Steven Helmer Publications

Synopsis: Ernest P. Worrell loses his job as a taxi driver after giving Santa Claus a free ride. However, he doesn't have time to fret over it because he has a much more important job, helping Santa convince a former children's show star to take over as his replacement. Things become more complicated when a teenage runaway steals Santa's bag of toys on Christmas Eve. Who's in it?  The movie stars Jim Varney, Douglas Seale, Oliver Clark, Noelle Parker and Billie Bird . You can read my review here:  Movie Review: Ernest Saves Christmas (1988) ______________________________________________________________________ Here are some reviews of other Christmas movies: Movie Review: A Christmas Melody (2015) Movie Review: A Christmas Carol (1938) Movie Review: A Kiss Before Christmas (2021) Movie Review: In Merry Measure (2022)

It's that time of year again, when I can watch Christmas movies and have it be seasonably acceptable. And, as I start doing that, I do find myself reflecting on the movies I've watched dozens of times and, in particular, those that have Santa Claus. Even though Santa should be one of the easiest characters to play, not all movie Santas are treated equal. So, I'd like to share my four favorites. Ed Asner in Elf A lot of Christmas comedies make the mistake of trying to make Santa Claus funny too. That doesn't need to be the case, however, and it is usually best to keep Santa in more of a "straight man" role. Even though Asner only has a few minutes in this movie, he does a great job of that when asked and comes off as both serious and compassionate, two things I would expect to see from Santa. Edmund Gwenn in Miracle on 34th Street I think the thing that always wins me over about this version of Santa Claus is the mystery surrounding him. Is Kris ...