The prospect of an Ernest sequel – especially one with “Christmas” in the title – seemed a quite horrifying thought after Ernest Goes to Camp, one of the most execrable would-be comedies ever to be produced.
Filmed at the new Disney studios in Florida and on location in Orlando, Ernest Saves Christmas looks like most Florida-made movies; bright and false. Nor is the supporting cast especially gifted or appealing.
Ernest P. Worell (Jim Varney) is a sweet but dimwitted taxi driver who suffers delusions of grandeur. He has just chauffeured a rather extraordinary fare – “His Great Red Oneness, the Claus” himself – and it seems Santa hasn’t got the magic for another Christmas season and has come to Orlando, Florida, for Joe Carruthers (Oliver Clark), the dumpy children’s TV hack he has chosen as his successor so he can retire.
Things quickly unravel, thanks to Joe’s meddling agent, Marty (Robert Lesser) and Santa’s increasingly unreliable memory, and – incredibly – Ernest soon becomes Santa’s only hope.
Joining forces with a hip young runaway named Harmony Star (Noelle Parker), Ernest rushes to save the holidays.
As the title suggests, the film is aimed almost exclusively at the young and innocent. It’s bargain basement stuff and Miracle on 34th Street it ain’t, but it does boast a splendid Santa Claus in British-born theatre veteran Douglas Seale, and Jim Varney makes the bumbling rube hero far sharper than he seemed in previous Ernest outings.
Jim Varney died from lung cancer on 10 February 2000 in White House, Tennessee, aged just 50.
Ernest P. Worrell
Jim Varney Santa
Douglas Seale Joe Carruthers
Oliver Clark Harmony Star
Noelle Parker Chuck
Gailard Sartain Mary Morrissey
Billie Bird Bobby
Bill Byrge Marty Brock
Robert Lesser Pyramus
Buddy Douglas Thisbe
Patty Maloney Agent Skippy
Beecher Martin Mr Dillis
George Kaplan Patsy
Lindsey Alley Lacy
Phran Gauci Carl
Bill Cordell Brad
Larry Francer Police Chief Spenks
Bob Norris
Director
John Cherry
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