Two comedians intoduced two of our most popular Christmas songs.
Eddie Cantor sang “Santa Clause is Coming to Town” on his comedy radio show in 1936.
Bob Hope sand “Silver Bells” in the 1951 movie “The Lemon Drop Kid”.
The book titled “A Christmas Dictionary” was written by Holly Bell.
Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer was created as a promotional gimmick for Montgomery Ward (from snopes.com)
“We Need A Little Christmas” was introduced in the musical version of Mame, but the scene in which it was introduced didn’t take place during Christmas or winter.
On the other hand, “Miracle on 42nd Street” was originally released in the summer instead of the Christmas season.
The original title of the Alistair Sim version of “A Christmas Carol” (as it’s always know today) was “Scrooge.”
“It’s a Wonderful Life” became a beloved Christmas tradition only after it fell into the public domain in the mid-70s. Prior to that, it was rarely shown (I had to search hard to see it the first time). In an unusual move, they were able to put the film under copyright again by copyrighting the soundtrack.
“Silent Night” was written (for guitar) because the church organ was broken.
The following classic actors have all played Santa Claus:
Cary Grant
Tex Ritter
Edward G. Robinson
Monty Wooly
Robert Cummings
Bob Hope
Errol Flynn
The “turtle dove” mentioned in “12 Days of Christmas” was originally a bird called a “turtle” (for its call). Sailors picked up the word “turtle” for the reptile later (the earlier word was “tortise”). To differentiate between the two types of turtles, the word “dove” was eventually added.
The character ‘santa claus’ (using whole word searching) has been played by;
Male characters:
Gilbert M. ‘Broncho Billy’ Anderson (Santa Claus) . . .Christmas Revenge, A (1915)
Victor Argo (Santa Claus) . . .Somebody to Love (1994)
Edward Asner (Nicholas “Santa” Claus) . . .Story of Santa Claus, The (1996) (TV)
Fred Astaire (Costume Shop Proprietor/Chauffeur/Policeman/Cab Driver/Jeweler/Floor Walker/Choral Director/Santa Claus) . . .Man in the Santa Claus Suit, The (1978) (TV)
John Aston (Santa Claus in car) . . .Don’t Open 'Til Christmas (1985)
Tex Avery (Santa Claus) . . .Who Killed Who? (1943)
Earl Poole Ball (Santa Claus) . . .Naked City: A Killer Christmas (1998) (TV)
Patrick Bauchau (Sevon Voice/Santa Claus) . . .Jackpot (2001)
Perk Bennett (Santa Claus) . . .Morgan Stewart’s Coming Home (1987)
Robby Benson (Young Santa Claus) . . .Life & Adventures of Santa Claus, The (2000) (V)
John Bilyeu (Santa Claus) . . .Santa’s Christmas Circus (1966)
Oliver Blake (Santa Claus) . . .Seven Little Foys, The (1955)
Ed Brandenberg (Inebriated Santa Claus) . . .Good Cheer (1926)
Lloyd Bridges (Santa Claus) . . .In the Nick of Time (1991) (TV)
Calvin Brown (Santa Claus) . . .Mixed Company (1974)
John Call (I) (Santa Claus) . . .Santa Claus Conquers the Martians (1964)
Ken Hudson Campbell (Santa Claus) . . .Home Alone (1990)
Art Carney (Santa Claus) . . .Night They Saved Christmas, The (1984) (TV)
James Coco (Santa Claus) . . .Curious Case of Santa Claus, The (1982) (TV)
Charles Coleman (I) (Second Santa Claus) . . .Double Dynamite (1951)
Ed Corbett (Santa Claus) . . .976-EVIL (1988)
James Cosmo (Santa Claus) . . .Santa/Claws (1997)
Alec Craig (Santa Claus) . . .Life Begins at Eight-Thirty (1942)
Jim Cummings (Old Santa Claus) . . .Life & Adventures of Santa Claus, The (2000) (V)
Jim Cummings (Santa Claus) . . .Online Adventures of Ozzie the Elf, The (1997) (TV)
Robert Dahdah (Santa Claus) . . .Three Days of the Condor (1975)
David Dozer (Santa Claus) . . .Young Doctors in Love (1982)
David Drake (I) (Santa Claus) . . .Tree Shade (1998)
Tom Dugan (I) (Santa Claus) . . .Good Sam (1948)
Jimmy Durante (Santa Claus) . . .Christmas Party, The (1931)
Charles Durning (Santa Claus) . . .Elmo Saves Christmas (1996) (V)
Charles Durning (Santa Claus) . . .Mrs. Santa Claus (1996) (TV)
Tony Epper (Santa Claus) . . .Johns (1996)
Luis Esmenjaud (Santa Claus) . . .Baby Geniuses (1999)
Aaron Fletcher (Santa Claus) . . .Christmas Special (1988) (TV)
Patrick Floersheim (Santa Claus) . . .3615 code Père Noël (1990)
Derek Ford (Circus Santa Claus) . . .Don’t Open 'Til Christmas (1985)
Stan Francis (Santa Claus/King Moonracer) . . .Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1964) (TV)
Paul Frees (Santa Claus, Traffic Cop, various) . . .Frosty the Snowman (1969) (TV)
Paul Frees (Santa Claus/Eon/General Ticker) . . .Rudolph’s Shiny New Year (1975) (TV)
Jeff Gillen (Santa Claus) . . .Christmas Story, A (1983)
John Goodman (Santa Claus) . . .Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer: The Movie (1998) (V)
Joseph J. Greene (Santa Claus) . . .Bishop’s Wife, The (1947)
Manne Grünberger (Santa Claus) . . .Nils Holgerssons underbara resa (1962)
Earl Hammond (I) (Santa Claus) . . .Life & Adventures of Santa Claus, The (1985) (TV)
Percy Helton (Drunken Santa Claus) . . .Miracle on 34th Street (1947)
David Huddleston (Santa Claus) . . .Santa Claus (1985)
Bud Jamison (Santa Claus) . . .Holiday Inn (1942)
Virgil Johanson (Santa Claus) . . .Double Dynamite (1951)
Frank Johnson (I) (Santa Claus) . . .Holiday Affair (1949)
Darby Jones (Black Santa Claus) . . .Swing High, Swing Low (1937)
Erland Josephson (Santa Claus) . . .Svarta handsken (1957) (TV)
Ernst-Hugo Järegård (Santa Claus) . . .“Långtradarchaufförens berättelse” (1975) (mini) TV Series
Fred Kelsey (Santa Claus (The Gift of the Magi)) . . .O. Henry’s Full House (1952)
Richard Kleber (Santa Claus) . . .Sole Survivor (1982)
Roger La Page (Optometrist/Santa Claus) . . .Plan B (1997)
Clarence M. Landry (Santa Claus) . . .Homecoming: A Christmas Story, The (1971) (TV)
Marc Allen Lewis (The Nome King/Santa Claus) . . .Who Stole Santa? (1996) (V)
Steve Lippe (Santa Claus) . . .Home of Angels (1994)
John B. Lowe (Santa Claus) . . .Ultimate Christmas Present, The (2000) (TV)
Morrie Lubeznik (Santa Claus) . . .Miracle Beach (1992)
Lars Lundgren (I) (Santa Claus) . . .Noll tolerans (1999)
Bill Lynn (I) (Santa Claus) . . .Christmas Wife, The (1988) (TV)
John Malkovich (Santa Claus) . . .Santabear’s High Flying Adventure (1987)
Pepe Mariani (Santa Claus) . . .Felicidades (2000)
Don McManus (I) (Santa Claus) . . .Holiday to Remember, A (1995) (TV)
Damir Mejovsek (Santa Claus) . . .Novogodisnja pljacka (1997) (TV)
Sean Michaels (Santa Claus) . . .Will and Ed’s Excellent Boner Christmas (1991) (V)
Tauno Miettinen (Santa Claus) . . .Herra Huu - jestapa jepulis - penikat sipuliks (1973)
Alvy Moore (Abner/Santa Claus) . . .Christmas Tree Train, The (1983) (TV)
José Elías Moreno (I) (Santa Claus) . . .Santa Claus (1959)
Ferdinand Munier (Santa Claus) . . .Babes in Toyland (1934)
Ferdinand Munier (Santa Claus) . . .Road to Utopia (1946)
Leslie Nielsen (Santa Claus) . . .Santa Who? (2000) (TV)
Jack Norton (I) (Santa Claus) . . .Lady on a Train (1945)
J. Michael Oliva (Santa Claus) . . .Botte di Natale (1994)
Rick Poltaruk (Santa Claus) . . .Angel of Pennsylvania Avenue (1996)
Viacheslav Prokopy (Santa Claus) . . .Childhood (1999)
Alberto Rabagliati (Santa Claus) . . .Christmas That Almost Wasn’t, The (1965)
Dennis Radesky (Santa Claus) . . .Philadelphia (1993)
John Ridge (I) (Santa Claus) . . .Bill (1981) (TV)
Jay Ripley (Santa Claus) . . .Santa and the Ice Cream Bunny (1972)
David Robinson (II) (Santa Claus) . . .Buford’s Beach Bunnies (1992)
Mickey Rooney (Santa Claus) . . .Rudolph and Frosty’s Christmas in July (1979) (TV)
Mickey Rooney (Santa Claus) . . .Year Without a Santa Claus, The (1974) (TV)
Jan Rubes (Santa Claus) . . .One Magic Christmas (1985)
Risto Salmi (I) (Santa Claus) . . .Kiljusen herrasväen uudet seikkailut (1990)
Peter Schrum (Santa Claus (Murray)) . . .Trancers (1985)
Douglas Seale (Santa Claus) . . .Ernest Saves Christmas (1988)
Hal Smith (Santa Claus) . . .Apartment, The (1960)
Kwasi Songui (Santa Claus) . . .Intruder, The (1999)
Douglas Spencer (Skinny Santa Claus) . . .Lemon Drop Kid, The (1951)
Harry Tyler (Santa Claus) . . .Lemon Drop Kid, The (1951)
Roy Holmer Wallack (Santa Claus) . . .Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982)
Al ‘Red Dog’ Weber (Santa Claus) . . .Scrooged (1988)
Frank Welker (Santa Claus) . . .Wish for Wings That Work, A (1991) (TV)
Wim Wenders (Santa Claus) . . .Arisha, der Bär und der steinerne Ring (1992)
Female characters:
Darlene Conley (Mrs. Santa Claus) . . .Rudolph and Frosty’s Christmas in July (1979) (TV)
Shannon Day (I) (Miss Santa Claus) . . .Manslaughter (1922)
Angela Lansbury (Mrs. Santa Claus) . . .Mrs. Santa Claus (1996) (TV)
Barbara Perry (Mrs. Santa Claus) . . .Trancers (1985)