73 Fun Facts About Jingle All the Way

Which action star plays Howard Langston, the dad hunting for a Turbo Man doll?

Arnold Schwarzenegger plays Howard Langston; he said he related to the story as a father who had been through the same last-minute hunt for the season's hottest toy.

Who plays Myron Larabee, the postal worker competing with Howard for the toy?

Sinbad plays postal worker Myron Larabee; the stand-up comic improvised much of his dialogue, with his co-star ad-libbing replies.

What is Turbo Man's catchphrase in Jingle All the Way?

'It's Turbo Time!' is the hero's battle cry on his TV show and one of the five phrases the doll speaks, which Jamie reels off word for word when he tells his dad what he wants.

What kind of animal is Booster, the Turbo Man sidekick no shopper wants?

A saber-toothed tiger: Booster is Turbo Man's pet and sidekick, and while the hero's figure has sold out everywhere, toy stores cannot give the tiger away.

Who directed Jingle All the Way?

Brian Levant directed Jingle All the Way and, because Turbo Man was invented for the film, he also shot the hero's TV show and the toy commercials seen in it.

Which Christmas song's lyric gives Jingle All the Way its title?

A line in 'Jingle Bells' gives the title, lifted from the carol's chorus; the soundtrack album even opens with a brand-new big-band recording of the song.

Which Jingle All the Way producer had been through his own fruitless hunt for a sold-out toy?

Chris Columbus had spent cold December days failing to find a sold-out toy for his own son, and said that was when he understood how many parents share the predicament.

Which real toy craze swept US stores the Christmas Jingle All the Way was released?

Tickle Me Elmo, Tyco's giggling doll, sold out nationwide in late 1996 and shoppers fought over it — a real-life echo of the film's toy hunt.

Which delayed Fox project freed Jingle All the Way's star to make it in 1996?

A remake of Planet of the Apes stalled at Fox yet again, leaving its attached star free by February 1996; the comedy's producer walked away from the Apes project as well.

Who plays Ted Maltin, the smug neighbour with a crush on Howard's wife?

Phil Hartman plays Ted Maltin, cheerfully calling him 'another weasel to add to my list of weasels'; he even invented a backstory in which Ted sued his employer over toner fumes.

Who plays Howard's wife, Liz Langston?

Rita Wilson plays Liz Langston; the director had worked with her years earlier on Happy Days and wanted an actress who would not be intimidated by an A-list star.

Which child actor plays Jamie Langston, the boy who wants a Turbo Man for Christmas?

Jake Lloyd plays Jamie Langston; only seven during the shoot, he said he 'almost spaced out' on first meeting his famous screen dad, three years before he played young Anakin Skywalker.

Which TV veteran plays Officer Hummell, the cop who keeps crossing Howard's path?

Robert Conrad plays Officer Hummell; the filmmakers wanted a cop who could believably order the film's muscle-bound star to pull over, and Conrad joked that it takes a real man to arrest him.

Who plays the radio DJ running the Turbo Man giveaway contest?

Martin Mull plays the KQRS radio DJ, who ends up calling the police when Howard tries to break into his studio to claim the prize.

What must the first caller do to win the radio station's Turbo Man contest?

Name all of Santa's reindeer is the challenge; both dads know the answer, so they wrestle over the phone and then race each other to the radio station.

Which future WWE giant plays the Giant Santa in the warehouse fight?

Paul 'Big Show' Wight plays the Giant Santa, billed in the credits under his WCW ring name, The Giant; he became WWE's Big Show only after the film came out.

Which Saturday Night Live alumnus plays the Mall Santa?

Jim Belushi plays the Mall Santa who leads the shady Santas' warehouse gang; he and the film's star had worked together before, as cops in Red Heat (1988).

What is the name of Turbo Man's archenemy, whom Myron dresses up as at the parade?

Dementor is Turbo Man's archenemy; Myron gets into the villain's suit and storms the float to snatch the doll from Jamie.

How does Howard end up wearing Turbo Man's suit?

He is mistaken for the actor while hiding from Officer Hummell in a storage room, gets hustled onto the float, and uses the role to hand Jamie the special-edition doll.

What does Jamie ultimately do with the Turbo Man doll?

Jamie gives the doll to Myron for his son, saying he doesn't need it because his own dad is the real Turbo Man.

What is Howard's job?

Howard is a mattress salesman who tells every caller 'you're my number one customer'; lingering at work and then a speeding stop make him miss Jamie's martial-arts class.

What is the downtown Christmas parade called in Jingle All the Way?

Wintertainment Parade is the annual downtown event Jamie begs his dad not to miss again; its Turbo Man float picks one child from the crowd to win a special-edition doll.

Where was the bulk of the climactic parade sequence filmed?

Universal Studios Hollywood's backlot stood in for downtown Minneapolis, so extras bundled in winter coats had to play the snowy parade in blazing California summer heat.

At which real Saint Paul landmark do Howard and Myron hear the radio contest announced?

Mickey's Diner is where an out-of-gas Howard stops to phone home, snaps at Jamie, and then ends up sharing coffee with Myron just as the radio contest comes on.

Jingle All the Way's producer hunted in vain for which toy for his son in December 1995?

Buzz Lightyear was the toy he could not find anywhere for his son that December; the fruitless search convinced him that any parent would recognise the story.

Which film was number one the weekend Jingle All the Way opened in fourth place?

Star Trek: First Contact won the weekend with about $30 million and Space Jam ran second; Jingle All the Way, signed and shot within nine months, had far less marketing and merchandise behind it.

What was the $19 million Jingle All the Way lawsuit about?

A copyright suit over a rival Christmas script: a publisher said Fox had copied a Detroit teacher's screenplay and a jury awarded $19 million in 2001, but the verdict was thrown out on appeal in 2004.

How does Howard avoid arrest when police raid the Santas' warehouse?

He poses as an undercover detective named Lang, scolding the officers for the sloppiest bust of his career until they round up the Santas instead.

Who starred in the 2014 straight-to-DVD sequel, Jingle All the Way 2?

Larry the Cable Guy stars in Jingle All the Way 2 (2014) as a trucker dad; in place of two rival fathers, his opponent in the toy hunt is his daughter's wealthy stepfather.

Before Jingle All the Way, its director had made which two family hits?

Beethoven and The Flintstones were his back-to-back hits; a devoted toy collector, he relished inventing Turbo Man's toy line and packaging from scratch.

Myron's actor missed his audition while entertaining troops in Bosnia with which public figure?

Hillary Clinton led that March 1996 visit to US troops, so the comic missed his audition and the producer waited for his return; the trip resurfaced in 2008 over her 'sniper fire' claim.

Before Jingle All the Way, Myron's and Ted's actors had both appeared in Houseguest and which alien comedy?

Coneheads (1993) came first; in Houseguest (1995) one plays a con man on the run from the mob who passes himself off as the other's long-lost childhood friend.

What is wrong with the Turbo Man dolls sold by the Santas in the warehouse?

They are shoddy counterfeits: Howard pays $300 for a foreign-language knock-off that falls apart in its box, and calling the Santas con men is what starts the brawl.

Howard's actor took the role as a change of pace straight after shooting which action thriller?

Eraser, his big action release of summer 1996, had just wrapped when he went looking for a comedy that could open at Christmas; he reportedly earned $20 million for the switch.

Jingle All the Way's screenwriter got the idea from his own struggle to buy which toy?

A Power Ranger was the toy he hunted for his young son in 1993; the queues and wild rumours he met along the way gave him the plot.

Which animal does Howard punch, then share a beer with, at Ted's house?

A reindeer: Ted has brought a live one home as a Christmas surprise for his son, and it takes against Howard on sight; when it goes for him that night he floors it, then makes peace over a beer.

What happens when Officer Hummell opens the parcel Myron has been calling a bomb?

It really explodes, to Myron's own shock: the first 'bomb' he waved, at the radio DJ, was only a music box playing Christmas tunes, and this one was meant as a bluff too.

Who composed the score for Jingle All the Way?

David Newman composed the score, yet the soundtrack album gave it only two of its twelve tracks and handed the rest to Christmas songs.

Which swing band contributed new tracks to Jingle All the Way's soundtrack album?

The Brian Setzer Orchestra got four of the album's twelve tracks, twice as many as the film's own score.

What rating did the MPAA give Jingle All the Way?

PG was the rating: the film stayed in family territory even though its slapstick runs to a mass brawl between Howard and a warehouse full of Santas.

Which martial art is Jamie learning at the class Howard is late for?

Karate: Howard, stuck at work and then pulled over for speeding, misses the class where Jamie earns his new belt, the first of the broken promises his son throws back at him.

What does Howard do when Liz asks whether he bought the doll two weeks ago?

He lies that he already has it, then slips out on Christmas Eve claiming he left it at the office, which is how the whole hunt begins.

In Jingle All the Way's final gag, what does Howard realise he has forgotten?

A present for Liz: in a scene after the credits she admires how far he went for Jamie's gift, then asks what he got her, and his face freezes.

What does Liz catch Howard doing on Christmas Eve before she leaves for the parade without him?

Liz catches Howard trying to take Johnny's doll at Ted's house; disgusted, she leaves for the parade with Ted and the boys while Howard stays behind.

Which Revenge of the Nerds star plays a chain-smoking actor in the sidekick costume?

Curtis Armstrong, Booger in Revenge of the Nerds, plays the chain-smoking actor in the Booster suit, who protests that the fight isn't going as rehearsed and is told that nobody likes Booster anyway.

Which actor, Mickey Abbott on Seinfeld, plays Tony the Elf?

Danny Woodburn plays Tony the Elf, who zaps Howard with a stun gun in the warehouse brawl; Woodburn says he proposed the gag in place of a bite the director had suggested, an image he did not want on screen.

Which Carol Burnett Show veteran plays the President in Turbo Man's TV show?

Harvey Korman, Hedley Lamarr in Blazing Saddles, plays the President who thanks Turbo Man in the TV episode that opens the film, watched by Jamie while he waits for his dad.

The actor who plays TV's Turbo Man in Jingle All the Way later voiced the dragon Alduin in which game?

Skyrim's main villain, the World-Eater dragon Alduin, got his voice in 2011 from Daniel Riordan: a turn to the dark side for the man in the heroic Turbo Man suit.

In Jingle All the Way, the parade villain's actor was famous as the towering Bull on which sitcom?

Night Court made him a star as loveable bailiff Bull Shannon from 1984 to 1992; he had shaved his head for a sci-fi film, and the show's producers asked him to keep the look.

Jingle All the Way's writer sold Fox his screenplay under a pseudonym while working there in which job?

Script reader: he assessed other writers' work for the studio and feared his name would count against him, so he revealed who he was only after the deal had closed.

What does the winner of the radio station's Turbo Man contest actually receive?

A gift certificate is all the DJ has to give: the doll itself will follow once stores restock after Christmas, no use to two dads who need one that night.

Jingle All the Way opened in US cinemas on the Friday before which holiday?

Thanksgiving: opening on November 22, 1996 set it up for the long holiday weekend, yet it debuted only fourth with about $12 million.

Which of these lines does Howard shout in Jingle All the Way?

'Put that cookie down!' is Howard's outburst down the phone at Ted, who is in the Langston kitchen eating Liz's Christmas cookies while Howard is out hunting for the doll.

Ted's actor was starring in which NBC sitcom when he made Jingle All the Way?

NewsRadio cast him as pompous anchorman Bill McNeal; after his death in 1998 the show opened its next season with Bill dying of a heart attack and his colleagues mourning him.

Howard returns home on Christmas Eve to find Ted doing which job he regards as his own?

Putting the star on the tree is the one Christmas job Howard insists on doing himself, as Liz reminds Ted; seeing his neighbour do it is the last straw.

Which future Saturday Night Live star plays the toy store clerk who laughs at Howard and Myron?

Chris Parnell, years before his Saturday Night Live run, plays the clerk who cracks up when two dads ask for a Turbo Man on Christmas Eve, then offers them the unwanted sidekick instead.

Before Jingle All the Way, Jamie's actor played Jimmy Sweet on which TV series?

ER gave him his first screen role, as Jimmy Sweet, earlier in 1996; the director has said he cast the boy partly because he looked as if he could be the star's son.

Myron's actor lettered in which sport at the University of Denver?

Basketball: he lettered two seasons for the Denver Pioneers, and his size later helped win him Myron, since the filmmakers wanted a rival big enough to square up to their star.

Officer Hummell’s actor played a gadget-toting Secret Service agent in which 1960s series?

On The Wild Wild West (CBS, 1965–69) Hummell's actor played Secret Service agent James West and did most of his own stunts.

The DJ's actor was simultaneously playing Leon Carp, the boss, on which sitcom?

Roseanne featured him as Leon Carp from 1991 to 1997: he starts out as Roseanne Conner's boss and ends up as her business partner.

Jingle All the Way's star part-owned which themed restaurant chain with a branch inside its premiere venue?

Planet Hollywood had a restaurant inside the mall, and the star was one of the chain's celebrity backers; he handed it memorabilia from the film on premiere day.

The mall that hosted the premiere sits in which Minnesota city?

The mall sits in Bloomington, a suburb south of Minneapolis, on the former site of Metropolitan Stadium, the Twins' and Vikings' old home.

How does the mall toy store decide who gets to buy a scarce doll?

A lottery of numbered bouncing balls: each shopper is meant to get one for a draw, but the store doubles the price and the scheme collapses into a scramble, with Howard trying to coax a ball from a little girl.

Which toy caused real store riots at Christmas 1983, years before Jingle All the Way's Turbo Man frenzy?

Cabbage Patch Kids drew mobs in late 1983: 5,000 shoppers staged a near riot at one West Virginia store, and a Pennsylvania manager guarded his counter with a baseball bat.

Which Christmas blockbuster had Jingle All the Way's producer directed earlier in the decade?

Home Alone was his 1990 smash; Variety's reviewer noted that the new film reverses its viewpoint, following the guilt-ridden parent instead of the child.

What does Howard use to fly to Jamie's rescue at the parade in Jingle All the Way?

A jetpack: the Turbo Man suit's pack really works, and Howard soars over the parade; the star shot the flight hanging from wires in the heavy costume and called it torturous.

Jingle All the Way is set on Christmas Eve, but in which season was its Minnesota location shoot?

Spring: cameras rolled in the Twin Cities from mid-April 1996, so the crew hung wreaths and made fake snow to turn the streets back into Christmas Eve.

Which film, released weeks after his death, was the last cinema release for Ted's actor?

Small Soldiers, Joe Dante's 1998 comedy about toy soldiers run amok, came out weeks after his death and is dedicated to his memory.

Liz's actress also appeared in which other 1996 film, directed by her husband?

That Thing You Do! was her husband's directing debut; she plays the jazz-club waitress who walks the band's starstruck drummer over to meet his idol.

The Giant Santa's actor went on to play Captain Insano in which 1998 comedy?

The Waterboy (1998) made him Captain Insano, the wrestler Adam Sandler's Bobby Boucher hero-worships; like the Giant Santa, the part traded on the towering build that made him a wrestling champion.

The Mini Santa's actor began as a stunt double for which infant character?

Baby Bink in Baby's Day Out (1994) was his first film job: at 2 feet 8 he could double for a nine-month-old in the stunts, and he was recruited through Little People of America.

What is Myron bitterly recalling over coffee with Howard when the radio contest comes on?

His childhood Christmases: he says his father never bought him the toy gun he begged for and he never forgave him, while Howard frets over having just yelled at Jamie.

What was the first feature film by Jingle All the Way's director?

Problem Child 2 (1991) was his feature debut: after fifteen years writing and producing sitcoms such as Happy Days, he started in films with a sequel to another director's hit.