The story of Santa Claus: The Making of the Movie
Santa Claus: The Making of the Movie isn't your typical holiday fare. Instead of settling for a straightforward narrative, this 1985 documentary pulls back the curtain to show exactly how the filmmakers behind the project set out to tell Santa's "true" story on screen. Dudley Moore, in his characteristic comedic style, serves as the host guiding viewers through the production chaos, while David Huddleston—who played Santa himself—introduces segments in character, blurring the line between documentary and the very film being documented. It's a meta-documentary before meta-documentaries became fashionable, and that alone makes it worth investigating if you're curious about how 1980s filmmakers approached holiday entertainment.
The documentary captures the ambition, the stumbles, and the sheer determination of Team Salkind as they attempted something genuinely different. Rather than a straightforward making-of special, the filmmakers chose to weave documentary footage with character introductions, creating a hybrid viewing experience that's both informative and deliberately playful. The 50-minute runtime keeps things brisk, though that brevity also means certain production challenges get only a surface-level examination.
Behind the making of Santa Claus: The Making of the Movie
The Salkind organization had already made waves in the superhero genre with their Superman films, so tackling a Santa Claus project came with considerable expectations and resources. Directed by Jeannot Szwarc, the original film that this documentary covers was itself an ambitious undertaking—one that attempted to ground Santa's mythology in a more elaborate, fantastical narrative structure than audiences were accustomed to seeing. Dudley Moore's involvement as host brought comedy credibility to the project, while David Huddleston's casting as Santa suggested they were aiming for a performer with genuine warmth and gravitas rather than just a jolly character actor.
The documentary doesn't shy away from showing the technical and logistical hurdles of the production. Set construction, costume design, special effects work (which, by 1985 standards, involved practical models and optical tricks rather than digital manipulation), and the challenges of filming with child actors all get attention. You'll see behind-the-scenes footage of the cast and crew working through scenes, the kinds of unglamorous moments that rarely make it into finished films—crew members adjusting lighting rigs, actors running through dialogue, directors discussing takes between setups. The 50-minute format means the documentary functions almost like an extended featurette, the kind you'd find on a deluxe home video release, rather than a deep-dive investigation into the filmmaking process.
The film itself didn't become a major box office success, and it's largely faded from popular memory—which is precisely why this documentary has become a curiosity piece for film historians and holiday entertainment enthusiasts. Movie OTT tracks where you can find both the original film and this documentary across streaming platforms, making it easier to explore this corner of 1980s cinema history without hunting through specialty video stores.
What makes Santa Claus: The Making of the Movie stand out
What's striking about this documentary is how earnestly it presents the production process without a trace of irony. The filmmakers genuinely believed they were creating something special, and the documentary captures that conviction—even as viewers today might find the final product campy or misguided. There's something endearing about watching a crew work with such seriousness on a project that didn't quite land the way they intended. Dudley Moore's hosting provides comic relief without undermining the crew's efforts, a balance that's surprisingly delicate to pull off.
The documentary also serves as a time capsule of 1980s filmmaking technology and aesthetics. Watching practical effects being constructed, seeing how matte paintings and optical compositing were used to create fantasy sequences, and observing the on-set dynamics of a major studio production offers genuine value to anyone interested in cinema history. It's not a masterpiece of documentary filmmaking—the pacing can feel dated, and the editing occasionally drags—but it's honest and unfiltered in a way that modern making-of content, often heavily controlled by studios, rarely achieves.
The performances captured in the documentary are genuine, unguarded moments. You're seeing actors between takes, crew members problem-solving in real time, and directors making split-second creative decisions. That authenticity, however imperfectly captured, is something you can't manufacture. I keep coming back to the fact that this documentary exists at all—that someone thought it was worth preserving this particular production's journey, even though the film itself became a footnote in holiday cinema.
Where to stream Santa Claus: The Making of the Movie online
Finding Santa Claus: The Making of the Movie requires a bit more effort than tracking down mainstream holiday content, but it's available on major OTT services. The documentary has been preserved and made accessible through streaming platforms, so you won't need to hunt down a VHS tape or out-of-print DVD (though those still exist in collector circles). You can check the "Where to Watch" widget at the top of this page to see which streaming service currently has it available in your region, as availability shifts between platforms. Movie OTT keeps those listings updated, so you'll always know where to find it without wasting time on dead links or expired availability.
If you're planning a deep dive into 1980s holiday entertainment or want to explore the Salkind catalog beyond Superman, this documentary makes an interesting companion piece to the actual film. The 50-minute length makes it easy to fit into an evening, and it pairs well with other making-of documentaries if you're in the mood for behind-the-scenes content.
Frequently asked questions
Q: Who hosts Santa Claus: The Making of the Movie?
Dudley Moore serves as the documentary's host, bringing his characteristic comedic sensibility to the behind-the-scenes footage. David Huddleston, who played Santa in the original film, also appears throughout, introducing segments in character.
Q: How long is Santa Claus: The Making of the Movie?
The documentary runs 50 minutes, making it a relatively compact look at the production process—more of an extended featurette than a comprehensive deep-dive.
Q: What year was Santa Claus: The Making of the Movie released?
The documentary was released in 1985, the same year as the original Santa Claus film it documents.
Q: Is Santa Claus: The Making of the Movie available to stream?
Yes, it's available on major OTT services. Check the "Where to Watch" widget on this page to see current availability in your region.
Q: What is the IMDb rating for Santa Claus: The Making of the Movie?
The documentary has an IMDb rating of 5.4 out of 10, reflecting mixed audience reception over the years.
Final thoughts on Santa Claus: The Making of the Movie
This documentary won't appeal to everyone. If you're looking for polished, modern behind-the-scenes content with slick editing and contemporary production values, you'll find this dated. But if you're genuinely curious about how filmmakers approached holiday entertainment in the 1980s, or if you're interested in the technical and creative challenges of practical effects-heavy productions, there's real value here. It's a window into a specific moment in cinema history—one where ambition sometimes exceeded execution, but the effort itself was undeniably sincere. That's worth something.
Streaming it now, decades later, transforms it from a promotional tool into something closer to a historical document. Worth your time if the premise intrigues you.
