Santa and the Ice Cream Bunny facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Santa and the Ice Cream Bunny |
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Theatrical release poster
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| Directed by |
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| Produced by | Barry Mahon |
| Written by | R. Winer |
| Narrated by | Dorothy Brown Green |
| Starring | Jay Clark |
| Music by |
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| Cinematography |
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| Editing by |
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| Distributed by | R & S Film Enterprises Inc. |
| Release date(s) | December 1972 |
| Running time | 96 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Santa and the Ice Cream Bunny is a 1972 American musical fantasy film. It was written, directed, and even had its music composed by R. Winer. The movie was made to show two other films by Barry Mahon, just in time for Christmas.
The main story is about Santa Claus trying to get his sleigh unstuck. It's stuck in the sand on a Florida beach! Some local children try to help him.
This movie is special because it includes a "film-within-a-film." This means most of the movie is actually another film! Depending on the version you watch, it's either a 1970 movie of Thumbelina or Jack and the Beanstalk. Both of these were made by Barry Mahon. Because of its acting and how it was made, some people think it's one of the worst Christmas movies ever!
Contents
Story of the Film
A few days before Christmas, Santa's elves are busy at the North Pole. They sing about making toys while Santa is away. Suddenly, Santa's reindeer return, but Santa and his sleigh are missing! The elves sing again, wondering what happened.
Meanwhile, Santa has crashed on a beach in Dania Beach, Florida. His sleigh is stuck in the sand, and his reindeer have left him. Santa sings about his problems, then falls asleep.
Santa's Helpers
While sleeping, Santa uses his mind to call some local children. They run to him and offer to help. Santa explains that they must find a way to pull his sleigh out. He cannot leave it behind. The kids bring different animals to help. They bring a horse, a donkey, a sheep, a pig, and even a gorilla!
During this time, Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn watch from far away. They comment on what is happening.
A Story Within a Story
All their attempts to move the sleigh fail. Santa tells the children not to give up hope. He starts to tell them the story of Thumbelina as an example. The movie then switches to show Barry Mahon's film version of Thumbelina.
In this film, a girl visits an old theme park called Pirates World. She hears the Thumbelina story at a Hans Christian Andersen attraction. Then, she imagines herself as Thumbelina. This Thumbelina movie plays completely, even with its own credits! It is much longer than the Santa story. Some versions of Santa and the Ice Cream Bunny use the Jack and the Beanstalk movie instead.
The Ice Cream Bunny Arrives
After the story, Santa tells the children to "always believe." The kids go off to find more help. Santa takes off his coat and falls asleep again. He wakes up to the sound of an old fire engine. The titular Ice Cream Bunny is driving it! The children's dog, Rebel, had found the Bunny.
The Ice Cream Bunny drives the children through Pirates World to the beach. Santa puts on his coat to meet them. He thanks the children for their help. He accepts the Ice Cream Bunny's offer to drive him back to the North Pole. Santa reminds the children one last time to always have faith as they leave.
The children then realize Santa's sleigh is still stuck on the beach. As they wonder what to do, the sleigh suddenly teleports! It appears at the North Pole, waiting for Santa's return.
Meet the Cast
- Jay Ripley, known as Jay Clark, plays Santa Claus.
- Charlie and David play fighting kids.
- Kathy plays the skateboard girl.
- Mike plays the skateboard donkey boy.
- Kim Nicholas plays the donkey girl and a doll elf.
- Robin plays Rebel's owner.
- Sandy plays the boy jumping off a roof.
- Scotty plays the batter.
- Steve plays the catcher.
- Thumbelina
- Shay Garner plays Thumbelina.
- Pat Morrell plays Mrs. Mole.
- Bob O'Connell plays Mr. Mole.
- Ruth McMahon plays the mother.
- Heather Grinter plays the witch.
- Sue Cable plays the flower girl.
- Mike Yuenger plays the flower prince.
- Jack and the Beanstalk
- Mitchell Poulos plays Jack.
- Dorothy Stokes plays Jack's mother.
- Renato Boracherro plays the giant.
- Chris Brooks plays Honest John.
- John Loomis
- Sami Sims
- George Wadsworth
Fun Commentary from RiffTrax
RiffTrax is a group that adds funny commentary to movies. On December 17, 2010, they released Santa and the Ice Cream Bunny with their comments. You could download it or get it on DVD.
On December 3, 2015, RiffTrax showed Santa and the Ice Cream Bunny live in theaters. For this show, they used the version with Jack and the Beanstalk. It's one of their most popular movies to make fun of!
