Presents

Interview with Producer

Ilya Salkind

Producer Ilya Salkind on the Santa Claus set - 1983

Conducted December 11, 2001

SB – It’s amazing how SANTA CLAUS – THE MOVIE has become a part of the holiday tradition. RADIO CITY MUSIC HALL here in NY has been using clips from the film to advertise their stage shows, almost since the movie first came out!

L - R, Co-Producer Pierre Spangler, John Lithgow, Producer Ilya Salkind and Director Jeannot Szwarc

IS – Yes! 99% percent of the people I’ve spoken to have loved the movie - especially for kids. It’s a wonderful movie! The color, the art production, John Lithgow is so popular now. Dudley is wonderful. When originally released it opened extremely well. It was number 4 upon release, and it didn’t waver. It stayed at that level which is better than opening #1 and dropping below 4^th position like most films do. The problem I think was that after Christmas attendance dropped.

L - R, Alexander Salkind, Ilya Salkind, Pierre Spengler and Lady Di at the London Premiere - 1985

SB – Well, that’s normal with any holiday oriented film.

IS – No, I had made a mistake back then. Meaning I had listened to everybody. I could have pushed it better. True I don’t know if I could have changed TRISTAR’s mind but we were ready with the finished film and we should have opened in October, mid or late October. We could have made at least a 100 million instead of 40 million. You know, what we had on our side at the time were the critics. The were split about 50/50 – which isn’t bad because of those 50 on our side the reviews were fantastic! Some critics were comparing the film to the level of THE WIZARD OF OZ.

SB – What made you choose SANTA CLAUS as your next picture after SUPERGIRL?

IS – Let’s see, were just finishing SUPERMAN III and in production with SUPERGIRL and we (my father and myself) were looking into what would be our next project. I had come up with a few possibilities, two of which were THE FLYING DUTCHMAN, and SANTA CLAUS. My father felt more inclined to do SANTA CLAUS. The more I thought of it I agreed, mostly because I had children and I felt a more emotional involvement with the project for that reason. The dark tone of the DUCTHMAN was something at the time became less appealing to me so SANTA CLAUS won. So from there I wrote a basic storyline

for the film which I first showed to my father, and I believe our then lawyer, a man named Tom Pollack - who went on to become chairman of UNIVERSAL. He was the top lawyer here at the time – he made the deal for STAR WARS for Lucas, and for us SUPERMAN with Warner Bros. We listened to his views very strongly and he too felt more excited by SANTA CLAUS than DUCTHMAN. So that was another element that pushed us to our final decision. Once the story was written I started considering a director. My childhood friend Pierre Spengler, who was not working on SUPERGIRL but was finishing up on SUPERMAN III got involved. I offered for him to produce with me SANTA CLAUS, so together we hired the Newmans David & Leslie).

SB – … because of your past association with them on SUPERMAN?

IS - Yes. We were very friendly. Also because they had worked on SUPERMAN II, and SUPERMAN III. By the way, on a side note, there were critics who thought SUPERMAN III was the best in the series. Including TIME MAGAZINE and I believe NEWSWEEK – and that’s because of the Newmans. Their success influenced us to use them again. SUPERMAN III was an enormous success. Not everyone realizes that. The movie made close to 100 million dollars, and back in those day that was even more.

SB – Were other directors considered, other than Jeannot (Szwarc)?

IS – Yes. I looked at a lot movies which had been made then to consider who we would hire. Sometimes directors that are not yet known can have an enormous potential. A lot of people don’t know this but if I remember correctly the first man I tried to convince into making the movie is Roger Donaldson. He was then shooting THE BOUNTY for Dino De Laurentiis in London. I had seen one film he had done, SMASH PALACE. It was fantastic. But before we got a director we secured Dudley Moore.

SB – Like with SUPERMAN, you acquired star power then went on to getting a

director.

IS – Yes, exactly. It was that kind of system. We thought, of course of Dudley

because…(a laugh) … because of his stature. Only because elves aren’t as

L - R, Dudley Moore and Ilya Salkind

tall as John Wayne. The main reason of course was because he is a wonderful actor, and an enormous star, and a very nice man.. He was at the top. Getting Dudley was done really before the script was actually written. He even had input over what was going to written for his character of Patch. That’s why he got 5 million dollars. Now people said that was too much. Well, today some people are getting 30 million so that was relatively normal for that time. So once Dudley was signed the Newmans continued to write and that’s when we started to look for a director – which Dudley also had approval on. Now getting back to a director, I think the first two I looked into were John Carpenter…

(Scott laughs)

SB – That’s a strange choice.

IS – I know, I know.

SB – Meanwhile, you were already working with Jeannot.

IS – You’re right, he didn’t even enter our minds. He was too close. Of course having him there, showed us how kind and how easy working with a director can be… compared to how a director may not be pleasant - which happens as well. The next choice, I think was Walter Hill. Then it came down to Robert

Wise.

SB – WOW!

IS – Yes, yes. Pierre and I flew to New York and had lunch with Mr. Wise. Again, another very nice man. It was a very pleasant lunch. But, to this day I don’t know actually what happened … somehow at that moment I started thinking of Jeannot. After all hiring him was so easy. Working with him was so easy. I would have to get used to working with a different director otherwise. This way everything would move into the new production easy. Jeannot is a very good director, so we just went with it - even though Robert Wise would have been an extraordinary choice. Next we started looking for a Santa Claus, and the two children. Once again we called on Lynn Stalmaster, possibly one of the best casting directors in the business, if not the world.

SB – The two kids chosen were unknown.

David Huddleston

IS – Yes. totally. They had some experience of course, but yes, they were unknown. We came to New York and saw many, many children and men for Santa. But again I wasn’t looking for someone famous to play Santa Claus, like with SUPERMAN. Pierre was in London, so it was me and Jeannot looking, but I don’t remember anyone being really that well known. They were all burly, 50 to 60 year old guys with some well rounded acting experience. But no one really stood out. However then we saw David Huddleston. With David the interview went very well, and we tested him, and the two kids. All were flown to England and we decided to go with them. Another character I decided not to star cast, was

Judy Cornwell as Santa's Wife

Annya, Santa’s wife. We took, a simi-known actress, Judy Cornwell. She is

a very good stage actress, but not very well known. The theory again was the

same as with SUPERMAN - the legend must not be identifiable or mix-up with famous actors.

SB – Now, speaking of the legend… how did you finally settle on this representation?

since Santa Claus is known in so many different ways throughout the world?

IS - That’s a very interesting point which I meant to bring up.

Before the Newmans I had a meeting with William Goldman in New York, during

Thanksgiving. We talked about 4 hours on the direction of the film. We both had to agree not use anything from that conversation if we did not make the film together. We had a wonderful conversation. By the way I had met William Goldman, before Mario Puzo, for SUPERMAN. But he decided he just didn’t feel it, so Mario stepped in – and the rest is, as they say “history”. The point I’m making is that these things progress slowly and go though a line of people until one settles on the right choices.

SB – All this happened before you finally settled on Jeannot?

IS – Oh Yes. I mean, when he came on we had already gone through everyone and the Newmans were already halfway though the script. Way after all this stuff.

SB – … you were going to say how you settled on the legend.

IS – Yes, Goldman took a very different approach to it. That was the point I was going to state. It was interesting. But very different. What we ended up using was based on my treatment. Of course everybody started to add things until it became what you see now.

SB – So the thought of homogenizing the legend was a way of making it international?

IS – Absolutely. The intent was for a major motion picture, and it was. It had a big budget, close to 50 million dollars. That was a lot back then. Which by the way, thanks to the director, was on budget, and on time. It was planned to be world wide film because Santa Claus is Santa Claus no matter where it played. The only part that was different was the tag, “The Movie”. Which is something I don’t think people realized. Adding on, “The Movie” was something I thought of very early in the conceptualization of the project. I felt we would sell the film as “The Movie”, yet in the film the title is only “SANTA CLAUS”. It was the same with SUPERMAN. All the publicity was based on letting people know that it was a “The Movie”. I felt it needed to be separated from other sources of media where the subject matter may have been broached. SUPERMAN was of course was a TV series. It was even a serial, but never a major motion picture, a “movie”.

L - R, Ilya Salkind, King Juan Carlos I, Queen Sofia at the Madrid, Spain Premire - 1985

My rational there was to make it clear that this was a movie, an event, big! I wanted to apply that same thinking to SANTA CLAUS.

SB – So the whole point, as least for SANTA CLAUS, was to make people realize this wasn’t another TV special, animanted or otherwise – it a true film, a movie.

L - R, Alexander Salkind, Ilya Salkind, Piere Spengler, Prince Charles at the London Premiere - 1985

IS - Also, by stating “The Movie” one is eluding that it is “the” movie, the only one. Once the film is out and established it doesn’t matter. The important thing is to put that idea and stature into the film from the beginning so the audience knows what kind of project it is. We didn’t do that with SUPERGIRL only because there wasn’t anything done with that character up to that point, so we didn’t have to. SANTA CLAUS was different, there was tons of stuff done, but never a major film. There was even a SANTA CLAUS CONQUERS THE MARTIANS.

(Both laugh)

SB – Oh, yeah, I remember that.

IS – I can’t even call that a movie. That small little black & white funny film.

What we’re talking about is a Salkind movie… and it worked! That was the time we were focusing on bigger than life, legends which were successful and Alex loved. He reacted very well to all that. That’s why it’s called a “Salkind Movie”.

SB – Sure, BLUEBEARD, THE THREE MUSKETEERS, SUPERMAN, SUPERGIRL With all these mythic and legendary figures behind you it was natural to do SANTA CLAUS next.

IS – Exactly.

SB – So once everything else came into place where to film the movie was next. came I assume due to the complexities of filming in the North Pole you settled for Pinewood.

L - R, Producers Pierre Spengler and Ilya Salkind on the enormous Hall of Toys Set at Pinewood, England

IS – Yes. Also, we wanted to have complete control, and create absolute magic for the production. We had a wonderful set designer who was able to achieve just that, Anthony Pratt. The elf compound, at that time, was considered the biggest set ever built, Europe . It was absolute magic. I remember when Tristar acquired the American distribution rights, they had Sidney Polack, the wonderful director, who was their creative consultant, come to see the set and they were absolutely floored. It was an extraordinary set.

SB – I remember Jeannot stating on the commentary that he felt a little uneasy, or

unsure about the ending - concerning the character ending up in space?

IS - I don’t’ know. I don’t remember being concerned. Jeannot

was very easy to get along with. I don’t remember having any concerns

about that. I suppose the only comment I have on the movie, and I really

like the movie, but perhaps the only aspect I regret just a little bit is that

we did decide to do everything in the studio. I mean, not only the enormous

elf compound, we actually built part of New York on the backlot of

Pinewood as well.

SB – You mean the Macdonald’s scene.

Speaking of McDonalds - this Ornament was one of the film's tie-in's available through McDonalds at the time of the film's release.

IS – Yes. All that was built. I would say, with hind sight. This also, as I told you,

applies to SUPERGIRL too. The film was too confined. Even the realistic

backlot sets, which were perfect. I think there still kind of claustrophobic in

feeling. I just can’t explain it. It’s sub-conscious in nature. It’ gotta

be the real thing. I’ll give you two examples. On SUPERMAN II we flew thecrew to the Caribbean for the scene where SUPERMAN gets a flower for Lois Lane. The other scene where he’s walking in the snow we went to Norway. There’s no question about it, there’s something there a backlot just can’t provide. For SUPERMAN III went actually went to Colorado. It’s a feeling. Another thing most people don’t know about SANTA CLAUS is that we had Jim Henson’s son working on the film

SB – Lets talk about the reindeer.

Actor David Huddleston and one of the animatronic reindeers.

IS – Although it was covered very well in the ‘making of’ and Jeannot discusses in the commentary one aspect of the deer is that we decided to create a new form of portraying them. This combination of puppets and animatronics hadn’t been used before. In fact Jim Henson’s son worked on that issue. Since then a lot of animatronics have been done. But prior I don’t believe all the elements we used – computer, animatronics, make-up and real deer – to portray real animals not mythic beasts or creatures. We had a wonderful lunch with Jim Henson and he helped us a lot. He was one of the nicest men I’ve ever met.

SB – Was SANTA CLAUS done under the same agreement of a negative pick-up, like

SUPERMAN films and SUPERGIRL, in which you and your father had the last

word over the final cut of the film – with the studio only as a distributor?

IS – Yes, absolutly. With different territories. There are, or were, very few producers in the world who could actually call all the shots in terms of making the final decisions, and even in the presentation of the film. One of thoses was my father

Alexander, another Dino De Larentis, Samuel Bronson, Carlo Ponti, Joseph Levine and Sir Lew Grade. These guys were able to totally find the financing to make the films. My father and I may have been the most success in terms of overall boxoffice because of the MUSKETEERS, and of course the SUPERMAN franchise. That includeds SUPERGIRL and SANTA CLAUS as well. These are the most successful. Aside from the BOND films of course, he’s a phenomenon. We were lucky because, I guess, we were able to Americanize the projects. Perhaps we kept in mind that sense of Americana that some of these other producers didn’t. Maybe it was the producers, it may have been the influence of their directors, or writers.

SB – I think you’re right. Look at DUNE. It was very European in style and got lost and re-edited to accommodate the American public.

IS - Yes. Look at WATERLOO, and WAR AND PEACE. These aren’t bad films in any way, but they lost something with the American public. So to answer your question, yes, we, my father and I, made sure we held the power to control the film for those very reasons. Having the final cut, and control over television rights. That’s why it was “Alexander Salkinds Presents” not Warner Bros. or

Tristar.

SB – So like the SUPERMAN films and SUPERGIRL was there a longer version of

SANTA CLAUS?

IS – Slightly. We had a special preview in the states, the TriStar people were there, we all actually agreed to shorten the film a little – again, that only could have been done with Alex and my permission. It was only 7 or 8 minutes.

SB – What about the song? The elf song.

IS – It didn’t work. We felt it looked phony, and slowed the scene down.

SB – So it was never in the film?

IS – No. Not to my recollection. But then again through the years some people have some how done versions I don’t even know about - unbelievable!

SB – So with only 7/8 minuets cut it was a very tight production and well edited film.

Director Jeannot Szwarc

IS - Well, it was a very good director. He knew his business. He gathered experience from his previous film, SUPERGIRL which also aided him in the flying. It was a very smooth production.

SB – Was it always intended for the film’s “real” world plot to be located

in New York?

IS – Yes. Absolutely. Like I said it was an Americana film. New York gave us that.

SB – Now, more than ever the film has a place in history because of that. There are so

many shots of the World Trade Center.

IS – My God, I just realized that. You’re right.

SB – Just like Dino De Laurentiis’ KING KONG, it holds more significance than ever before. A place in film documenting a period of history.

IS – You’re right, you’re so right. A sad point, but very true.

SB – Did you consider SANTA CLAUS a franchise, like SUPERMAN?

IS - Yes. There was a time we considered to continue. The ending leaves it open. I’ve also been approached through the years by people who said why don’t you do a sequel. But, I think its good as it is. As you know and I know there are some people who consider it a favorite, and a classic for Christmas.

It was number one in England and even today has an enormous cult following. The children of each generation love it. My children

loved it. It’s my Christmas gift to all of them and I’m happy to know it’s been accepted, and enjoyed.

All movie tie-in's featured this symbol - an assurance of quality. Long before the "JP" symbol was used for the same reason with Jurassic Park merchandise.

Copyright 2001, Scott Michael Bosco – THE DIGITAL CINEMA

RETURN to the DIGITAL CINEMA Main Page