149 Fun Facts About Christmas Movies

In Home Alone, what city do the McCallisters fly to for Christmas, leaving Kevin behind?

Paris is where the McCallisters are headed when a storm cuts the power overnight and silences their alarm clocks; in the scramble for the airport, a neighbor's boy is counted in Kevin's place.

Which actor plays Buddy's gruff biological father, Walter Hobbs, in Elf?

James Caan plays Walter Hobbs, a hard-nosed publishing executive who has no idea Buddy exists until his grown son, raised by elves, walks into his office in full elf costume.

Which actor plays the Grinch in the 2000 live-action film How the Grinch Stole Christmas?

Jim Carrey likened the Grinch makeup to being buried alive, so producer Brian Grazer brought in an expert who trains CIA agents to withstand torture to coach him through the shoot.

What does Ralphie desperately want for Christmas in A Christmas Story?

A Red Ryder BB gun is all Ralphie wants, though his mother, his teacher and even a store Santa warn he'll shoot his eye out; on Christmas morning a ricochet nearly proves them right.

In Die Hard, what is the name of the building where the hostage situation takes place?

Nakatomi Plaza is really Fox Plaza in Century City, the studio's own newly built headquarters; 20th Century Fox staged the siege in and around its own tower.

What profession does George Bailey have in It's a Wonderful Life?

Building and loan operator is a job George Bailey never wanted: he takes over the family firm when his father dies, then uses it to build Bailey Park so working families can leave the town's slums.

In National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, what does Clark Griswold hope to use his Christmas bonus for?

Clark's bonus turns out to be a one-year membership to the Jelly of the Month Club, after he has already put a deposit on a swimming pool.

What is the name of the angel who helps George Bailey in It's a Wonderful Life?

Clarence Odbody, Angel Second Class, shows George what life would be like if he had never been born, and earns his wings in the process.

Which character in Love Actually holds up cue cards at Keira Knightley's door to confess his love?

Mark tells his best friend's new wife on the cards that he expects nothing in return; she runs after him for one brief kiss, and he walks away resolved to move on.

In The Polar Express, what does the boy choose as the first gift of Christmas?

The boy asks for a silver bell from Santa's sleigh as the first gift of Christmas. He loses it through a hole in his robe pocket, but it turns up under the tree with a note from Santa.

In Elf, which New York department store's Santaland does Buddy wander into and redecorate overnight?

Gimbels takes Buddy for one of its own Santaland elves; the real chain had shut in 1987, sixteen years before the film, so the store he redecorates no longer existed.

In Miracle on 34th Street (1947), which real department store does Kris Kringle work at as Santa?

Macy's hires Kris Kringle as its Santa, and when he sends shoppers to rival stores for toys it lacks, the goodwill is so good for business that Mr. Macy makes it store policy.

What is the name of the villain played by Alan Rickman in Die Hard?

Hans Gruber only poses as a terrorist with political demands; the hostage-taking is cover for a heist, and what he really wants is the $640 million in bearer bonds in the building's vault.

In A Christmas Story, what shape is the major award lamp that Ralphie's father wins?

A woman's leg in a fishnet stocking is the lamp the Old Man proudly puts in the front window, until his wife, who hates it, 'accidentally' breaks it.

Which singer, also the voice of Tony the Tiger, sang 'You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch' uncredited in 1966?

Thurl Ravenscroft was accidentally left off the credits, so Dr. Seuss wrote to newspaper columnists across America to make sure he got the recognition for the song.

Who plays Santa Claus in the 2003 film Elf?

Ed Asner plays Santa Claus in Elf; his sleigh crashes in Central Park when Christmas spirit runs low. Bob Newhart plays Buddy's adoptive Papa Elf.

In Home Alone, what nickname do the two burglars go by?

Harry and Marv call themselves the Wet Bandits because Marv leaves the water running in every house they rob as their calling card.

Which actor plays six roles in The Polar Express, including the boy and the conductor?

Tom Hanks plays the conductor, the hobo, Santa, Scrooge and the boy's father, and acted out the boy's movements too, though a child actor supplied the boy's speaking voice.

In Elf, what does Buddy say are the four main elf food groups?

Candy, candy canes, candy corns, and syrup is the diet Buddy recites to his startled new family; Will Ferrell has said that eating the sugary food Buddy lives on left him feeling ill.

Which Rankin/Bass stop-motion Christmas special features a prospector named Yukon Cornelius?

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer has Yukon Cornelius licking his pickaxe after every strike; a closing scene cut after the first broadcast showed why: he was hunting for a peppermint mine.

In The Santa Clause (1994), what does Scott Calvin do that binds him to become Santa?

Puts on Santa's suit: after Santa falls from his roof, a card in the pocket tells Scott to wear it, and the fine print, the Santa Clause, hands whoever wears the suit the job.

Which British actor plays the Prime Minister in Love Actually?

Hugh Grant plays the newly elected Prime Minister, who falls for a junior member of his household staff, then publicly stands up to the visiting US President after catching him making a pass at her.

In Home Alone, what does Kevin's neighbor Old Man Marley use to knock out the two burglars at the end?

A snow shovel in the hands of Old Man Marley ends the chase; Buzz had sworn the neighbor was a murderer, but Kevin befriends the lonely old man in church and is repaid with a rescue.

In A Charlie Brown Christmas, what does Charlie Brown buy instead of a flashy aluminum tree?

A small real sapling is the only living tree on the lot; the gang laughs at it, then has a change of heart and dresses it with the decorations from Snoopy's prize-winning doghouse.

Which actor voiced the Grinch in the 1966 TV special How the Grinch Stole Christmas?

Boris Karloff narrates the special as well as voicing the Grinch; director Chuck Jones wanted the horror star after hearing a record of him reading Rudyard Kipling's stories.

In Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, where does Kevin check in using his father's credit card?

The Plaza is where Kevin talks his way into a suite on his dad's credit card; Donald Trump, who owned the hotel at the time, appears in the lobby and points him the way.

What is the fictional town called in It's a Wonderful Life?

Bedford Falls is the small town George Bailey never manages to leave; Seneca Falls, New York, bills itself as the real Bedford Falls and runs an It's a Wonderful Life museum on the strength of the claim.

In National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, what animal causes chaos after hiding in the Christmas tree?

A squirrel rides in on the replacement tree Clark cuts from the yard after Uncle Lewis's cigar torches the first one; it bolts out, and the dog chases it through the house.

In The Nightmare Before Christmas, who finds Christmas Town and tries to take over the holiday?

Jack Skellington, the Pumpkin King, is bored with scaring people; Tim Burton dreamed him up in a poem while working at Disney, but left the directing to stop-motion specialist Henry Selick.

What year was the original It's a Wonderful Life released?

It's a Wonderful Life was released in 1946, directed by Frank Capra. It was initially a box office disappointment but became a beloved classic through TV broadcasts.

What is John McClane's wife's name in Die Hard?

Holly, played by Bonnie Bedelia, has gone back to her maiden name at her new job in Los Angeles, which John discovers from the lobby directory when he flies in to patch things up.

In Scrooged (1988), which actor plays the modern-day version of Ebenezer Scrooge?

Bill Murray plays Frank Cross, a ruthless TV boss haunted by ghosts on the very night his network is staging a lavish live broadcast of A Christmas Carol.

In A Christmas Story, what does Flick get stuck to a frozen flagpole after a 'triple dog dare'?

His tongue sticks fast just as recess ends, and his friends run back to class without him; Hammond, Indiana, the author's hometown, later put up a statue recreating the moment.

Who directed the 2004 motion-capture film The Polar Express?

Robert Zemeckis adapted Chris Van Allsburg's 1985 picture book; the author had resisted selling the film rights until he learned who wanted to star in it.

In Love Actually, what country does Colin travel to, believing women there will find him irresistible?

The United States is where Colin flies, convinced his British accent will do the work for him; against all sense he is proved right, drawing eager attention from several American women.

What is the name of the miserly banker and antagonist in It's a Wonderful Life?

Henry F. Potter, played by Lionel Barrymore, owns most of the town's businesses; Barrymore was a famous radio Scrooge at the time, which made him a natural choice.

Which actress plays Jovie, the love interest, in Elf?

Zooey Deschanel plays Jovie, a department store elf who becomes Buddy's love interest and eventually helps spread Christmas cheer by singing in Central Park.

In the 2018 animated film The Grinch, which actor voices the title character?

Benedict Cumberbatch chose an American accent over his own English one to match the rest of the cast; the film took over $500 million and on release overtook Home Alone as the top-grossing Christmas film.

What black-and-white movie does Kevin McCallister watch and quote in Home Alone?

Angels with Filthy Souls is actually a fictional movie-within-a-movie created specifically for Home Alone. Kevin uses its dialogue ('Keep the change, ya filthy animal') to fool the pizza delivery man.

In It's a Wonderful Life, how much money does Uncle Billy misplace on Christmas Eve?

$8,000 is the deposit Uncle Billy absent-mindedly hands over folded inside a newspaper; the town's rival banker finds the cash, keeps it, and lets George face ruin for the shortfall.

In Elf, in which New York landmark does Buddy find his father's publishing office?

The Empire State Building houses the office where Buddy's father takes him for a Christmas-gram messenger and has security throw him out; director Jon Favreau cameos as the doctor whose DNA test proves they are related.

In Gremlins (1984), what happens when a Mogwai gets wet?

It multiplies: when water spills on Gizmo, furballs pop out of his back and grow into new Mogwai, and those turn into gremlins once they trick Billy into feeding them after midnight.

What is the name of the Grinch's loyal dog in How the Grinch Stole Christmas?

Max is the Grinch's loyal dog, sent out with an antler tied to his head to haul the sleigh of stolen presents up Mount Crumpit.

Which actor plays Clark Griswold in National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation?

Chevy Chase returns as Clark Griswold for a third film, but his screen children do not: Rusty and Audrey are recast yet again, this time with Johnny Galecki and Juliette Lewis.

In the Muppet Christmas Carol, which Muppet character plays Bob Cratchit?

Kermit the Frog plays Bob Cratchit, who wins the bookkeepers Christmas Day off by pointing out that Michael Caine's Scrooge would have no customers on the holiday.

What 1954 musical film stars Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye as performers who help save a Vermont inn?

White Christmas was meant to reunite Bing Crosby with Fred Astaire, but Astaire bowed out and his replacement, Donald O'Connor, fell ill just before shooting, so Danny Kaye stepped in.

In the movie Jingle All the Way, what toy are the main characters desperately trying to buy?

Turbo-Man is the sold-out action figure Arnold Schwarzenegger's Howard chases all Christmas Eve; he ends up at the city's holiday procession, mistaken for the actor playing the hero, and hands the doll to his own son.

Which child actor plays Kevin McCallister, the boy left behind, in Home Alone?

Macaulay Culkin plays Kevin, who is sent to sleep in the attic after a row at dinner and wakes to an empty house, convinced his wish for his family to disappear has come true.

What does Jamie travel to do in the closing scenes of Love Actually?

To propose to Aurélia in France, Jamie flies back and asks in halting Portuguese; she accepts in broken English, having secretly been learning his language too.

Counting Jacob Marley, how many ghosts visit Ebenezer Scrooge in Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol?

Marley's chained ghost comes first, followed by the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Yet to Come. Dickens split the story into five 'staves' rather than chapters.

What weather grounds Brad and Kate's flight from San Francisco to Fiji in Four Christmases?

Heavy fog shuts the airport, and a local TV crew interviews the stranded couple live, blowing their cover story about charity work abroad to both families at once.

Who plays Brad, dragged to four family Christmases in one day, in Four Christmases?

Vince Vaughn's Brad and Reese Witherspoon's Kate are a happily unmarried couple who usually dodge both families by flying abroad while claiming to be doing charity work.

What is the hobby of Brad's brothers Denver and Dallas in Four Christmases?

Amateur cage fighting is how Denver and Dallas say hello: the brothers, played by Jon Favreau and Tim McGraw, wrestle Brad to the floor soon after he arrives at their father's house.

Which pair of Oscar winners play Brad's divorced parents, Howard and Paula, in Four Christmases?

Robert Duvall and Sissy Spacek play Howard and Paula, long divorced; Paula's new boyfriend turns out to be Brad's best friend from childhood, to his obvious discomfort.

In Four Christmases, Brad and Kate are pushed into which roles in the Christmas pageant?

Brad and Kate are roped into playing Mary and Joseph in the nativity pageant at Kate's mother's church, where Brad hams up Joseph; country singer Dwight Yoakam plays the pastor.

What is revealed to be Brad's real first name in Four Christmases?

Orlando is Brad's real name, and his brothers are Denver and Dallas: each boy was named after the city where he was conceived.

Which party game further strains Brad and Kate's relationship in Four Christmases?

Taboo, played at Brad's mother's house, shows how little Brad and Kate really know about each other, and the round ends in an argument in the car about whether they have a future.

Four Christmases opened at No. 1 over which US holiday weekend in 2008?

Thanksgiving weekend belonged to Four Christmases: it opened second to Twilight on the Wednesday, then led every day through Sunday, taking about $46 million and ending the vampire hit's run at number one.

How does Four Christmases end for Brad and Kate, one year after their grounded flight?

They welcome their first child on New Year's Day, and because it is the first baby of the year a TV crew turns up, exposing the couple's secret to their families all over again.

Who wrote and directed the 2006 romantic comedy The Holiday?

Nancy Meyers wrote and directed The Holiday, in which Arthur, a screenwriter from Hollywood's golden age, prescribes Iris a list of classic films with strong heroines so she can become the leading lady of her own life.

In The Holiday, Amanda and Iris escape their heartbreak by doing what?

Swapping homes for the holidays is arranged in a hurry: Amanda finds Iris's Surrey cottage on a home-exchange website and they agree to switch for two weeks, starting the very next day.

Which actor plays Iris's brother Graham in The Holiday?

Jude Law plays Graham, who turns up tipsy at the cottage expecting his sister; the Sophie and Olivia who keep phoning him, whom Amanda takes for girlfriends, turn out to be his two small daughters.

What is Amanda Woods's job in The Holiday?

She runs a film-trailer production company, which is why Amanda's lowest moments keep being narrated back to her as mock movie trailers of her own love life.

Which comedy star plays Miles, a movie composer who falls for Iris, in The Holiday?

Jack Black plays Miles, who is out renting films with Iris on Christmas Eve when he spots his girlfriend with another man; the shared heartbreak is what finally brings the two friends together.

Which Hollywood veteran, 90 at the time, plays retired screenwriter Arthur Abbott in The Holiday?

Eli Wallach, the bandit Tuco in The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, was 90 when he played Arthur, whom Iris coaxes into attending a Writers Guild tribute he had been dreading.

Which actor pops up uncredited in The Holiday's video-store scene as Miles sings music from one of his films?

Dustin Hoffman browses behind Miles, who is singing the score of The Graduate, and mutters that he can't go anywhere; the cameo was unplanned, as he had spotted the crew filming nearby and dropped in.

Which actress plays Amanda, the American half of The Holiday's two heartbroken heroines?

Cameron Diaz plays Amanda, who has not cried since she was a child; the running joke pays off when she finally weeps on the way to the airport and turns back to the cottage for Graham.

Roughly how much did The Holiday gross worldwide, against a production budget of $85M?

The Holiday grossed about $206 million worldwide on its $85 million budget; only $63 million came from North America, with international audiences supplying the bulk.

Which composer scored The Holiday, and gets name-checked when Miles hums the Driving Miss Daisy theme?

Hans Zimmer scored The Holiday; the in-joke lands when Miles hums the Driving Miss Daisy theme and credits it to Zimmer, who really did write it. Imogen Heap contributed additional music.

Which Killers hit does Amanda drunkenly sing along to at the cottage in The Holiday?

Mr. Brightside has Amanda singing along, glass in hand, on her first lonely night in England, shortly before a stranger turns up at the door: Iris's brother, Graham.

Who plays Jasper, the ex who keeps stringing Iris along in The Holiday?

Rufus Sewell plays Jasper Bloom, Iris's colleague and ex who gets engaged to someone else yet flies to Los Angeles to win her back; she finally throws him out of Amanda's house.

Who plays the boozy, safe-cracking mall Santa in the 2003 black comedy Bad Santa?

Billy Bob Thornton plays Willie, who takes a mall Santa job each December so he and his partner, dressed as his elf, can empty the store safe on Christmas Eve; the film is dedicated to co-star John Ritter.

Which actor plays New York cop John McClane in Die Hard?

Bruce Willis was a TV comedy star from Moonlighting when he landed the part, after action names including Sylvester Stallone and Harrison Ford had turned it down.

Klaus (2019), a hand-drawn Santa origin story, premiered on which streaming service?

Netflix released Klaus, director Sergio Pablos's debut, in which a spoiled young man and a reclusive toymaker accidentally invent the legend of Santa Claus one delivery at a time.

In Klaus, what job takes lazy Jesper Johansen to a remote island town in the Far North?

Jesper is posted to Smeerensburg as its postman by his father, the Postmaster General, after deliberately coasting through the Royal Postal Academy; he must post 6,000 letters in a year or be cut off.

Arthur Christmas (2011) was the second computer-animated feature from which studio?

Aardman, the Bristol home of Wallace & Gromit, made it with Sony after Flushed Away; its Santa runs a high-tech operation that misses one child, so his clumsy son Arthur sets out to deliver the gift himself.

Which actress co-wrote Last Christmas (2019) with Bryony Kimmings and also appears in it?

Emma Thompson co-wrote it and plays Kate's mother; the film takes the Wham! lyric literally, as Kate learns the stranger she has fallen for was the donor of the heart she was given last Christmas.

The 2015 comedy horror film Krampus draws on a monster from which folklore tradition?

Austro-Bavarian Alpine folklore pairs St Nicholas with the horned Krampus, who punishes naughty children; the film unleashes him when a boy, sick of his squabbling family, tears up his letter to Santa.

In the 1998 film Jack Frost, Michael Keaton's dead musician father returns to life as what?

Jack Frost returns as a living snowman a year after his death when his son Charlie plays the magic harmonica he left behind; Kelly Preston plays the widow Gabby and Troy Miller directed.

Which Irving Berlin song from Holiday Inn (1942) later titled a 1948 Fred Astaire film?

Easter Parade was already nine years old: Irving Berlin wrote it for the 1933 Broadway revue As Thousands Cheer, recycled it for Holiday Inn, then lent its title to the 1948 Fred Astaire and Judy Garland musical.

Who plays the bishop opposite Cary Grant's angel in The Bishop's Wife (1947)?

David Niven plays Bishop Henry Brougham, who prays for help raising money for a cathedral and is sent Cary Grant's suave angel, whose real mission turns out to be Henry himself, not the building fund.

Who plays columnist Elizabeth Lane, faking a farm life, in Christmas in Connecticut?

Barbara Stanwyck plays Elizabeth Lane, a magazine food writer who cannot cook; S. Z. Sakall plays Felix, the restaurateur friend secretly supplying her recipes, and Dennis Morgan the war-hero sailor she must host.

Who plays the miser in Scrooge (1951), released in the US as A Christmas Carol?

Alastair Sim plays Ebenezer Scrooge in Brian Desmond Hurst's 1951 film, and came back to the part twenty years later, voicing Scrooge in an animated A Christmas Carol that won an Oscar.

In Scrooge (1951), which avaricious mentor, a character Dickens never wrote, introduces young Ebenezer to Jacob Marley?

Mr. Jorkin, played by Jack Warner, lures young Scrooge away from kindly Mr. Fezziwig; when Jorkin is caught embezzling, Scrooge and Marley cover the losses in exchange for control of the firm.

Who got a Golden Globe nod as tightly wound girlfriend Meredith in The Family Stone?

Sarah Jessica Parker plays Meredith, whose every attempt to win over her boyfriend's bohemian family backfires; a year later she is back for Christmas as part of the family, but on his brother's arm.

In Violent Night (2022), what does Santa reveal he was centuries before he took up the sleigh?

A Viking warrior called Nicomund the Red is who this Santa used to be, which is why he meets the mansion's mercenaries with a sledgehammer; his old war hammer was named Skullcrusher.

Who plays a hammer-swinging Santa fighting mercenaries in Violent Night (2022)?

David Harbour plays a jaded, hard-drinking Santa who is delivering presents at a mansion when John Leguizamo's mercenaries take the family hostage, so he stays to fight.

Which Dame cameos as herself in the 2022 musical Spirited?

Judi Dench cameos as herself in Spirited, the Apple TV+ musical whose twist is that the Ghost of Christmas Present was once Ebenezer Scrooge; Benj Pasek and Justin Paul wrote the songs.

Who plays Santa Claus in The Christmas Chronicles (2018)?

Kurt Russell plays a brawny Santa in The Christmas Chronicles and sings lead on the jailhouse cover of Elvis's Santa Claus Is Back in Town, backed by Little Steven and the Disciples of Soul.

What is Santa's older brother's job in Chicago before he heads north in Fred Claus?

Repossession agent Fred Claus goes north only for the money: his saintly brother will bail him out of jail and stake his business scheme if he comes to work at the North Pole.

In Satoshi Kon's Tokyo Godfathers, three homeless people find what on Christmas Eve?

Gin, Hana and Miyuki find an abandoned newborn in the rubbish on Christmas Eve and set out to find her mother; Kon took the premise from John Ford's 1948 western 3 Godfathers, and Hana names the baby Kiyoko.

Rare Exports (2010), where Santa is a horned beast dug from a fell, is from which country?

Finland's Lapland is the setting: reindeer hunters find the real Santa frozen inside Korvatunturi fell, and end up catching his feral helpers to train and ship abroad as mall Santas, hence the title.

Who plays Patch, the elf whose automated toys backfire, in the 1985 film Santa Claus?

Dudley Moore plays Patch, who quits the North Pole in shame when his automated toys fall apart and is taken in by John Lithgow's crooked toy tycoon; Superman producers Alexander and Ilya Salkind made the film.

Who directed Happiest Season (2020), a rom-com about bringing a secret girlfriend home for Christmas?

Clea DuVall, who co-wrote it, has called the film in many ways autobiographical: Harper brings her girlfriend home for Christmas without having told her conservative parents she is gay.

Which Billy Wilder film, built around an office Christmas party, won Best Picture of 1960?

The Apartment won Best Picture for 1960: Jack Lemmon's clerk lends his flat to philandering bosses and falls for Shirley MacLaine's elevator operator; the 1968 Broadway musical Promises, Promises was adapted from it.

The bickering shop clerks in The Shop Around the Corner (1940) work in which city?

Matuschek and Company is a leather-goods shop in Budapest, taken from Miklos Laszlo's Hungarian play Parfumerie; the story was remade as In the Good Old Summertime and later as You've Got Mail.

In Meet Me in St. Louis, what does Tootie destroy after Esther's Christmas Eve song?

After Esther sings Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, Tootie runs outside and smashes the family's snowmen rather than leave them behind in the move to New York; the outburst makes their father cancel the move.

In Trading Places (1983), the Duke brothers settle their life-swapping wager for how much?

$1 is the Dukes' 'usual amount'; Winthorpe and Valentine later make the same one-dollar bet with each other, then ruin the brothers in frozen concentrated orange juice futures.

In Batman Returns (1992), the Red Triangle Gang drags Max Shreck to a hideout where?

Gotham Zoo's old Arctic exhibit hides the Penguin, dumped in the sewers as a baby and raised by its penguins; he blackmails Shreck there into helping him rejoin the world above.

In It's a Wonderful Life, what are the jobs of George's friends Bert and Ernie?

A cop and a cab driver in Frank Capra's film are widely believed to have inspired the Muppets' names, but Sesame Street's own team has called the match a coincidence.

Which legal-thriller author wrote Skipping Christmas, the novel filmed in 2004 as Christmas with the Kranks?

John Grisham stepped away from courtrooms for the 2001 comic novel, about a couple who try to sit out the holidays while their daughter is away with the Peace Corps.

In A Christmas Story, where do the Parkers eat Christmas dinner after the neighbors' hounds devour their turkey?

A Chinese restaurant saves the Parkers' Christmas, and Ralphie is introduced to 'Chinese turkey'. The Bumpus family's pack of hounds had spent the whole film chasing the Old Man.

In which city is New York detective John McClane visiting his estranged wife on Christmas Eve in Die Hard?

Los Angeles supplied the skyscraper as well as the setting: the film was shot almost entirely in and around a real office tower that was still under construction.

Which two-time Oscar winner plays Ebenezer Scrooge opposite a puppet cast in The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992)?

Michael Caine took the part on one condition: he would play it as if working with the Royal Shakespeare Company, never winking at the camera or doing anything 'Muppety'.

In Gremlins (1984), what name is given to the mogwai that Billy's father brings home from a Chinatown shop?

Gizmo was voiced by comedian Howie Mandel. Screenwriter Chris Columbus later directed another Christmas smash, Home Alone.

What lapsed in 1974, letting any US TV station air It's a Wonderful Life and making it a holiday staple?

Its copyright went unrenewed after a clerical error, so the film slipped into the public domain, and years of repeated December airings turned it into a classic.

Which star introduced 'Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas' in the 1944 MGM musical Meet Me in St. Louis?

Judy Garland sings it to comfort her five-year-old sister in the film. She had called the first draft of the lyrics too depressing, so the songwriter rewrote them.

Which US cable network launched its 'Countdown to Christmas' season of original holiday movies in 2009?

Hallmark Channel opened its first Countdown with only a handful of original premieres, built as a cross-promotion with the Hallmark Cards greeting-card business.

Which actor, back from flying bombers over Europe in World War II, plays George Bailey in It's a Wonderful Life?

James Stewart said Frank Capra gave him a new beginning with the role. It was the first postwar film for both men.

Which child actress, eight years old at the time, plays doubting Susan in Miracle on 34th Street (1947)?

Natalie Wood had already been acting for half her life, having started at four. She grew up to star in West Side Story and earn two Best Actress Oscar nominations.

Which Jurassic Park actor plays Kris Kringle in the 1994 remake of Miracle on 34th Street?

Richard Attenborough had gone more than a decade without an acting role before dinosaur-park founder John Hammond lured him back. His turn in the red suit followed a year later.

Which actress plays Kate McCallister, the mother who races home to her forgotten son, in Home Alone (1990)?

Catherine O'Hara struggled to deliver one line, daring Kevin to wish his family away again, because she found it horrific to say to a child.

Which comedian cameos in Home Alone as Gus Polinski, the polka bandleader who offers Kevin's mother a ride?

John Candy shot the whole cameo in a single 23-hour day as a favor to writer John Hughes, and he improvised all of his dialogue.

Which composer, hired after the first choice dropped out, scored Home Alone and its theme 'Somewhere in My Memory'?

John Williams was first suggested as a joke by director Chris Columbus, until Steven Spielberg helped put the two in touch. The score and the song both earned Oscar nominations.

Which comedian left Saturday Night Live in 2002 and played Buddy in Elf the following year?

Will Ferrell also had a hand in the script, sharing uncredited rewrites with his regular writing partner Adam McKay.

Which director of Elf also appears on screen as the family doctor who runs a DNA test on Buddy?

Jon Favreau nearly passed on the film because the early script was 'much darker'. He is also the uncredited voice of the baby walrus at the North Pole.

Which sitcom star plays Scott Calvin, a divorced marketing executive, in The Santa Clause (1994)?

Tim Allen was midway through the run of Home Improvement when he put on the suit. A year later he became the voice of Buzz Lightyear in Toy Story.

In The Santa Clause 2, what must Scott Calvin do before Christmas Eve to keep his job at the North Pole?

Find a wife, says a second clause in his contract, or he stops being Santa for good. He ends up falling for the principal of his son's school.

Which Muppet pair play the chained ghosts of Jacob and Robert Marley in The Muppet Christmas Carol?

Statler and Waldorf needed a ghost each, so the film gave Jacob Marley a brother. The name Robert may also be a nod to reggae star Bob Marley.

Which actor won a BAFTA as Billy Mack, the ageing rocker with a novelty Christmas single, in Love Actually?

Bill Nighy was a casting director's idea. Writer-director Richard Curtis could not choose between two actors he had in mind, so he asked for someone he would never have thought to cast.

In which state is A Christmas Story set, in a fictional town modeled on the narrator's own hometown of Hammond?

Indiana is home to the fictional Hohman, named after a main street in Hammond. The Parker house seen on screen, though, stands in Cleveland, Ohio, where it is now a museum.

In A Christmas Story, which drink is plugged by the secret message Ralphie decodes with his Little Orphan Annie pin?

Ovaltine really did sponsor the Little Orphan Annie radio show in the 1930s, which is why Ralphie's long-awaited message turns out to be a 'crummy commercial'.

In A Charlie Brown Christmas, which character takes the spotlight on stage to recite the Nativity story?

Linus drops his security blanket to recite the King James account of the angels and the shepherds. One newspaper critic called his reading 'the dramatic highlight of the season'.

Which little Who girl, played on screen by Taylor Momsen, interrupts the Grinch as he robs her house?

Cindy Lou Who is fobbed off with a crafty lie, and the theft carries on. Momsen grew up to front the rock band the Pretty Reckless.

Which action star plays Howard Langston, a father on a Christmas Eve toy hunt, in Jingle All the Way (1996)?

Arnold Schwarzenegger was free for the comedy only because a planned Planet of the Apes reboot was delayed. His rival shopper was nearly played by Joe Pesci.

Which 1998 romantic comedy recast The Shop Around the Corner's feuding pen pals as rival New York booksellers?

You've Got Mail tips its hat to the 1940 original: Meg Ryan's character runs a children's bookstore called The Shop Around the Corner.

Which 1987 buddy-cop film opens with 'Jingle Bell Rock' and ends with Christmas dinner at a detective's family home?

Lethal Weapon was written by Shane Black, who went on to set so many of his action scripts in December that the season became his trademark.

Which pop superstar plays Julia, a pastor's wife charmed by a debonair angel, in The Preacher's Wife (1996)?

Whitney Houston also recorded the soundtrack, which became the best-selling gospel album of all time. The film is a remake of the 1947 comedy The Bishop's Wife.

Which actress plays the Ghost of Christmas Present as a sweet-voiced but violent fairy in Scrooged (1988)?

Carol Kane spends her scenes thumping the film's hero, at one point with a toaster. She had already won two Emmy Awards for the sitcom Taxi.

Which English actor won an Academy Award for playing Kris Kringle in the original Miracle on 34th Street?

Edmund Gwenn took Best Supporting Actor and a Golden Globe for the role, and the film's story and screenplay won Oscars as well.

Which film classification was created in 1984 after complaints that Gremlins was too violent for children?

The PG-13 rating arrived within two months of the film's release, after its own executive producer, Steven Spielberg, urged the ratings board to revise its system.

Aunt Bethany in Christmas Vacation was the last role of Mae Questel, famous as the voice of which 1930s cartoon star?

Betty Boop was voiced by Questel from 1931, and Popeye's Olive Oyl soon after. Nearly six decades later she bowed out as the Griswolds' senile aunt.

Which former child star played Ralphie in A Christmas Story and, twenty years on, the head elf Ming Ming in Elf?

Peter Billingsley moved behind the camera as an adult and was a producer on Elf, where his cameo in the North Pole workshop goes uncredited.

Which actress plays Lucy, a lonely token collector mistaken for a coma patient's fiancée, in While You Were Sleeping?

Sandra Bullock earned a Golden Globe nomination as the Chicago transit worker who pulls a commuter off the train tracks on Christmas Day.

Which actor plays the strict classics teacher stuck minding students over Christmas break in The Holdovers (2023)?

Paul Giamatti earned a Best Actor Oscar nomination for the part, while Da'Vine Joy Randolph won Best Supporting Actress as the school's bereaved cafeteria manager.

Which future Big Bang Theory star plays Rusty, the Griswolds' son, in National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation?

Johnny Galecki had a second holiday film out the same year, the reindeer drama Prancer. He was the third actor to play Rusty in three Vacation films.

Which director made both the 1974 slasher Black Christmas and the family favorite A Christmas Story?

Bob Clark went from the early slasher to the raunchy hit Porky's before filming Jean Shepherd's boyhood tales, a project he had wanted since hearing one on the radio in 1968.

Which Looney Tunes animator directed the 1966 television special How the Grinch Stole Christmas!?

Chuck Jones already knew Dr. Seuss: the two had worked together at Warner Bros. on the Private Snafu training cartoons.

Which comedy duo star in the 1934 holiday musical Babes in Toyland, also shown as March of the Wooden Soldiers?

Laurel and Hardy play Stannie Dum and Ollie Dee, who live in a shoe in Toyland alongside Mother Peep, Bo-Peep and a crowd of children.

Which star, the first actor to refuse an Oscar, plays Ebenezer Scrooge in the 1984 film A Christmas Carol?

George C. Scott had turned down his Best Actor award for Patton, arguing that performances cannot be compared. His Scrooge was shot in the medieval English town of Shrewsbury.

In Netflix's A Christmas Prince, journalist Amber is sent to report on the royals of which fictional country?

Aldovia is where Amber is mistaken for the young princess's new tutor, and she plays along to investigate rumors that Prince Richard will give up the throne.

Which Scottish actor voices Arthur, Santa's clumsy younger son on a mission to deliver one bicycle, in Arthur Christmas?

James McAvoy leads a voice cast that includes Hugh Laurie as Steve, the older brother who runs Christmas Eve from a control room beneath the North Pole.

Which jazz pianist composed the unorthodox score of the 1965 television special A Charlie Brown Christmas?

Vince Guaraldi also suggested the muted trombone that stands in for the unseen teacher's voice in later Peanuts specials.

Which 1974 Rankin/Bass special features the feuding step-brothers Heat Miser and Snow Miser?

The Year Without a Santa Claus was the final acting credit of its narrator, Shirley Booth, who retired afterwards. Mickey Rooney voiced Santa.

Which future Golden Globe winner played a Martian girl called Girmar in Santa Claus Conquers the Martians (1964)?

Pia Zadora was a child actress in a film that regularly appears on lists of the worst ever made. Her Golden Globe as New Star of the Year, for the drama Butterfly, arrived alongside two Golden Raspberries for that same performance.

Which future Oscar winner for From Here to Eternity plays Mary, George Bailey's wife, in It's a Wonderful Life?

Donna Reed was under contract to MGM, which lent her out to play Mary opposite a leading man just home from the war.

Which actor plays the Penguin in Batman Returns, the 1992 superhero sequel set during the Christmas season?

Danny DeVito looked so alarming in full costume and makeup that a monkey trained to carry a note to his character lunged at him on first sight.

Which comedian stars in, co-wrote and produced Eight Crazy Nights (2002), an animated musical set around Hanukkah?

Adam Sandler took the title from his own 'The Chanukah Song', which boasts that instead of one day of presents, 'we have eight crazy nights'.

Which actor plays Jack, a Wall Street executive who wakes on Christmas Day as a suburban dad, in The Family Man?

Nicolas Cage's high-flying bachelor is told he is getting 'a glimpse' of another life, in which he sells tires for his father-in-law in New Jersey.