One of Gremlins' best scenes involves Kate (Phoebe Cates) telling Billy a sad story about a past Christmas, but it was almost cut before release.
One of Gremlins' best scenes involves Kate (Phoebe Cates) telling Billy a sad story about a past Christmas, but it was almost cut before release. While Halloween is the holiday that most naturally lends itself to horror films, there are also lots of great horror movies centered on Christmas, with the original Black Christmas possibly being the best. When it comes to most well-known blends of horror and Christmas though, 1984's Gremlins is definitely near the top of the list.
Sure, Gremlins isn't exactly terrifying, but it's a great, wild ride watching the titular creatures terrorize the citizens of Kingston Falls after they're inadvertently spawned by the adorable mogwai Gizmo. Right in the middle of the chaos are Billy Peltzer (Zach Galligan), an employee of the local bank and Gizmo's new owner, and his girlfriend Kate Beringer (Cates), a local bartender. Partway through the film, after the gremlins have taken over the town, Kate oddly decides to regale Billy, Gizmo, and the audience with a story about why she hates Christmas.
It turns out Kate's dad slipped and broke his neck while attempting to climb down the chimney dressed as Santa, and the body wasn't discovered until several days later. In her words, "and that's how I found out there was no Santa Claus." It's bizarrely macabre, but also extremely memorable. The thing is, it almost didn't make the film.
The Classic Gremlins Scene That Almost Got Cut
After Gremlins had finished shooting, and while it was in the post-production phase, Warner Bros. studio executives expressed their displeasure with Kate's speech about her father's death. They felt the scene played oddly, and it wasn't clear whether audiences were supposed to feel sad or laugh. The executives demanded the Santa speech be cut, but director Joe Dante held firm, pointing out that its combination of horror and comedy accurately represented the rest of the film.
It's possible Dante would've been overruled, had he not had a powerful ally in his back pocket: Steven Spielberg. Spielberg was already a Hollywood icon by 1984, and he held major sway in the industry. Spielberg executive produced Gremlins through his Amblin Entertainment company, and surprisingly enough, actually didn't like the Santa speech scene. However, he had personally hired Dante to direct Gremlins, on the strength of Dante's work on The Howling. So, Spielberg decided to give Dante his backing, believing that the project was his, and he should have control over its content. Sure enough, Gremlins was a massive hit, and the Santa scene is still talked about today.
