S1.E13

Joe Santa Claus

Name: Joe Santa Claus
Genre: Drama
Released: 1951-12-20
Duration: 30 min
Rating: 6.7
Cast: Maria Palmer, Ray Montgomery, Houseley Stevenson

Episode aired Dec 20, 1951
30m

IMDb RATING

6.7/10

YOUR RATING

Drama

Disgusted that he's been moved from the hardware department to duties as a department store Santa Claus and angry that his wife wants to go to work and earn money, young father Joe Peters de... Read allDisgusted that he's been moved from the hardware department to duties as a department store Santa Claus and angry that his wife wants to go to work and earn money, young father Joe Peters deserts his family. While in his Santa role, Joe chances to meet his daughter and discovers ... Read allDisgusted that he's been moved from the hardware department to duties as a department store Santa Claus and angry that his wife wants to go to work and earn money, young father Joe Peters deserts his family. While in his Santa role, Joe chances to meet his daughter and discovers what she really wants for Christmas.

IMDb RATING

6.7/10

YOUR RATING

See more at IMDbPro

Directors
- Alex Gruenberg
- Axel Gruenberg
Writers
- Axel Gruenberg(teleplay)
- Howard J. Green(story)
Stars

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3User reviews

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Top cast

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Maria Palmer

Maria Peters

Ray Montgomery

Joe Peters

Houseley Stevenson

Uncle Willy

Peter Brocco

Mr. Grimes

Jeri Lou James

Emma Peters
(as Jeri James)

Sigrid Gurie

Ellen

Directors
- Alex Gruenberg
- Axel Gruenberg
Writers
- Axel Gruenberg(teleplay)
- Howard J. Green(story)
All cast & crew
Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

Storyline

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Trivia
Peter Brocco's TV debut.

Quotes
Joe Peters: What I mean is, I'm not the Santa Claus type.
Mr. Grimes: With whiskers, one Santa Claus is pretty much like another.
Joe Peters: Oh oh oh, sure, but-but wouldn't someone older be better for you, someone like, well, Uncle Billy? Yeah - that's your man for you!
Mr. Grimes: It is the view of the front office that you are more expendible than Uncle Willy.
Joe Peters: Expendible?
Mr. Grimes: A janitor's work is never finished, Mr. Peters, whereas the hardware department is scarcely the mecca of Christmas shoppers.

Connections
Referenced in Best of the Worst: Elves, Santa Claus, and Christmas Vacation 2 (2013)

User reviews3

Review

Top review

8/10

Wow....Joe is a real angry putz!

Although few have heard of it today, the first television network was the DuMont Network. Although NBC and CBS had been around in radio for years, their entry into television followed DuMont. But DuMont was poor by comparison and eventually the network folded in 1956. Many of the programs they made were destroyed in a fire...so shows like "Joe Santa Claus" are some of the few remaining artifacts from DuMont.

When the show begins, Joe is working for a department store. When his boss tells him he's being transferred to the toy department and will play Santa, you'd think he'd be thrilled but Joe is a grouchy jerk and is loathe to be Santa. The nice janitor cannot understand why Joe hates being Santa and Joe then tells him a story about his marriage and child...things Joe screwed up because of his chronic anger. In fact, Joe has lots of reasons to be happy but instead he's chosen to alienate himself from his loving family and has become miserable. Can playing Santa somehow help to redeem his nasty spirit?

Despite the audience hating Joe for most of the show, what eventually occurs is both heartwarming AND makes the show worth finding. Well made.

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