"People would be on the phone, they'd be sitting at the desk cutting up paper, cutting out little dolls, cutting out little curlicues to make snowflakes," Smith said. "The director and Will didn't get along very well. She can be heard saying shell be declawing eight kittens on the phone. "We were gonna do it. One such scene of his well-meaning mayhem featured Buddy playing hockey on a frozen pond. But he managed to make it work for most of the interior locations you see in the movie. But he admitted to Rolling Stone that the sight of Ferrell in his elf costume on the side of the 59th Street Bridge did "cause a few minor traffic accidents.". Originally, the filmmakers wanted comic Garry Shandling, but when he declined, they went to the next obvious choice famous tough guy James Caan. While reporter Charlotte is interviewing people about seeing Santas sleigh in Central Park, a man takes over the interview by complimenting her. So lets talk about something else. By subscribing to this BDG newsletter, you agree to our. The cotton balls Buddy can't stop eating in the doctor's office were actually pieces of cotton candy that had yet to be dyed. Buddy's all-sugar diet also became Ferrell's daily food intake while filming as he actually scarfed down all of that maple syrup-coated spaghetti and candy during scenes. Will Ferrell, Kristian Ayre, Peter Billingsley, and David Avalon in "Elf," 2003. Meanwhile, Buddy is . "All of us were a little scared of James Caan," producer Jon Berg admitted to Netflix. "I constantly stayed up. James played Buddys dad Walter, the cold businessman who had a change of heart and realized family is more important than everything by the end. It was one of those things.". You can see the homage in Santas workshop, too. He was 82. So every take was different. Same thing with the 59th Street Bridge," Favreau told Rolling Stone. And we decided to set it in a building catty-corner to the Empire State Building, he said. These included the snowflakes that drift over the opening credits, and many of the snowballs in Buddy's pivotal fight scene. "He said he wasn't a singer," Deschanel said, adding, "I should've known he'd be secretly good!" Among his many enduring roles which include Chicago Bears running back Brian Piccolo in 1971s Brians Song, the debt-ridden English professor in the original 1974 version of The Gambler and the heroic Staff Sergeant Dohun in 1977s World War II epic A Bridge Too Far Sonny is the one average filmgoers will probably remember 50 years from now. This development was great for the screenplay, but it's also the reason Elf almost never happened. As Favreau explained, "If I made the world that [Buddy] was from as though he grew up as an elf in one of those Rankin/Bass Christmas specials I grew up with, then everything fell into place tonally.". James Caan, the Academy Award-nominated actor best remembered for his roles in classics like The Godfather, Thief, Misery, and Brian's Song, passed away on July 8, 2022, leaving behind a body of . Some of the movie's coziest, most Christmassy scenes were shot in a location that was neither cozy nor Christmassy Riverview Hospital, an abandoned mental institution in British Columbia. "I decided I wouldn't be able to. After taking a brief break from the spotlight and struggling with various legal issues, depression and drugs Caan returned in pal Rob Reiner's terrifying Misery in 1990. Greg Doherty/Getty Images for The Salvation Army. And yes, that really is Ferrell singing. And then he just walked past. You probably have never paid attention to Amy Sedaris characters phone conversation when Buddy first arrives at his fathers office, but Deb has some truly questionable weekend plans. In 2012, Caan joined son Scott on an episode of Hawaii Five-0, playing a retired NYPD bomb expert who becomes a private investigator in Oahu. "But it was out-and-out luck.". Knowing that the key was to have Caans Walter bristle against Ferrells Buddy, the former Saturday Night Live actor and improv comedian decided to agitate the Oscar-nominee until he made the journey from annoyance to bemusement. Youre going to read an awful lot about Sonny Corleone over the next few days. The boy is credited as Kid with Santa, but his real name is Paul Schofield. Favreau and Lange both told "20/20" that the movie's art department worked long hours over two weeks to set the scene with an elaborate LEGO city-scape, Lite Brite displays, and miniature train setup. On top of that, in 2020, James Caan shed more light on why, unlike Santa's sleigh, Elf 2 never made it off the ground. "It was very comforting to write a Christmas movie when you miss the snow, and there's a heatwave outside." Another mystery: Where did he get all his sugary breakfast treats from? Amy played the secretary Deb, who was the perfect opposite of Walters grouchy personality. This article was originally published on Dec. 22, 2017, Rachel McAdams Would Be Part Of 'Mean Girls: The Musical' On This Condition, Paramount+s 'Fatal Attraction' Series Follows The Movies Alternate Ending, Molly Ringwald Turned Down 'Pretty Woman' Due To An Early Script's Ick Factor, Jennifer Aniston Reveals The One Sequel She Would *Never* Do, Get Even More From Bustle Sign Up For The Newsletter. All rights reserved. Favreau's hugely popular (yet unknown) cameo. He even landed a role inSpiderMan: Far From Homein 2019. He had it in his contract. "It was less a challenge dressing Will due to his size and more a challenge to make sure nothing seemed off-putting or in bad taste." Before his big break on Saturday Night Live, Ferrell once worked as a mall Santa Claus in Pasadena, Calif., with his SNL co-star Chris Kattan serving as one of his elves. And theres Caan theres Sonny Corleone, Paul Sheldon, Tony Archer, Brian Piccolo, the dude from Thief as the gruff, absent father who needs to learn the meaning of Christmas. "I ingested a lot of sugar in this movie and I didn't get a lot of sleep," Ferrell told The Sun. It took him a while to get with the programming. Although no Gimbels existed when Elf was made, Gimbels was a real store that shut down in 1986, and it was featured prominently as Macys competitor in the original Miracle on 34th Street. All of the elves outfits are designed to look like those seen in Rudolph, with Buddys costume matching the Head Elfs. It went a whole lot further in undoing Sonny Corleone than, say, Misery.. This run was a huge success, taking in more than $1.4 million in one week, a record for the Al Hirschfield Theater where it debuted. He was 82. He told Blackfilm in 2003, "The appeal of it was to be able to shoot a film that would be funny but also heartfelt and be a different type of thing for me to do something that a family audience would see. In a 2020 Rolling Stone interview , director Jon Favreau recalled . This is the untold truth ofElf, including the story of building Santaland, the scene Jon Favreau added for Zooey Deschanel, the lawsuit that nearly canceled everything, what James Caan was like on set, and why there won't be a sequel no matter how much Christmas cheer we spread. These Stars Love Posting Naked Photos, Jessica Simpson's Hottest Bikini Photos After 100-Lb Weight Losses: Pics, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie's Teen Daughter Shiloh's Transformation, VPR's Katie Reveals Tom and Raquel 'Reeked of Cheating to Me', Bull & Fox show on Clevelands 92.3 FM radio station, Bummer! . In December of 2013, he told USA TODAY, "I just think it would look slightly pathetic if I tried to squeeze back in the elf tights: Buddy the middle-aged elf.". "were improvised by Ferrell in the moment. The big fight scene between Buddy and the fake Santa, played by comedian Artie Lange, was filmed in one take because it took the art department weeks to decorate Gimbels. Both are now closed. Buddy works at the department store Gimbels with Jovie. Best in Commentary. But she told Variety that she was the backup choice to play the part, stepping in when the first-choice actress dropped out. Obituary: James Caan, who played Sonny Corleone in The Godfather, dies at 82. I can make some money, let my kids do what the hell they want to do,'" he said on 92.3 The Fan in Cleveland. For North Pole scenes, two sets were builtone larger scale for the actors playing elves, the other smaller to make Buddy and Santa look big. Am I biased? But Caan alleged it was tension between Ferrell and Favreau that possibly squashed any plans for a follow-up. "After all, I had to dress a grown man in tights and a cutaway coat. As he told The Washington Post some 42 years ago, Everyplace I go, I spend half my time undoing Sonny Corleone.. TIL: After filming ELF, Will Ferrell gave James Caan the GODFATHER trilogy with a note saying "Great working with you. Club, "I know Will was attached to an Elf 2. Zooey was new on the scene back in 2003 when she was just 23, but shes quickly become one of Hollywoodsfave girls. Carrey would go on to headline his own Christmas offeringsthe live-action How The Grinch Stole Christmas and the CGI animated A Christmas Carol. Buddy's iconic costume was modeled off of the elves from the 1964 Rankin/Bass film Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. That fear didnt last. If you would like to customise your choices, click 'Manage privacy settings'. I ingested a lot of sugar in this movie and I didn't get a lot of sleep. . He was an Oscar nominee, for his role in "The Godfather." While most people know Favreau had a small role as the pediatrician who examines Buddy and confirms he's Walter's son, the director also had another part: He voiced the Narwhal who infamously said, "Bye Buddy, hope you find your dad!". Fortunately, even New Line had to admit that its version didn't work, and the ending was restored. How could you not love the no-bullst Gimbels manager, played by Faizon? "We shot right up until we destroy the place," Lange told ABC News. The friendly game becomes unintentionally violent when the too-big Buddy takes to the ice. I liked the notion of being involved with Will in his first solo movie after SNL, but it wasn't quite there.". For example, those cotton balls the character eats in the doctor's office were made from cotton candy. Costume designer Laura Jean Shannon,tasked with finding the perfect look, revealed it wasn't accommodating Ferrell's 6-foot-3 frame that was the hardest part of her job. He then voiced Professor Proton in the shows spinoff,Young Sheldon. The horrifying laughter in the Jack-in-the-boxes that Buddy tests is actually from a classic Disney film. They have to smash the whole [thing] -- so we dont really have a lot of resets, Favreau said, laughing. You may have picked him out as the doctor in Elf, but on the DVD commentary, Favreau revealed he also tapped in to his inner narwhal and provided the voices for some of the stop-animation critters who see Buddy off from the North Pole. Not only is the real Santa played by the late Ed Asner, who voiced Lou Grant from Pixars Up, but if you feel like youve seen Asners Santa before, thats because you probably have. Elf is just like The Godfather, really: It doesnt work without James Caan. According to Pratchetts lore, octarine is the color of magic, so of course Buddy loves it! If you do not want us and our partners to use cookies and personal data for these additional purposes, click 'Reject all'. Though uncredited, that lengthy belch came not from Ferrell, but from noted voice actor Maurice LaMarche, who might be best known for Brain of Pinky and the Brain. Hanukkah is great but there's kind of nothing like rushing down on Christmas morning and opening up presents," he told Philadelphia City Paper in 2013. "I look up. He didnt bring a bag with him from the North Pole. Favreau explained in the Rolling Stone interview that he chose to make it look like Buddy grew up in the stop-motion animated TV special Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer a well-established Christmas classic. The elves' costumes in Elf were inspired by those worn by Hermey and his peers in the animated film. Notably, in the North Pole sequences, they used forced perspective to make Ferrell look much taller than his co-stars. 14. Free shipping for many products! We approached the person that had the rights to Gimbels. Buddy's biological father, Walter, is the workaholic, stone-faced foil to his eternally peppy personality. Fun fact: Redbone also sings Baby, Its Cold Outside with Deschanel during the credits. Before they could even get started, they first had to draw all the buildings and work out how many bricks they would need per building as well as which colors to make them look right. When Buddy yells at Artie Langes Santa at Gimbels for not being the real North Pole OG, a child is sitting with Santa. We shot right up until we destroy the place," Lange said. Will wanted to do it, and he didnt want the director.. But even if you recognized him, you probably didnt notice he is also credited as playing Himself. Whatta creep. Like many productions, this one took advantage of the financial benefits of filming in Canada, and much of Elf was shot in sound stages in Vancouver. Turns out, Charlottes reporting isnt as stellar as she thinks. 15. Jon was the director of Elf, but he also played the doctor who sees Buddy. Menu. This marks just one of many Billingsley and Favreau's collaborations. And in that, they succeeded. Our goal, even then, was to make a movie that could be part of that pantheon, he said. Now, hes a hunk who does a bit of voice acting, though he doesnt appear on the big screen anymore. James Caan, as Buddy's biological father Walter, often seems uncomfortable as if he felt ill at ease on the set and used that feeling in his . "[Caan's] like, 'Hey, I've gotta tell you something. In the scene where Buddy suffers as a toy tester, he's subjected to popping open an endless stream of menacing jack-in-the-boxes. According to Berg, on his first day on set, he gave a speech in which he asked to be called Jimmy the Dream. When I realized that she had such a wonderful singing voice, we wrote that whole sequence in, Favreau said, adding that Ferrell was pretty good too. Favreau's hugely popular (yet unknown) cameo. It was hilarious because little kids could care less about the elf. For that role, he earned an Emmy nomination. When Im working with improv people, I give them the green light to just bring it and try things. Of course. LaMarche shared his secret to such an impressive burp with The A.V. It didnt sweep at Cannes; ponderous documentaries wont be made about it. He was a lot of fun.". See the highest-grossing Christmas movies in America! "We were going to do it, and I thought, 'Oh my God, I finally have a franchise movie. The purity of her singing, I thought, was really nice," the director added. All of us were a little scared of James Caan, producer Jon Berg said in the Netflix documentary series The Movies That Made Us., From 1980: The Candid Caan Real Life, No Sharks. "They felt it would blow the illusion for kids.". Originally, Favreau wanted to use Macy's, but the brand refused to show a Macy's Santa being unmasked (unbearded) as a fake. Its hard to make out exactly what Michael says Dirk Lawson, the long-haired man at the biker bar, wants for Christmas, but it turns out he wants a day of pampering at Burke Williams spa. Nothing embarrassing about that, Dirk. Ferrell told Blackfilm it was one of his favorite scenes to film. Mary Steenburgen, who played Buddy's stepmother, had to eat a bite of syrup-covered spaghetti and pretend to like it for Buddy's sake. So, still kind of discovering what this movies gonna be and running around New York City in yellow tights. Browse 304 james caan linda caan photos and images available, or start a new search to explore more photos and images. This included stop-motion animation, and using forced perspective to make Buddy look like a giant among his elf peers. Eventually, something just clicked in Jimmy, and he just went with it. It was The Godfather trilogy.". The New York Times called his presence "a lunatic bonhomie that lights a welcome spark.". When you watch Elf for the umpteenth time this Christmas season, be on the lookout for these moments you missed. Fortunately, her reflexive grimace at the too-sweet dish worked for her character. However, he had some fun alongside Molly Sims and Josh Duhamel on Las Vegas, starring as casino bigwig Ed Deline from 2003 to 2007. James is still acting into his 80s with films like Redemption and Never Too Late. But she didn't dye her hair for this role. It became an architectural project in miniature, production designer Rusty Smith explained to Entertainment Weekly. In the credits, Ray Harryhausen is listed as the Polar Bear Cub. Both Berenbaum and director Jon Favreau were inspired by the studio's colorful, quirky Christmas movies. After the show ended, Peter landed the principal role in theCyrano, which is scheduled to premiere in January 2022. James Caan, the tough leading man who portrayed the explosively violent and oldest of Vito Corleones sons in The Godfather, died on July 6 at 82. Another theme Berenbaum wanted to explore was a son looking for an absent father. Faizon played Al onStep Up: High Waterfrom 2018 to 2019 andcontinues to act in various roles. James Caan, the veteran screen actor known for his work in such films as "The Godfather," "Misery" and "Elf," has died, his family said in a statement on his verified Twitter account. They wanted to make the kind of Christmas movie that families gather together to rewatch every year in the holidays. Caan is survived by five children and four . Voice actorMaurice LaMarche, best known forgiving life toThe Brainon Pinky and the Brain, provided the dinner table belch. Yes, even if youve seen it a million times. It's an uncredited role, but between the glasses and those bright baby blue eyes, Billingsley stands out as an A Christmas Story Easter egg. Though immortalized here and in the 1947 classic Miracle on 34th Street, the department store closed its doors in 1987, its 100th year of operation. Patrick Ferrell is listed as one of the security guards, and he appears to be Wills real-life brother. Suddenly, Ferrell was famous, specifically for playing a beer-guzzling, streaking, ribbon-dancing, ring-of-fire-jumping frat man. Edward Chiodo told Art of the Title. In Elf, he was able to channel a workaholic publishing executive who refuses to reprint a childrens book missing a couple of pages in the name of the almighty dollar, and who is annoyed if not terrified to learn he might unknowingly have a son from a previous relationship. the New Girl star told Stylecaster. Its great to see Jimmy in a way that were not used to seeing him in and it adds to the effect. But it sort of backfired. A Buzzfeed employee picked up on an adorable fact about Buddy and Jovies babys name at the end of the film. . 1. 2. "It hits hardest at Christmastime when it's 105 degrees out here," Berenbaum told Variety in 2018. For allElf's Christmas magic, Berenbaum's most important scene is watching Walter hug Buddy at the end. As Berenbaum told Philadelphia City Paper, "I don't think we'd be talking about the movie now if Will didn't commit to play Buddy the elf, 'cause I can't really imagine anyone else on the planet playing that role at this point.". And, in some ways, Elf highlights a certain natural progression of his career. In a 2020 Rolling Stone interview, director Jon Favreau recalled Caan's "great sense of humor" on set. She told Entertainment Weekly that Favreau wanted to tailor the character to whoever played her. The first one is a little bit slow, but the second two are really good." . But when it came to the blood test scene where Buddy bellows when pricked by a needle, Caan cracked. Her Inner Circle Is Not Surprised. The first script for Elf was actually written in 1993, with Jim Carrey in mind to play the titular Santa's helper. You can change your choices at any time by clicking on the 'Privacy dashboard' links on our sites and apps. But they even managed to use Riverview for the Hobbs' chic Manhattan apartment and the Gimbels department store interior, which was in the former cafeteria. Santa, being the frequent sleigh flier that he is, gives Buddy some NYC spots to hit up, including Rays Pizza. Will Ferrells Buddy the Elf is an expert in spreading Christmas cheer, whether its by singing loudly for all to hear, crooning Baby, Its Cold Outside with Zooey Deschanels Jovie in private, or even by getting hit by cabs on the streets of New York City. He not only had to eat an enormous bite of spaghetti covered in candy and syrup, he had to look like he was enjoying it with a Buddy level of enthusiasm. Hope you find your dad." Favreau said, laughing. Dont do it, Deb! I ingested a lot of sugar in this movie, and I didn't get a lot of sleep." He was portrayed by the late James Caan in the film and is voiced by Mark Hamill in Elf: Buddy's Musical Christmas. And yes, we heard that. Elves thrive on the four main food groups (candy, candy canes, candy corns, and syrup, of course), but one of the dumb things we all ignored in Elf was that Buddy, as a human, would probably be very ill, if not dead, on this diet. But he said the actual fight between the characters had to be done in one take. Cookies help us deliver our Services. The elf Ming Ming oversees toy production and unintentionally helps Buddy realize he's a human. The first one is a little bit slow, but the second two are really good.' Their main concern was Buddy's green costume, which looked strikingly similar to an elf uniform from Rankin/Bass and was in almost every scene. Here are eight things you might not know about the movie Elf., 1. And as it turns out,Elf was his second screenplay the first, Christmas in New Jersey, was a Christmas rom-com. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for ELF (InfiniFilm DVD, 2003) CHRISTMAS COMEDY WILL FERRELL JAMES CAAN ZOOEY at the best online prices at eBay! Details, Why Did Taylor and Joe Break Up? The first script for Elf was actually written in 1993, with Jim Carreyin mind to play the titular Santa's helper.