saluted by just one website! That's why there's the KringleQuest Group on Facebook, where the latest Santa-themed and/or Santa-related news, events and info has a newer, more advanced headquarters! Look for the KQ Group at Facebook.com, Keyword: "KringleQuest Group." You can also find several members of the Danish Santa Claus Guild on Facebook, too; simply type their names in the search window, and then you can take it from there.
"It's late Christmas 1949, and young Robin is sick with pneumonia. The family takes him to a hospital in Toronto where doctors and nurses battle to take good care of their young patient. A few hours later, Robin discovers a very special letter from Santa, who reports on all his latest adventures at the North Pole. Can this very special letter motivate Robin to get well again in time for Christmas?"
It had shut its gates in September 2005, and it gave Phil Wenz his many years of inspiration. Now, like the Phoenix arisen from its own ashes, Santa's Village has returned, bringing a new kind of Christmas magic to the folks in East Dundee, Illinois. Check out their Facebook presence, along with Phil's book-length history of Santa's Village East Dundee, in bookstores now from Arcadia Publishing's Images of America series.
This, the last National Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony of the Trump Presidency, made President's Park in Washington, D.C. sparkle! The 2019 Tree was a magnificent 30-foot-tall Colorado Blue Spruce from Palmyra, Pennsylvania, with 57 smaller trees surrounding it, and festooned with one-of-a-kind ornaments representing all 50 States and the District of Columbia. The show, presented as usual by the National Park Service and the National Park Foundation, ran on the Ovation and Reelz Networks.
Hosting and singing several numbers was country music star Jesse James Decker, who took the time to honor her dad, Brigadier General "Spidey" Parker, "who," she explained, "will be retiring from the U.S. Air Force as of tomorrow, after 37 years of service!" Jesse's guests were: American Idol finalist Colton Dixon; recent Voice winner Chevel Shepherd; gospel and country artist Spensha Baker; the Boys' Chorus from Tucson, Arizona, Dr. Julian Ackerley, Choir Director, with their accompanist, Marie Sierra, and marking their 80th Anniversary; the Western Tennessee Youth Chorus, Martha Wright, Choir Director; United States Air Force rock band Max Impact, from Washington, D.C.'s Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling; and this year's house band, "The President's Own" U.S. Marine Corps Band, Colonel Jason Fettig conducting! Also on the show were Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt; Jesse's husband Eric, who profiled the Deckers' visit to Camp Pendleton, in support of the USO, where Sgt. Juan Chavez was reunited with his wife, Michelle; Chaplain Brigadier General Ronnie Harvell, USAF, David Vela, Deputy Director of the National Park Service, who introduced a video featuring Park Rangers from all across the nation singing Jingle Bells! Rounding out the cast were Will Shafroth, President and CEO of the National Park Foundation; U. S. Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Fish and Wildlife, Rob Wallace and Santa Steve Fletcher!
Watch this and previous versions of the show at thenationaltree.org, including the 2017 ceremony, hosted by Antonio Sabato, Jr., with country music star Abby Anderson; third-place finisher from ABC's reboot of American Idol, Gabby Barrett; Christian recording artist Paul Cardall; former Irish Tenor Anthony Kearns; country duo LOCASH; the aforementioned Spensha Baker; the Dominican Sisters of Mary, Ann Arbor, Michigan; Grammy winner and Christian Recording Artist of the Year Matthew West; Christian recording artists John Driskell Hopkins and Joe Grandsen, and husband-and-wife country artists Thompson Square! Backing them up as the house band: "Pershing's Own," the U.S. Army Band, conducted by Emmy-winner Steve Gibson! Also on hand were Santa Steve Fletcher, Will Shafroth, former Agriculture Secretary Ryan Zinke, and the night was capped off with a special poem written by Lieutenant Colonel Jonelle Eychner, a prayer offering from Major General Paul Hurley, U.S. Army Chief of Chaplains; and Ranger Kyle Yarousso leading an all-Ranger reading of 'Twas the Night Before Christmas!
The National Christmas Tree Lighting telecast was produced by Pleasant Street Entertainment LLC.
From the Editors of Film Score Monthly Magazine: this 8-CD set explores the entire decade of music that, in Richard Donner's words, literally speaks the word Superman! Starting with a remastered vision of John Williams' complete score, including previously unreleased cues, the set ventures into the never-before-heard complete scores from Superman II and III, composed and conducted by Ken Thorne, plus the complete Quest for Peace adaptations by Alexander Courage. Two additional discs are also stuffed with never-before-released material, along with complete versions of the four credited songs featured in Superman III --- "They Won't Get Me," sung by Roger Miller; "Rock On!", performed by the Marshall Crenshaw Band; "No See, No Cry," performed by Chaka Khan; and the Love Theme. The set concludes with Ron Jones' themes from the 1988 Ruby-Spears Superman Animated Series. Superman: The Music is now available exclusively at ScreenArchives.com.
Christmas always finds a way to make headlines. That's why KQ5 is your Santa Claus NewsCenter! From our connections with MyMerryChristmas.com to our key news-gathering partner, the ClausNET.com Gazette, we bring you the Santa stories YOU wanna find out about, while we scan the latest celebrity Santa sightings from the files of WireImage.com and GettyImages.com! So, if it has to do with the season, or Santa, you know we're here, ready for action! Our name's KringleQuest.com, Fifth Edition, but our URL remains like it always was: http://kringlequest.tripod.com --- and even if there's bound to be more and more spectacular interest in Christmas headlines from all over the world, with your help, we're gonna stay the ONLY website that covers them ALL!
SantaUpdate.com's revolutionary tracking system still has what it takes to scan the skies for the ol' sleigh!
That's us all over --- and one website is as dedicated to the cause as we are! Click here to enlist in the War on the War on Christmas!
The Month of Nice Campaign is brought to you by our pals at ClausIBelieve.com! Every Christmas Season, from Thanksgiving to New Year's, Santa wants you all to simply BE NICE. The idea is that, if you can make the commitment to be nice to yourself and to others every single day, then maybe --- just maybe --- the holidays can be a magical time of year for EVERYBODY! So just say it to yourselves: "I, (your name here), do hereby pledge and promise to be nice in the Month of Nice." 39 days, one mission: BE NICE. Please.
It was the first major convention of its kind, where over 850 Santa Ambassadors from all over the world, along with their Mrs. Clauses and other Helpers, descended upon Branson, Missouri's Radisson Hotel, for an unprecedented 4-day festival of camaraderie, seminars, workshops, training, and more! The Amalgamated Order of Real-Bearded Santas had staged its first-ever National Convention, Discover Santa! From Dealing with Special Needs Children and their Families to The Business and Literature of Santa and Christmas, from Working with the Photo Companies to Myths and Truths About Reindeer, from How to Start or Expand Your Own Santa Business to The Reason for the Season and the Symbols of Christmas --- over 50 professional Kringles took on more than 30 workshops and forums covering Santa topics unlike any that ever were experienced before!
In addition, there was a 3-day Trade Show, open to all delegates and their families, as well as the general public, where 20 professional organizations spotlighted their own connections to Santa. And that wasn't all! Russian-born comedian and resident Branson legend Yakov Smirnoff was personally inducted into the AORBS Inner Circle; and the festivities also included an official Parade and Chorus of AORBS Delegates (no doubt, all the major network morning news shows, as well as all national and local print and electronic media covered all the hoopla), along with special appearances by cast members from almost every live attraction in and around Branson; and even the first-ever concert by (get this!) the One and Only Official Real Santa Band!
That Band consisted of: Bob Gerardi, lead vocals; Bruce Long, backing vocals; Allan Buford and Rick Harden, drums and percussion; Charlie Allen, accordion, Cliff Snider, fiddle; Jac Grimes, trombone; Larry June, guitar, mandolin and ukelele; Ralph Brakus, guitar, ukelele, fiddle and kazoo; Jim Tait, string bass; Patricia Tait, Celtic harp and lead female vocals; Luther (Luke) Augustein, six- and 12-string guitars; Roger Tripp, acoustic guitars and harmonica; Warren Clement, saxophones; Gary Sula-Goff, music director; lead and backing vocals; and keyboards, synthesizers and programming! Accompanying the musicians were the Real Santa Vocal Chorus, under the direction of Reese Williams!
In addition, one of THE true Santa Legends brought his own special Santa magic to the Convention --- Dr. Carl Anderson, Ph.D. Dr. Carl has been a professional Santa for almost 40 years; with his wife and partner, Peyton Hayslip, their Thistle Mouse Productions provides magical merriment for children and families throughout Austin, Texas and beyond.
But then came.....
.... in which Ira and his team visited the Cool Springs Galleria Mall in Franklin, Tennessee, to explore the life of a mall in the weeks leading up to Christmas. Centerpiece of the hour was Segment Three, "Santa Fight Club," Josh Bearman's hard-hitting 27-minute expose on two controversial Kringles! (There had been plans to bring "Santa Fight Club" to the big screen when Paramount Pictures and producer Scott Rudin announced that they were developing a comedy based on this saga, to be titled The Santa Wars. But in the intervening years, the Santa Wars project was abandoned for various reasons.)
But the real heart of the controversy occurred when the husband-and-wife Kringle team of Joe and Mary Moore singlehandedly transformed the Gatlinburg, Tennessee Convention Center into the homebase for the first Celebrate Santa! Festival and Convention, conceived to mark the 70th Anniversary of the first-ever gathering of Kringles in New York City: the first General Meeting of the Benevolent Order of Santa Claus, founded by Charles W. Howard and several others to call attention to Santa's department store presence in the Big Apple. In November 1939, that first assembly was held at the Hotel St. George in Midtown Manhattan! Some seven decades later, over three incredible days, over 115 vendors and exhibitors welcomed over 700 Santas and Mrs. Clauses, Elves, reindeer (including 35 of their best breeders and owners) and other Helpers of all sizes, shapes and descriptions, regardless of experience, affiliation or interest, representing 39 American States and three Canadian Provinces! And at the heart of the entire event: the Inaugural Holly & Shamrock Parade and Gala Ball, staged, appropriately enough, on St. Patrick's Day! St. Nicholas met up with St. Patrick, so to speak, as parade marchers wore their full Santa and/or Mrs. Claus regalia, and even dressed up as their favorite Leprechaun(s)!
The Parade attracted an estimated 20,000 spectators who marveled at all the floats, bagpipe and traditional brass bands, and Santas, Mrs. Clauses, Elves, Leprechauns and assorted other red- and green-suited enthusiasts of every shape, size and description who marched along the center of Gatlinburg's main thoroughfare! About 5 million lights lit up the afternoon's festivities; later that evening, a special silent auction was held, to benefit East Tennessee Children's Hospital and SantaAmerica.org. Santa Ernest introduced SantaAmerica.org, along with special guest elves Cathy Barnette and Nita McQuee.
Santa Jim Morrison brought along several items direct from the long-since-closed National Christmas Center, with a St. Nicholas Museum set up right at his booth, too! And there was tons of local, national and international media covering the event as well, to say nothing of several entertainers from the Memphis, Nashville and Chattanooga areas!
Wanna get the whole story? Click here to see our Special Recap of all the fun! The best gallery of photos from Gatlinburg is over here, too! And in March 2010, Celebrate Santa: What a Wonderful World kicked off with a second spectacular Holly & Shamrock Parade, where the stars and producers of Nicholas of Myra, which we mentioned earlier, served as Grand Marshals! The full 3-day Convention was highlighted, among other things, by the first-ever Jingle Bell Ball, dedicated to the theme Magic Under the Mistletoe!
But the plans for the 2011 Celebrate Santa Festival were not as legitimate as we had previously announced. The Moores had intended to make several negotiations to move the 2011 Parade, Convention and Festival to Nashville, Tennessee .... and to do everything during the third weekend in May, 2011! And yet there was to be much, much more to the fiasco itself than was originally revealed. It began when the City of Gatlinburg sued Joe and Mary Moore, who'd organized the Celebrate Santa Festival at the Convention Center during the last two years. The suit, filed in Sevier County Chancery Court on August 20th, 2010, accused the Moores of failure to pay the City for use of the Convention Center and assorted concessions. Total amounts: over $69,000! In the end, the Moores were forced to file for Chapter 7 bankruptcy, which also meant that they'd have to liquidate all non-exempt assets --- which, oddly enough, they never even claimed.
And just when it couldn't get any weirder, what happened next? Charlie and Cindylu Thomas launched ClausFest Gatlinburg, at the Convention Center. The Thomases had hoped to transform ClausFest into a biannual event; all that changed with the passing of Cindylu Thomas in 2016. But, as noted above, for at least the sixth time in the village's entire history, it all came to a very jolly, and an obviously very happy ending, when the Santa Family Reunion returned to the Gatlinburg Convention Center. Visit the various Santa-related Facebook presences for photos and videos galore!
Richard Donner's Director's Cut of Superman II and the Christopher Reeve Superman Collection are all available from Warner Home Video! And of course, Jim Bowers has contributed imagery from his CapedWonder.com to all future Superman DVD marketing and packaging. As you know, Richard Donner had been fired by the Salkinds after having finished up both Superman: The Movie and Superman II, yet some 70% of the two films had been completed but unreleased, despite the fact that portions of Donner's footage were used in SuperII, although not nearly all of it. Well, Donner and Warner Home Video have created a version of the first two Superman movies, according to Donner's original vision. The package has a set of original featurettes, in addition to the Marc McClure-hosted documentaries --- plus, the two complete making-of documentaries narrated by Ernie Anderson; Superman's 50th Anniversary Special, hosted by Dana Carvey, and executive produced by Saturday Night Live founder Lorne Michaels; the Superman III making-of, narrated by Al Matthews --- and much, much more! There's also audio commentary with Ilya Salkind and Pierre Spengler, too. And so, after a long-overdue decade, Hiphats' dream, which he has championed since September 1996, is finally and once-and-for-all realized! Click here for Richard Washington's very special letter to our first great Salkind standard-bearer!
From the pages of Film Comment, June 1983, here's a rare treat indeed: Alexander and Ilya Salkind, in their own words....
As mentioned, this longtime friend of, and consultant to KQ, is also an inductee into the Santa Claus Hall of Fame! Brady has loads of photos at Flickr.com and GettyImages.com, along with a cool YouTube clip called "Santa's Wrap," which you can also download at CDBaby.com/cd/BWhiteSanta!
When Richard noticed that fans of Santa Claus: The Movie™ didn't have their own place on Wikipedia, he decided that something had to be done! Now, the Wikifolks bring you a full-length article about the film itself, along with two additional articles: one about Ilya Salkind; the other about Santa himself, David Huddleston.
Our look at Santa Claus: The Movie™ on YouTube began with a 24-year-old L.A. dude calling himself "Wildchats," who was obviously just as obsessed with Santa Claus: The Movie™ as we were --- so much so, in fact, that he put eight of his favorite scenes from the film on YouTube.com! While the quality of the footage sucked, you couldn't deny how much of a fan he was! Sadly, the eight scenes were removed from YouTube; however, we've since found a few other ways for you to check out Santa Claus: The Movie™ from a YouTuber's perspective --- from Sheena Easton's Christmas All Over the World to two classic Kodak commercials, one of which was actually filmed right on the Santa Claus: The Movie™ set at Pinewood Studios! (Look for appearances by Dooley, Puffy, Boog, Honka, Vout and Goober!) And for more 'Tubin', check this out! And this! And this! And this! And how about this! And this one, we just found to be too darn funny!)
What's new again: an old way to link to us becomes a new way to link to us! Preview here!
Visit www.wscc.dk for the complete updated schedule, and click here for photos from the 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018 World Santa Claus Congresses at Bakken, the world's oldest continuously operational amusement park, near Copenhagen, Denmark! And for previous photos from Per Krogh Petersen, click here and here! You can also explore the Danish Santa Claus Guild by clicking here, and then click here for our look at the proceedings, "King of the Kiddies, Revisited!"
Click here for an expanded, three-part interview with Ilya; and get more of the real stories straight from Ilya Salkind and Pierre Spengler by visiting their separate pages on Facebook, with photos, updates, anecdotes and more! You can also click here for even more stuff from our hero, and visit the Hungersite, Ilya Salkind's official charity, where visitors learn about how to support organizations that are committed to feeding the children of the world.
And as always, click here for our "Return of Ilya Salkind" editorial!
#96? What list, exactly? Why, the case file of The Onion's "My Year of Flops," where Nathan Rabin seeks, in nearly 200 chapters, to bring you a few life lessons via a journey into some of the 20th and 21st Centuries' greatest bad movies! Be warned, though: this blog presents language that may not be suitable for all audiences.
Santa Claus: The Movie™ still has its share of lovers and haters. Here are several of each, starting with Forbes Magazine! Forbes.com Contributor Scott Mendelson's piece is called "When Superman: The Movie ® Became Santa Claus: The Movie™;" while The Corner Critic's December 6th, 2011 grumbles at the movie; and there was a Christmas Eve 2008 episode of the weird blog Vinnie Rattolle's You'll Never Get Out! that spotlighted Marvel® Comics' Santa Claus: The Movie™ adaptation, with the addition of a link to KQ4 (Thanks, Vinnie!); ParentPreviews.com gave us their own assessments on the film; and even the Los Angeles Times has ranked our Kringle, David Huddleston, among the best on-screen Santas, in a web-gallery spotlighting the best and worst Santas in the movies. We even got ranked in OpenSalon.com's Film Warriors' 12 Days of Cinema; we got dissed by Brian Salisbury at FilmSchoolRejects.com; and we made #9 on A Dusty Corner's Nice List; and even Millionaire Playboy liked our good parts, too! Even Retroland.com has a few things to say about The Movie; while The Onion's A.V. Club has pondered the question: "Why is Santa Claus: The Movie™ So Merrily Maligned?" Look here for TVTropes.org's own assessment of the film! And go here to take a really extended look back on The Movie's overall ultimate legacy. As you can imagine, Santa Claus: The Movie has always been dividing fans and haters since its original U.S. release. Needless to say, the debate will continue.
Well, with Man of Steel on DVD, we're sharing our opinions about it in our KQ.commentary; then we salute one special musical Santa named George Heid, Sr.; and then, there's the full text of "Day of the Elves," the Prologue to the KringleQuest book that will in time serve as this website's companion piece; then you have the KQ Blog; and then there's Richard's review of the first version of the Santa Claus: The Movie™ DVD. Then, in a more serious vein, Richard also presents another KQ.commentary, this one focusing on Dudley Moore's possible dark side!
Our nasty ol' B.Z. has returned to the world of books, with two collections of satirical poetry. In Dumpty: The Age of Trump in Verse, and its follow-up, Trumpty Dumpty Wanted a Crown, John lampoons Rudy Guiliani, Elizabeth DeVos, William Barr, and lots more! And both books also spotlight John's own never-before-seen collection of his own fantastic line drawings! Published by Chronicle Books, the two volumes are best read by mostly mature readers.
John's most recent theatrical film found him starring as Ed Hemsler, a man obsessed with the future. He's The Tomorrow Man, and he and Blythe Danner, co-starring as Ronnie Meisner, who herself has been trapped in her own past, must now come together to discover a new way to love each other. The Tomorrow Man, written and directed by Noble Lincoln Jones, is now out on DVD, Blu-ray and DVD Digital.
John is also on HBO, where he co-stars as super district attorney Elias Berchard Jonathan, in The New Adventures of Perry Mason! Based on the famous Erle Stanley Gardner characters, this new Perry Mason takes place in L.A., 1932, at the height of the Great Depression. Starring as Perry himself is young Matthew Rhys; joining him are Tatiana Maslany as Sister Alice McKeegan of the Radiant Assemblies of God; Chris Chalk as Perry's investigative partner Paul Drake; Juliet Rylance as Perry's longtime secretary Della Street and Shea Whigham as boy investigator Pete Strickland. Among their guest stars: Nate Corddry as grocery-store owner Matt Dodson, who calls on Perry to help rescue his 1-month-old son; Gayle Rankin as Matt's wife Emily, who might have more to do with the crime than she's letting on; Veronica Falcon as sexy she-demon of the California skies Lupe; Andrew Howard and Eric Lange as Detectives Ennis and Holcomb, LAPD Homicide, who'll stop at nothing to deliver the nasties to justice; Robert Patrick as L.A. industrialist Herman Baggerly; Stephen Root as dum-dum District Attorney Maynard Barnes, who will undoubtedly lose almost every case to Perry's awesome intellect; Lili Taylor as Sister Alice's mom, Birdy McKeegan; and Jefferson Mays as Chief City Morgue Attendant Virgil. Rhys will also executive produce, along with Robert and Susan Downey, Tim van Patten (who directed the series opener, and will continue as the series' director-in-residence), Amanda Burrell, Ronnie Fitzgerald, Rolin Jones and Joe Horacek.
John is also featured in FX' The Old Man, starring Jeff Bridges as former CIA Agent Dan Chase. John portrays FBI Agent Harold Harper, called back into service after confronting a personal tragedy. Based on the best-selling thriller by Thomas Perry, The Old Man, a Fox21 Television Studios production in association with the Littlefield Company, is directed and executive produced by Spider-Man veteran Jon Watts.
You'll also see John as Judd Crandall in Paramount Pictures' reboot of Stephen King's Pet Sematary, now on DVD, Blu-ray and Digital DVD; and he has also co-starred in The Loudest Voice, the story of the life of Fox News Channel boss Roger Ailes (Russell Crowe), currently streaming on Showtime. And John has even taken on the Roger Ailes role himself, starring in Bombshell, co-starring Charlize Theron as Megyn Kelly, Nicole Kidman as Gretchen Carlson and Margot Robbie as Kayla Pospisil. Lionsgate Pictures' Bombshell is now out on DVD, Blu-ray and Digital DVD; and has been nominated for three Academy Awards: Best Actress (Charlize Theron); Best Supporting Actress (Margot Robbie); and Best Makeup-Hairstyling (Kazu Hiro, Annie Morgan, and Vivianne Baker).
John Lithgow returned to the stage, portraying someone was once a lot more controversial than most other celebrities of the late 1990's! John and Laurie Metcalf did Broadway as you-know-who, when they starred in Hillary & Clinton, by Lucas Hnath, and directed by Joe Mantello. "In the early days of 2008," we are told, "Hillary (Metcalf) hopes to rescue her campaign to run for President, while Bill (John) tries to cope with the quest." Laurie was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Lead Actress in a Play!
As you can imagine, John Lithgow has been everywhere: 2017 Screen Actors Guild Award Winner for Outstanding Supporting Actor, Miniseries or TV Movie, and 2017 Primetime Emmy Award Nominee for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series, both for his role as Sir Winston Churchill, in Netflix's docudrama series, The Crown! So did Claire Foy, for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series (Claire, of course, starred as Elizabeth II herself); while the show itself was nominated for a second straight Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Dramatic Series! The Crown continues to stream old and new episodes! (Dolly Parton's Christmas of Many Colors: Circle of Love was also up for the Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Made-for-TV Movie.)
John was also part of the ensemble cast of Late Night, a romantic drama about a late night talk show host, played by Emma Thompson, who is about to lose her long-running program just as she prepares to hire the show's first ever female head writer, portrayed by Mindy Kaling, who also wrote and executive produced the film, directed by Nisha Ganatra. Hugh Dancy and Paul Walter Hauser also star; Late Night is now out on DVD, Blu-ray and DVD Digital.
Also currently streaming, as well as being available on DVD, Blu-ray and Digital DVD is John's short-lived NBC series, Trial & Error. Set in the fictitious Southern town of East Peck, John stars as Larry Henderson, an eccentric college professor recently arrested for the murder of his wife. Nicholas D'Agosto co-stars as Josh Segal, the New York City attorney assigned to Larry's case. John's most recent big screen appearance found him co-starring with Salma Hayek and Connie Britton in Roadside Attractions' dark romantic comedy, Beatriz @ Dinner, also currently on DVD, Blu-ray and Digital DVD. John also took to the stage of the Roundabout Theatre, for his one-man show Stories by Heart, where he took an entire cast of characters from short stories by P.G. Wodehouse and Ring Lardner, Jr. and gave them his own personal nuance.
Turning to other Lithgow developments, John returned to the life of big beautiful Rebel Wilson, in Universal Studios' Pitch Perfect 3, now out on DVD, Blu-ray and Digital DVD; and John's ninth children's book, Never Play Music Right Next to the Zoo, illustrated by Leeza Hernandez, is in bookstores from Simon & Schuster, and once you read it, you'll understand why you shouldn't! Hear John in Disney/Pixar's The Good Dinosaur,, also on DVD, DVD Digital and Blu-ray, and also starring Neil Patrick Harris, Frances McDormand, Bill Hader, Judy Greer, Sam Elliott, and newcomer Lucas Neff!
As we said, John was Sir Winston Churchill on Season One of The Crown, the story of the first years of the reign of Elizabeth II, portrayed in its first season by Claire Foy (SAG Award Winner, Best Actress in a Miniseries or TV Movie), and Matt Smith as young Prince Phillip. The show follows Elizabeth and Phillip from their wedding in 1947, right up to the present day. Written, created and executive produced by Peter Morgan (Frost/Nixon), and spanning a full six seasons, The Crown also stars Victoria Hamilton as the Queen Mother; Jared Harris as King George VI; Vanessa Kirby as Princess Margaret; and Eileen Atkins as Queen Mary. Now in its third season, with Olivia Coleman starring as Her Majesty, The Crown, multiple Primetime Emmy Award nominee for Outstanding Drama Series, has completed filming on its fourth season, with former X-Files heroine Gillian Anderson joining the cast as Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. The Crown, Year Three, is now streaming on Netflix. Imelda Staunton, veteran of both Harry Potter and Paddington, has now joined the cast to portray the Queen in her current version, in what will, unfortunately, be the series' fifth and final season. "At the outset," explains Peter Morgan, "I had imagined that The Crown should run for six seasons; but now that we have begun our work on our stories for Season Five, it has become clear to me that this is the perfect time and place to stop."
John also joins Will Ferrell, Mark Wahlberg and Mel Gibson in Daddy's Home 2, also out now on DVD, Blu-ray and Digital Copy DVD.
Other ways to see and hear John include: Christopher Nolan's Interstellar, and in Ira Sachs' Love is Strange. All are now out on DVD, Blu-ray and DVD Digital Copy. And check out John's more intellectual side as he narrates Einstein's Big Idea! Also available on DVD, DVD Digital Copy and Blu-ray from PBS Video, this 2-hour special edition of NOVA tells the story of how E=mc2 came into being. Check out the transcript!
In video stores now: Lionsgate Home Entertainment brings you a new way to discover the world of Santa Claus: The Movie™! The entire film, in all its widescreen glory, upgraded for a hi-definition generation, along with the making-of documentary; Jeannot Szwarc in conversation with Scott Michael Bosco; all four trailers; and profiles of both Jeannot and Dudley Moore! Plus, an exclusive to Blu-ray look at the filming of the Press Conference sequence, along with first-time looks at deleted scenes (the ones they didn't show you on previous DVD editions)! Vendequm viewers, this is one sleigh ride you NEED to be in on! Click here for our Brief Footnote to our Alexander Salkind: In Memoriam segment! Then, click here for a Christmas Eve Message from our Boss Elf, Richard Washington!
And you can always leave us a holiday or other message by e-mailing us, at either Richard@ElfWithoutJingles.com via blackbeardpirate81@yahoo.com or at Santa@ElfWithoutJingles.com!