Christmas Movie Characters Trivia Quiz

Answer: A Christmas Story

"A Christmas Story" is a tale of one Christmas in the life of young Ralphie Parker as narrated in the first person by Jean Shepherd. It is set in the 1940s. The plot centers around Ralphie's wish for a BB gun and his parents' discouraging words, echoed by a scary visit with Santa and his elves at a local department store. Randy (played by Ian Petrella) was Ralphie's brother. Wil Wheaton (later of "Star Trek: The Next Generation" and "The Big Bang Theory")auditioned for the role of Ralphie, but Peter Billingsley won the part.

The movie has since been made into a Broadway musical.

Answer: The Santa Clause

Scott Calvin was an ordinary working man until his life changed dramatically, thanks to a freak accident that resulted in the demise of Santa Claus for which Scott was deemed responsible. Thanks to a clause in Santa's "contract" Scott was forced to become the new Santa. Tim Allen played the part in all three movies of the franchise.

Answer: The Polar Express

"The Polar Express" is about a train ride to the North Pole set in the 1950s. The real name of "Hero Boy" is never revealed, but he is given the first Christmas gift of the movie--a silver sleigh bell. The movie was directed by Robert Zemeckis of "Back To The Future" fame.

The movie was the first to employ a technique known as "digital capture"--a more life-like type of animation. Tom Hanks provided the motion for Hero Boy (in addition to several other roles he had in the movie). Daryl Sabarra was the voice of Hero Boy.

Answer: Scrooged

Claire Phillips (played by Karen Allen) was the longtime girlfriend of the main character Frank Cross (played by Bill Murray). Frank was the head of a major television network who had lost the true Christmas spirit in his quest for success. Frank and Claire reunited at the end of the movie which was a modernized version of Dickens' "A Christmas Carol".

The late Sam Kinison was the original choice to play the part of the Ghost of Christmas Past, but David Johansen was given the role as a result of his close friendship with Bill Murray.

Answer: Santa Claus: The Movie

"Santa Claus: The Movie" explores the origins of St. Nicholas who began as a toymaker named Claus in the 14th century. The part of Patch was played by Dudley Moore. Santa (played by David Huddleston) has become overwhelmed as the centuries go by and feels unequipped to make enough toys for the growing population of children. Patch and another elf compete for the job of assistant to Santa.

The movie was directed by Jeannot Szwarc. John Carpenter was originally offered the director's seat, but he demanded too much control over the movie so the offer was withdrawn.

The movie was filmed at Pinewood Studios in Buckinghamshire, England. The movie was a box office flop at just over 23 million dollars, seven million under the 30 million dollar budget.

Answer: It's A Wonderful Life

"It's A Wonderful Life" is about George Bailey (played by Jimmy Stewart) who, after being knocked unconscious following an accident, is shown by an angel trying to earn his wings what the world (and in particular the town of Bedford Falls) would be like had George never been born. Stewart's folksy style was perfect for the part. Frank Capra was the director. Capra consistently referred to "It's A Wonderful Life" as his favorite of all the classics he directed.

The movie got mixed reviews after it premiered in New York on December 20, 1946, but "TIME Magazine" and "Variety" both gave it good reviews.

Answer: Prancer

John Riggs (played by Sam Elliott) was the father of Jessica Riggs (played by Rebecca Harrell). In the movie Jessica befriends a wounded reindeer and is convinced the reindeer is Santa's Prancer. Her father was originally going to kill Prancer, but Jessica pleaded for his life and enlisted the help of a veterinarian to treat the animal.

The cast of the movie includes Cloris Leachman (as the widow Mrs. McFarland), Abe Vigoda (as the veterinarian Dr. Benton) and Michael Constantine as the "Mall Santa".

Answer: Elf

Played by Will Ferrell, Buddy the Elf comes to Earth to find his biological family and tries to blend in. The story was made into a Broadway musical following its success. The movie was released by New Line Cinema and Warner Brothers in November, 2003.

In addition to Ferrell the all-star cast also included James Caan as Buddy's biological Earth father, Ed Asner as Santa Claus, Bob Newhart as Papa Elf who raised Buddy and Zooey Deschanel as a worker for Gimbel's named Jovie who would become Buddy's love interest.

Answer: A Christmas Carol

"A Christmas Carol" is a classic tale about miserly Ebenezer Scrooge who despises Christmas, and is visited by a number of ghosts who try to change him. The part of Scrooge has been played by such diverse actors as George C. Scott, Patrick Stewart and Jim Carrey (in animated form) among countless others. Charles Dickens wrote the original novel. Dickens called the five chapters of his book "staves", a term more commonly used for music.

There was also a made-for-TV movie called "An American Christmas Carol" in which Henry Winkler played a Scrooge-like character named Benedict Slade.

Answer: National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation

Beverly D'Angelo played Ellen Griswold, wife of Clark Griswold (played by Chevy Chase). The screenplay was written by John Hughes who also wrote "Home Alone". The National Lampoon's "Vacation" franchise was a highly successful series of comedies that featured the antics of the Griswold family.

In "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation" the Griswolds try to have a "normal" Christmas at home but predictably the word "normal" never seems to fit well with the family.