[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/2a367879ca049d6c0f48fcc7a758bf27.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:I saw mommy ''killing'' Santa Claus underneath the mistletoe last ''murder''!]]

->'''Dr. Forrester:''' Your movie today, [[AccidentalMisnaming Mark]], is called ''Santa Claus''. [[BlatantLies It's a thoughtful, well shot documentary about]] [[UsefulNotes/TheCrimeanWar the Crimean War.]]
->'''TV's Frank:''' It's a stupid Mexican kids' movie!

Film watched: ''[[Film/SantaClaus1959 Santa Claus]]''

In the words of the ''[[Series/MysteryScienceTheater3000 MST3K]]'' producers: "Just when we thought it couldn't get any more bizarre, it did." Its dramatic departure from established Santa Claus legend, combined with B-movie production standards and an awkward dub provide ample source for mockery. ''[=MST3K=]'''s send-up first aired on Christmas Eve 1993 as the show's second ChristmasEpisode (following ''Film/SantaClausConquersTheMartians'' two years earlier). The devil Pitch became a recurring character for a while, played by Paul Chaplin, who notably was one of the rare ones to even appear in the Sci-Fi Channel episodes. Plus, it's the ''[[Recap/MysteryScienceTheater3000S08E12TheIncrediblyStrangeCreatures true]]'' TropeNamer for NightmareFuel.

The episode is available in the Gizmoplex [[https://www.gizmoplex.com/mst3k/season:5/videos/mst3k-116-santaclaus here]].
!!The Segments:
[[foldercontrol]]

[[folder: Prologue ]]

* Mike and the 'Bots try their hand at Christmas caroling, but it's interrupted when Mike accidentally knocks over a thermos of cocoa and spills it on Crow.

[[/folder]]

[[folder: Segment 1 ]]

* As Mike treats the 'Bots' injuries, the Mads exchange gifts: Dr. Forrester gets a watch fob, but TV's Frank, having inexplicably shaved his head, gets a $25 savings bond in Dr. Forrester's name that matures in 2023. Back on the SOL, Crow gets a Steve Alaimo album, Servo gets the 1991 Drug IV handbook, Mike gets a "Joike"[[note]]Gypsy started knitting it for Joel, but repurposed it after he escaped[[/note]] sweater, and Gypsy gets a plastic candy cane full of underwear.

[[/folder]]

[[folder: Segment 2 ]]

* Performing as hot new rock band Santa Kläws, Mike, Crow, and Servo play "The Warrior of Christmas". The Mads get psyched.

[[/folder]]

[[folder: Segment 3 ]]

* The 'Bots try to surprise Mike by setting up a video reunion with his family back on Earth. Unfortunately, they've called up a completely unrelated Nelson family from Green Bay, Wisconsin.[[note]]Mike: I'm not from Green Bay![[/note]]

[[/folder]]

[[folder: Segment 4 ]]

* Mike, Crow, and Servo sing the new multicultural, overly-politically correct holiday song, "Merry Christmas... If That's Okay."

[[/folder]]

[[folder: Segment 5 ]]

* As he cleans up the wrapping paper, Mike tells the 'Bots how he misses a winter snowfall back on Earth. Suddenly, it snows outside the Satellite of Love, and Mike and the 'Bots to go outside and play. In Deep 13, Santa and Pitch duke it out as Frank and Dr. Forrester wish the viewers a Merry Christmas. An instrumental version of "Merry Christmas... If That's Okay" plays during the credits.

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!!The ''Mystery Science Theater 3000'' presentation of ''[[Film/SantaClaus1959 Santa Claus]]'' has examples of:
* ActuallyPrettyFunny: After Santa uses the toy cannon to shoot Pitch in the butt:
-->'''Servo:''' This is funny. I don't care what anybody says.
* AndTheRest:
-->'''Narrator:''' The South American group includes children from Brazil and Argentina.\\
'''Mike:''' And a few other countries not worth mentioning now.[[note]]Amusingly, in the Podcast/{{Rifftrax}} years later, Mike would cite the trope word-for-word and say "And the rest" for the next "country", Central America.[[/note]]
* AnAsskickingChristmas: In the last host segment with Kevin Murphy as Santa Claus (credited as "Krusher Kringle").
-->'''Santa:''' I'm here to [[ChewBubblegum eat candy canes]] [[Film/TheyLive and kick ass]], and I'm all out of candy canes!
** During the film, Mike wonders why Santa has a US Air Force star over his door, and Servo points out that Santa flew 23 missions in the Korean War.
* ArtisticLicenseSpace: PlayedForLaughs. After the movie, it's snowing. In space.
* BigBrotherIsWatching:
-->'''Mike:''' Santa's tendrils reach far and wide. There is no hiding from the Klaus Organization.
* BiggerThanJesus: Invoked by Servo as Santa.
* BitingTheHandHumor:
** Mike makes a wise-crack about Creator/ComedyCentral competitions being a waste of time. This was a few months after the "Win a visit to Best Brains" contest.
** During a scene of Santa pulling various things from his sack, Crow jokes that one of them is a [=CableACE=] award, and "worthless". ''[=MST3K=]'' got nominated for [=CableACE=] awards ''eight times'' during its run, but never won.
* BritishTeeth:
-->'''Narrator:''' Boys and girls from England...\\
'''Crow:''' Have rotten teeth!\\
'''Mike:''' Crow...\\
'''Crow:''' [[DefensiveWhat What?]]
* CallBack: When singing "Merry Christmas... If That's OK", Tom's head is replaced with a snow-globe... the same snow-globe he replaced it with in ''[[Recap/MysteryScienceTheater3000S03E21SantaClausConquersTheMartians Santa Claus Conquers the Martians]]''.
** Gypsy's gift for Mike is a sweater that reads "Joike". She started knitting it for Joel, but changed it after he left.
** And they make a quip about Film/{{Gamera}} during the movie.
** "[[Film/LastClearChance Why don't they look?]]"
** "[[Film/TheRobotVsTheAztecMummy Santa Claus vs. the Aztec Mummy.]]"
** Mike's band Santa Kläws continues in the musical tradition of the SOL's previous bands [[Recap/MysteryScienceTheater3000S03E13EarthVsTheSpider Spidorr]] and [[Recap/MysteryScienceTheater3000S04E02TheGiantGilaMonster Hee-Laa]].
* CelebrityResemblance: With his head shaved TV's Frank looks like a real-life adult [[Franchise/{{Peanuts}} Charlie Brown]].
** When Pitch first appears on camera...
-->'''Servo:''' [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jamie_Farr "Jamie]] [[Series/{{MASH}} Farr!"]]
* CheeseEatingSurrenderMonkeys: Servo quips "Retreat! Retreat!" during the French kids' song.
* ChristmasSongs: Mike and the 'Bots start singing "Jingle Bells", before immediately going to the typical variation:
-->"Jingle Bells, Franchise/{{Batman}} smells, Robin laid an egg..."
* CrossoverCosmology: As if Santa fighting the Devil isn't strange enough, Santa also calls on Jesus for support.
-->'''Crow:''' This is ''weird'' theology.
* ClothesForChristmasCringe: Shows up in the weird gift exchange on the Satellite of Love, where everyone gets strangely excited over receiving very lame gifts. Mike receives a HomemadeSweaterFromHell with "JOIKE"[[note]]Gypsy started knitting it for Joel and had to repurpose it after his abrupt departure[[/note]] on the front, and Gypsy receives a novelty plastic candy cane filled with underwear.[[note]]most of which Gypsy can't even wear, due to her snake-like body[[/note]]
* ConvenienceStoreGiftShopping: Dr. Forrester clearly forgot to get TV's Frank a gift, and doesn't remember until Frank has already given him a gift. So Forrester rushes off-screen and returns with a $25 savings bond that will mature in 30 years--a bond that's ''still in Forrester's name'' and has to be signed over to Frank.
* CutenessProximity: Lupita is so adorable even Mike and the 'Bots find it pretty heartwarming.
-->'''Mike:''' ''(upon seeing Lupita)'' Awww...\\
'''Servo:''' She is aggressively cute.
* DeceptiveDisciple: Mike and the bots joke that Santa's top assistant, Pedro, is secretly scheming to replace Santa.
* TheDevilIsALoser: Pitch gets mocked for a lot. Crow sings, "The Devil is a wiener." Servo also belittles Pitch's goofy theme tune.
* DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything: Santa may not be as good as he appears:
-->'''Servo:''' A pentagram? And reindeer, laughing. You figure it out.
* {{Doorstopper}}: Seeing Santa’s massive toy bag, Crow quips, “He’s got a Creator/StephenKing manuscript in that bag.”
* ElSpanishO: Mike and the bots identify a bumbling father character as “el Creator/DonKnotts-o”, and refer to a guy in a uniform as “Juan, the Maytag repairman-o”.
* EvilLaugh:
** Santa's laughs already sounded like this, so the riffing plays it up even further.
-->'''Crow:''' Santa's laughter mocks the poor!
** Paul Chaplin is able to mimic Pitch's perfectly.
* EqualOpportunityOffender: Mike and the Bots mock every single culture that appears in the multicultural song at the beginning, including several cracks about the United States.
-->'''Narrator:''' Children from the USA--\\
'''Crow:''' --are too spoiled and lazy to help Santa! Ha-ha, there, that makes it better.
* FantasyKitchenSink: [[Myth/ArthurianLegend Merlin]] is one of Santa's helpers.
-->'''Crow:''' I didn't know Santa and Merlin were buddies.
** When Lupita's mother crosses herself:
--->'''Crow:''' In the name of Santa, and Merlin, and the elves. Amen.
* FeetFirstIntroduction: During the scene where the rich boy wakes up to find Santa standing in front of him, the camera pans up Santa. Tom Servo and Crow turn it into an EatingTheEyeCandy scene.
-->'''Tom Servo:''' ''[[{{Sexophone}} (sexy muted trumpet noises)]]''\\
'''Crow:''' ''(as Santa)'' Like what you see, kid?
* GiftOfTheMagiPlot: Horribly subverted for TV's Frank; he buys a watchfob for Dr. Forrester and, unclear on the concept, shaves his head just for the heck of it.
-->'''Dr. F:''' Oh, you ''sold'' your hair to get me this beautiful watchfob.
-->'''Frank:''' Sold my hair? No!
** You'd expect Dr. F to have sold his watch and get Frank a gift certificate to a hair salon, but instead he gives him a savings bond--in ''Forrester's'' name, no less--that will mature into $25... in thirty years. [[TheWoobie Poor Frank.]]
--->'''Frank:''' ''(howling)'' '''''MY HAIR!''''' My beautiful head of TV's Frank ''hair''!
* GodwinsLaw: When the name Adolfo appears in the credits, the MST crew remark that "Ah, this is a ''fascist'' Santa!"
* HeavyMetalUmlaut: Santa Kläws.
* HeKnowsTooMuch: As two kids are about to see Santa deliver some presents:
-->'''Narrator:''' Look out, Santa! They'll see you!\\
'''Crow:''' ''(as Santa)'' [[EvilLaugh Ha ha!]] Well, that's the last thing they'll ever see!
* HomemadeSweaterFromHell: Gypsy makes Mike a sweater with "JOIKE" on it. She explains that she started knitting it back before [[ContinuityNod Joel's escape]] [[Recap/MysteryScienceTheater3000S05E12Mitchell earlier that season]]. Mike seems to actually like it, though.
* HowCanSantaDeliverAllThoseToys: Referenced a couple times during the film.
--> "Three houses down, 650 billion to go."
* HypocriticalHumor:
-->'''Servo:''' And now, the hollow feeling that follows any puppet show.
** Mike berates Crow and Servo for "offending everyone" during the multicultural song exchange, forgetting that he had also made fun of Japan and "South America".
** Crow jokes that Comedy Central contests are a waste of time. ''[=MST3K=]'' had just run its Turkey Day Contest on Comedy Central.
** Santa has great memory:
-->'''Santa:''' ''(to Pedro)'' Thank goodness I still have a very good memory, eh! And I know every single child on Earth.\\
'''Crow:''' ''(as Santa)'' Isn’t that right, Pueblo? Uh, Peco, uh, whatever.
* ImGoingToDisneyWorld
-->'''Narrator:''' What are you going to do now Santa?\\
'''Servo:''' I'm going to Disney World!\\
'''Mike:''' [[DisneyOwnsThisTrope All references to Disney World are the property of the Walt Disney Corporation.]]
* JapanTakesOverTheWorld: The reaction to seeing Japanese children in Santa's workshop.
-->'''Mike:''' By investing in Santa's toy-making corporation, they now own Santa lock, stock, and barrel.
* LaughingMad: Mike and the 'Bots' reaction to the Laughing Nightmare Reindeer.
* LeaveTheCameraRunning:
-->'''Servo:''' Santa’s mounting-up procedures don’t make for good cinema.
* LemonyNarrator: The narrator calls out to the characters a couple of times, such as urging Lupita to resist Pitch's influence. Because of the confusing timing, Mike and the Bots treat him as if he were an InteractiveNarrator.
-->'''Crow:''' Ah, the classic battle between evil and the narrator.
* LetThereBeSnow: This happens right at the end. [[MST3KMantra In space]].
* LoungeLizard: During the "rich Christmas party" scene:
-->'''Servo:''' That cuckoo Tannenbaum...
* TheMafia: Servo reinterprets the Italian children as this.
-->'''Servo:''' Okay, we're gonna whack Santa. He's tryin' to muscle in on the Easter Bunny's turf.
* MyFriendsAndZoidberg:
-->'''Pedro:''' What food do they eat on Earth, Santa?\\
'''Santa:''' Oh, everything in sight! They eat most of the animals, the plants, the flowers, the roots, the birds, even smoke and alcohol! \\
'''Servo:''' [[TakeThat And they eat at Hardee's.]]
* MyNewGiftIsLame: The gifts that Mike and the Bots give each other are pretty lame, but they genuinely love them anyway.
* NeverSayThatAgain: Mike's reaction to Pitch's strange frustrated mumbling.
-->'''Mike:''' Don't you ''ever'' do that again!
** The non-dialogue variant occurs when Pitch spreads his legs while moving the chimney. Mike tells him not to do that ever again.
* NightmareFuel[[invoked]]: The reaction to the animatronic Santa is the TropeNamer.
* NoIndoorVoice:
-->'''Crow:''' Santa? Could you nudge the volume down a little? We're standing right here.
* OffTheRails: The prologue host segment, where a Christmas carol quickly descends into chaos and screaming.
* OhNoNotAgain:
-->'''Servo:''' Uh, oh. Santa got drunk and delivered all the presents to the moon, again.
* OneSteveLimit: When the 'Bots try to get Mike in touch with his family back on Earth:
-->'''Mike:''' Tom, this isn’t my family.\\
'''Servo:''' But they’re the Nelsons, Mike!\\
'''Mike:''' Well, they’re ''a'' Nelson, but there’s more than one Nelson in the world.\\
'''Gypsy:''' Oh, that explains the 700 other Nelsons in the Green Bay phone book.\\
'''Mike:''' I’m not from Green Bay!
* ParentalNeglect: Already present in the film, but implied to be maliciously intended when the rich boy's parents arrive at their dinner party.
-->'''Servo:''' ''(as another customer)'' Hi! Did you leave that brat at home?\\
'''Crow:''' ''(as the father)'' Oh, you bet, he's such a pain!\\
'''Servo:''' Ha ha, I know!
* PunchClockVillain:
-->'''Narrator:''' That confounded Devil! Why can't he leave Lupita alone?\\
'''Crow:''' Hey, he's just doing his job.
* RepressiveButEfficient: When the credits for the screenwriters (Adolfo Torres Portillo and Rene Cardona) are shown:
-->'''Crow:''' Hey, wait, this is a fascist Santa Claus!\\
'''Mike:''' Yeah, at the end of the movie, Santa gets hung upside down.\\
'''Servo:''' Well, at least he made the sleigh rides run on time.
* ShapedLikeItself:
-->'''Mike:''' You know, that Lucifer is like Satan... ''from Hell!''
* ShellShockedVeteran: As Lupita wakes up from a nightmare:
-->'''Lupita:''' Mama! Mama!\\
'''Crow:''' ''(as Lupita)'' I had the 'Nam dream!
* ShoutOut:
** When Mike and The Bots listen to the music in the Africa part of the Toyland segment, Crow riffs "I think [[Music/TalkingHeads David Byrne]] stole [[Music/RemainInLight this music!]]"
** Mike and Crow do a quick re-enactment of a ''Series/HogansHeroes'' bit when the children of Germany are shown.
** And the rest...
--->'''Crow:''' [[WesternAnimation/TheFlintstones It's a living!]]
--->'''Tom:''' [[Series/{{Cops}} Santa is filmed on location with the men and women of Broward County, Florida]].
** Appropriately for a Christmas movie, there's one to ''Film/ItsAWonderfulLife'':
--->'''Crow:''' ''(as the rich boy writes a letter to Santa)'' My office instructed to wire you up to twenty-five thousand dollars, stop. Heehaw!
** At the end, Santa makes a reference to ''Film/TheyLive''.
--->'''Santa:''' ''(before fighting Pitch)'' I'm here to eat candy-canes and kick-ass! And I'm all out of candy-canes!
** Also:
--->'''Crow:''' ''(gasping)'' We've got dolls!
--->'''Mike:''' It's the ''Film/TrilogyOfTerror'' dolls!
** When Santa's reindeer starts laughing, Mike and the 'Bots laugh in a manner reminiscent of ''Film/EvilDead2''.
** [[Theatre/WestSideStory "Oh, Officer Krupke..."]]
** [[AndThatsTerrible "This is bad."]] [[Music/DukeEllington "And that ain't good."]]
** "Come, Pedro, find them." [[Film/{{Casablanca}} "Round up the usual suspects."]]
** "It was nice of Marcel Duchamp to let them use his apartment."
** When Santa calls some naughty children “You little rascals”, Servo starts humming ''Film/TheLittleRascals'' theme.
** During the montage of children writing letters to Santa, one of them begins writing ''Literature/MobyDick'', and another starts writing ''Literature/CatchTwentyTwo''.
** “It’s a [[Creator/FedericoFellini Fellini]] Christmas.”
** [[Film/DogDayAfternoon “Attica! Attica!”]]
** When Pitch gets blasted with chimney soot in the face, Crow laughs just like [[WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons Nelson]].
*** And then they mistake Santa’s Cocktails of Remembrance for Flaming Moes.
** [[WesternAnimation/RudolphTheRedNosedReindeer “I want to be a dentist!”]]
** [[Film/TopGun “I feel the need, the need for speed!”]]
** [[Film/ItsAMadMadMadMadWorld “It’s a mad, mad, mad, mad... mad mad mad mad mad mad mad mad madmadmad world!”]]
* SickeninglySweet: The SOL crew identify Lupita as this.
-->'''Servo:''' She is ''aggressively'' cute.
* SpecialGuest: SantaClaus and Pitch, at the end of the show.
-->'''Dr. Forrester:''' Oh Frank, think of it. A full tilt battle between pure evil and Santa Claus in our own home!
* SpoofAesop: “Booze helps parents care for their children!”
* TheStoic: The Nelson family (no relation to Mike) from Green Bay has absolutely no reaction when [[UnusuallyUninterestingSight they get a random video-call from robots in space]].
-->'''Crow:''' Your family anything like those Nelsons, Mike?\\
'''Mike:''' Well, yeah, a little. Only they’re not so emotional.
* TakeThat: Servo mistakes one of the children for a demon-possessed doll. Crow points out that it's just Keith Magnuson.[[note]]For those who aren't up on their hockey trivia, Magnuson played for (and later coached) the Chicago Blackhawks from 1969-1980, scored all of 17 goals, and racked up [[HockeyFight over 1600 penalty minutes]].[[/note]] "That's even worse!"
* TakeOurWordForIt: One of letters Santa had been mailed was [[LongList several pages long, and contained a rediculous amount of requests]]. And apparently, one was a bridge too far.
-->'''Santa''': (while reading it over; whistles) Ooh, ''golly...''
-->'''Mike''': (as Santa; mortified) Why, that's ''filthy'', '''no''', I can't send you that, '''''no!'''''
* TakeYourTime:
** As Santa slowly, laboriously, climbs down his ladder to deliver toys to the first house of the night:
-->'''Crow:''' You know, Santa, it’s about 4 am. You better get a rush on.
** And as Santa (disguised as a restaurant waiter) has a drawn-out conversation with one table, Mike and the 'Bots chime in as a bunch of other patrons who're angry they’re not getting any service.
* ThingOMeter:
-->'''Crow:''' Clown-o-meter on overload!
* ToBeLawfulOrGood: Underlined when Lupita is thinking of stealing a doll from a street vendor, looking between her mother and the vendor.
-->'''Mike:''' ''(as Lupita)'' I'm at a moral crossroads, Mummy!
* WithCatlikeTread: Santa delivers presents to one house while the child is asleep right in the living room.
-->'''Servo:''' ''(as Santa)'' ''MERRY CHRISTM''--Oh!
* WithLyrics: Servo does this to Pitch's theme.
-->"It's the Devil's theme, this goofy little song.\\
Even though he's the embodiment of evil, he's still got a goofy song.\\
In his tights he brings death, despair, destruction and disease.\\
Now, let's all join him and a-laugh along...the Devil."
* WordSaladLyrics: "Whispering Christmas Warrior".
-->'''Mike:''' The warrior of Christmas has cast out the neon prince!\\
Hail the new Claus, your hair he will rinse!\\
'''Crow and Servo:''' Silver bells fall from your nose!\\
Santa Claus and mistletoe!\\
Rudolph's found the Emperor's clothes!\\
'''Mike:''' Vixen, let's explode!\\
Joy to the woooooooooorld...
* YiddishAsASecondLanguage: Servo deploys what sounds like a little fake Yiddish to describe Mike's holiday depression at his first Christmas in space: "Mike, what's a matter, honey? You look a little... [[AsLongAsItSoundsForeign geshmublikite]], or something, I dunno."
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->''[[TheStinger (Mechanical reindeer manically laughs)]]''
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