The night they saved Christmas (1984)
Oh it had to happen, didn’t it? Santa takes on Big Oil: who will win? Well in reality the old guy would either end up drowned in paperwork and lawsuits or else literally drowned, found floating facedown somewhere off the North Pole. But this is Christmas, after all, and so of course Santa and his helpers will win. IMDB, it’s over to you…
An oil company is exploring two Arctic sites for oil. The needed blasting at the first site rocks Santa Claus' North Pole village. He realizes that any blasting at the second site will destroy his home. He enlists the aid of a woman and her children to convince her husband (who works for the company) that the first site is where the oil they want is. Along the way, Santa explains all his secrets in delivering presents all around the world.
I’m sure this went down great with the children of executives from Exxon and Mobil! No doubt along the way the heartless oilmen learn the true meaning of Christmas (seriously: does NOBODY know the true meaning of Christmas any more? Everyone’s having to learn it in these movies. You’d think they’d understand by now!) and probably licence the oil site to Claus Industries LLC for a seven-figure sum. Ho ho ho. I don’t think.
Amazing thing is that one of my alltime TV crushes, Charlie’s Angel Jaclyn Smith, agreed to star in this! Must have needed the money. AND the story and screenplay were written by David Niven Jr. Surely not THE David Niven’s son? You know what? I’m too depressed to look into this further. Let’s just leave it at that, huh?