Who Killed Santa Claus?

Directed by Christian-Jaque
1941 | 104 min. | In French with English subtitles

“Carolers and tinsel; the perfect setting for Christmas Eve in a snowy mountain village. But when a body is discovered, dressed as Santa, the hysteria soon spreads and accusations fly. The first film produced by German controlled Continental Films, who regulated film production under the Occupation, this is more than a fireside mystery for a chilly night… a parable for collaboration, subversively [portraying] a perilous moment in French history.” – L’Alliance

Made in 1941 by French director Christian-Jaque, Who Killed Santa Claus? (or L’Assassinat du Père Noël) is historically significant as the first film made in France after the 1940 capitulation to Nazi Germany and the inaugural production of Continental Films, which set a high standard for the German-run studio’s later work. Despite the Occupation and France’s national humiliation, French cinema flourished, aided by the substantial resources the Germans invested to distract the population during Nazi rule. Through a mix of pressure and incentives, Continental recruited many of France’s top filmmakers (aside from those who had fled to Hollywood), resulting in the production of a number of films now regarded with high esteem and interest to cinephiles.