Santa Claus movies are one of the reasons we have such a clear idea of Santa’s persona today. It is from movies that many of the mythos about Santa have been added, from reindeer to elves, and more. Through time there have been hundreds of Christmas movies made, and many of those have been about Santa Claus. The following are just a few of the classic Santa Claus movie titles, and short look at why this movie became a classic:
Miracle on 34th Street: The original of this movie came out in 1947, but it was remade and updated in the 90’s. This movie is about Santa Claus. He helps a woman out by taking a joy as the Santa at Macy’s. This woman has a little girl who does not believe in Santa Claus. In the movie Kris Kringle goes on trial in court to prove he is Santa, and in doing so helps people feel the Christmas spirit, and helps this little girl regain her belief and joy in the season.
This movie became an instant classic because it addressed the disbelief of Santa, and many of the problems people have with holidays like Christmas. In the movie the Santa works for Macy’s but if a child asks for a toy that is on sale somewhere else, he graciously tells the parent where they can find it for less. In including this in the movie, the commercialization of Christmas is overlooked, and the Christmas spirit is embraced. This is a movie that many a parent can identify with and enjoy watching with their entire family.
The Night Before Christmas: This is a silent film that was made as a result of the poem “The Night Before Christmas” written by the minister Clement C. Moore. The poem inspired much of the belief about Santa today. In fact, it fueled much of the modern creation of Santa. This film takes much of the powerful imagery in the poem and brings it to the screen for viewing pleasure. Even though it is a silent film, it is one that still inspires children and helps people feel the anticipation and joy of Christmas. Moore perfectly captured the feelings that lead to difficult sleeping, and the excitement of flying reindeer and a jolly old elf that uses chimneys.
This movie became a classic because it was inspired by a classic poem. It is a movie that shows all of the mythos of Christmas, from flying reindeer, to the man in red using a chimney.
Santa Claus is Coming to Town: This film was made by Golden Books in 1970, and follows the Santa Claus is Coming to Town children’s story. This is only about an hour and half, but it answers many of the questions about Santa, such as where he lives, how reindeer fly, when he is coming, how gets around the world in one night, and why children need to be good to get a visit from Santa Claus.
This movie became a classic because it took a classic book enjoyed by millions of children and brought it to life.
There are many other classic Santa Claus movie titles including Santa Claus, The Santa Claus, and more. So, this holiday season, spend some time reliving the joys of Christmas on the big screen by watching Santa Claus movies.