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Launched in 2001, the Distinctive channel made original Christmas-themed films a cornerstone, and one of the first to really take off starred Steve Guttenberg as Santa’s heir. In Single Santa Claus looking for Mrs. Clausplays Nick, who hopes to find a partner before taking over the family business when he meets Beth (Crystal Bernard), an advertising executive and single mother.
“It really meant a lot to me to play such a positive character,” says Guttenberg. THR. “Even though it was possibly a simple Santa movie, it was really interesting to act and it was a big challenge for me to make this guy human.”
The star, known for ’80s hits like police academy and Three men and a babypraises director Harvey Frost: yes, that’s his real last name. “Harvey was incredible and often used five cameras, so we shot very quickly,” Guttenberg recalls.
Single Santa Claus looking for Mrs. Clauswhich premiered on December 11, 2004, performed so well that it spawned a sequel in 2005, Meet the Santa Clauses. “We developed a great script for the third, but the machinations of a deal got in the way,” laments Guttenberg, who still hopes to one day complete the trilogy.
Christmas-centric romantic comedies have become synonymous with Hallmark, and Frost himself directed several of the brand’s Christmas projects. Other platforms have followed suit: watch Netflix frosty hotwith Lacey Chabert, who has starred in 40 Hallmark movies.
“Sometimes movies just work,” Gutenberg marvels, “and then people hold it in their hearts and remember the moment they saw it, who they saw it with, and it becomes a holiday they remember.”
This story appeared in the December 13 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. Click here to subscribe.
