Iconic actor Ed Asner portrayed Santa Claus in numerous movies throughout his career but the first time he dressed up as the Big Red Gift Giver was in Disney’s “The Christmas Star” in 1986.

The film is about Horace McNickle (Edward Asner), a felon serving time for counterfeiting. With only six months left on his sentence, Horace escapes from prison dressed as Santa Claus right before Christmas. His reason for escaping revolves around the same thing that landed him in prison: years before he and his partner Lucky stole some money; Lucky got away with his share and Horace ended up in prison. But before he went to prison, he hid his share of the loot in a throne used by a department store Santa. Now he has learned that the throne is to be sold. Horace is desperate to retrieve his share of the money before it’s too late.

He makes his way to a city neighborhood and ends up injuring himself before he hides in the basement of an apartment building owned by a mean landlord (played by Rene Auberjonois), who is planning to sell the building. Two children who live in the building, Billy and Trudy Jameson, discover Horace sleeping in the basement and believe he is the real Santa Claus. Horace tells the kids he needs something to help him walk because of his bum leg and Billy gives him his grandfather’s cane. The cane is very significant to the ending of the movie but I won’t tell you why.

Santa tells the kids he’s leaving for a bit and they end up following him to the department store where we see the throne and reindeer. Horace removes the head of one of the reindeer, thinking maybe his loot is inside but all he finds is newspaper and gets wary when questioned by a cop. Horace hurries off. It then cuts to the police precinct where a call has come in about Horace being spotted dressed as Santa walking with a cane. The police run off to hunt him down but Horace trades off his cane with another Santa and takes his bell instead, completely throwing the police off.

Back in the basement Santa requests a phone book from the kids. He looks something up in the book, telling the kids he’s looking for a reindeer doctor. Next we see Horace visiting an old shack by the railroad tracks and speaking with a raggedy woman who knew his old partner Lucky. She gives Horace a large metal key and tells him Lucky left it for him.

As Santa is cleaning the key in the basement he listens in on the various conversations going on in the building and learns Billy and Trudy’s father is having trouble finding work. Later on Santa tells the kids that he needs their help finding the money and getting into the store to look for it. The following day the kids get Horace some regular clothes and pretend he’s their grandfather as they all go back to the Santa at the department store and that’s when Horace sees the key hole in the side of the throne.

Because Santa knows the cops would be looking for him, he convinces Billy, Trudy and their friends to break into the throne and get the money. After they succeed, they bring the money to Horace who is waiting for it at the railroad tracks.

Feeling guilty, Horace splits the money between the landlord who was being forced to sell the building, saving all the people in the building from having to be evicted and the raggedy old lady that knew Lucky. Horace is caught by the police and returns to prison.

Although not the greatest film, it’s still entertaining and endearing as a Christmas film. And it helps that Ed Asner is the one playing Santa.

You can currently watch “The Christmas Star” on Disney+.