Combine jolly old St. Nick and mean-spirited aliens and the result is the 1964 sci-fi cult classic, Santa Claus Conquers the Martians. John Call, Leonard Hicks co-star.

It's always Christmas when Embassy Pictures' 1964 campy science fiction/holiday film Santa Claus Conquers the Martians is playing on someone's television screen. John Call stars as the fat guy in the red suit, with Leonard Hicks and Vincent Beck as the main Martians and Pia Zadora as Girmar. Hooray for Santa Claus!

Screenplay, Director

Santa Claus Conquers the Martians was based on a story idea by Paul L. Jacobson, who also produced the movie for Jalor Productions and Embassy Pictures. Writing the screenplay was Glenville Mareth, with Nicholas Webster directing the interplanetary action.

John Call Heads Cast

Heading the cast was John Call (1908-1973) as Santa Claus. Call's previous film credits included Boots Malone (1952), The Kid from Left Field (1953) and Happy Anniversary (1959).

Supporting players included Leonard Hicks (Kimar), Vincent Beck (Voldar), Victor Stiles (Billy), Donna Conforti (Betty), Bill McCutcheon (Dropo), Christopher Month (Bomar), Pia Zadora (Girmar). Leila Martin (Momar) and Doris Rich (Mrs. Claus).

Speculation abounds that Leonard Hicks (1918-1971) looks and sounds an awful lot like Charlton Heston, and indeed he does. But rest assured, Heston did not appear in this film under Mr. Hicks' moniker.

Filmed in a Converted Airport Hangar for $200,000

Budgeted at a paltry $200,000, Santa Claus Conquers the Martians was filmed at Michael Myerberg Studios, a Long Island, New York, production facility whose building was a converted airport hangar.

The movie's producer, Paul L. Jacobson, had once worked as a unit manager on the iconic children's TV show, Howdy Doody (1947-60).

Supplying props for the movie were the Louis Marx Toy Co. and Vogue Dolls, Inc. Also on hand were "Martian ray guns," which were really painted toy Air Blasters courtesy of Wham-O, the famous California company who also brought us the Hula-Hoop, the Frisbee and the Super Ball.

Stock footage was borrowed from Dr. Strangelove (1964) in which Air Force jets take to the skies in search of the UFO intruder from Mars.

Hooray for Santa Claus!

The movie opens with a rousing rendition of "Hooray for Santa Claus," a catchy little ditty written by Milton Delugg and Roy Alfred and performed by an off-camera chorus of young voices.

Two Martian kids are watching an Earth broadcast of KID TV, where they observe a jolly Santa Claus at the North Pole. Chochem, the Ancient One, advises that Mars needs such a happy figure for its children.

The Martians send a spaceship to Earth to snatch Santa for themselves. The ship lands near Lake Welch, where the Martian occupants encounter two kids, Billy and Betty Foster. "Are you a television set," the little girl asks, spying the Martians' antennae sprouting from their heads.

Torg, the Martian robot, seizes old St. Nick at his workshop, resulting in the Daily Tribune headline: "SANTA CLAUS KIDNAPPED BY MARTIANS!" What ensues is a cinematic free-for-all, featuring a good Martian/bad Martian routine, an impromptu extraterrestrial rendition of "Jingle Bells," a sabotaged toy-making machine and a wonderful dustup on Mars where the evil Voldar and his henchmen are repelled by toy-wielding kids!

Release, Reviews

Santa Claus Conquers the Martians premiered in Chicago on November 14, 1964.

"A Christmassy little movie, with science-fiction trimmings for fledgling astronauts," reported Howard Thompson of The New York Times (12/17/64) in a thumbs-up review.

"Without exaggeration, one of the single worst films ever made," opined The Motion Picture Guide (Cinebooks, 1985) years later.

Box Office, DVD

Santa Claus Conquers the Martians -- also known as Santa Claus Defeats the Aliens -- actually turned a tidy profit at the box office. The film was subsequently re-released year after year during the holidays, where it brought in more revenue for its thrifty makers.

Santa Claus Conquers the Martians is available on low-budget DVD from several studios, including Alpha Video, Woodhaven Entertainment and Delta.

"All this trouble over a fat man in a red suit," grumbles Voldar, the mean Martian.

Well, Merry Christmas anyway...at least that's the salutation at the end of the movie.