Santa Claus Is a Stinker

Santa Claus Is a Stinker
Directed by Jean-Marie Poiré
Produced by
  • Trinacra Films
  • Films A2 (Today France 2)
  • Les Films du Splendid
Starring Anémone
Josiane Balasko
Marie-Anne Chazel
Christian Clavier
Gérard Jugnot
Thierry Lhermitte
Bruno Moynot
Release date
  • 25 August 1982 (1982-08-25)
Running time
 87 minutes
Country France
Language French
Box office $10.3 million[1]

Santa Claus Is a Stinker or Le père Noël est une ordure is a cult French comedy play created in 1979 by the troupe Le Splendid and turned into a film directed by Jean-Marie Poiré in 1982.[2]

Plot

Pierre a stuffy, self-righteous volunteer at a telephone helpline for depressed people and his well-meaning but naïve co-worker Thérèse, are stuck with the Christmas Eve shift in the Paris office, much to their displeasure.

The building's lift is malfunctioning, and they receive visits from unwanted callers: Katia, a depressed transvestite who tries to hit on Pierre, M. Preskovic who lives in the same building and always turns up unexepectedly to offer them various unappetizing pastries and Josette, a heavily pregnant woman on the run from her violent fiancé Félix. Félix is working as a Santa Claus during the season and turns up on her trail in costume and brandishing a gun. Félix and Josette, a caricature trailer trash couple, end up struggling over the gun and accidentally shooting dead the lift repairman, whom they then butcher and feed to zoo animals.

The origin of the doubitchous

Le Splendid in 1979 is at the origin of the movie of 1982.
Jean-Marie Poiré directed the production of the movie in 1982.

The famous pastries used in the film are a creation of Josiane Balasko who had traveled to Osjek, Croatia, the birthplace of his father. During her stay the actress discovered funny local specialties which gave her the inspiration of the doubitchous of the movie.[3][4]

The painting used in the movie

The painting depicting Therese with a pig used in the film is different from the one used for theater version. But it is the same artist who painted the 2 paintings: Bernard de Desnoyers. Today the painting that was used to shoot the film is in the hands of its author, Bernard de Desnoyers, who has kept the work.[5][6]

English (US) remake of the film

In 1994 the basic plot was used by writer/director Nora Ephron to develop the US film Mixed Nuts.[7]

Cast

References

  1. ↑ "Le père noel est une ordure (1982)". JP's Box-Office. Retrieved 12 August 1982. Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  2. ↑ "Le Père Noël est une ordure". Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved May 22, 2016.
  3. ↑ http://www.vanityfair.fr/culture/cinema/articles/tout-ce-que-vous-ignorez-encore-sur-le-pere-noel-est-une-ordure/48912
  4. ↑ http://lescopainsd-abord.over-blog.com/article-le-pere-noel-est-une-ordure-images-des-coulisses-et-secrets-de-tournage-par-nath-didile-121008354.html
  5. ↑ http://lescopainsd-abord.over-blog. com / article-the-father-christmas-is-a-junk-pictures-of-wings-and-secrets-of-film-by-nath-didile-121008354.html
  6. ↑ http://www.terrafemina.com/culture/cine/articles/52243-le-pere-noel-est-une-ordure-5-choses-que-vous-ne-saviez-peut-etre-pas-sur -the-film.html
  7. ↑ "Mixed Nuts". Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved May 22, 2016.
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