(La Porte County, IN) - Actor Sam Elliott is coming to La Porte and nearby Three Oaks, Michigan where a Christmas movie he played the leading role in 35 years ago was filmed. His appearance will be part of an anniversary celebration for Prancer, which still appears on TV screens during the holidays.
“I’m looking forward to seeing him,” said John Hancock, who was director of the film.
Hancock, who lives in northern La Porte County, said the celebration will include a showing of the movie at Vickers Theatre and parade in Three Oaks on December 14th. The movie will be featured in La Porte on December 15th at the Civic Auditorium.
He said Elliott and some of the surviving
members of the cast will be at each location. Hancock said there will also be a question and answer session between the actors, himself, and members of the audience.
Initially, he said Elliott was receptive to coming but hesitant to commit so early to the event, judging from his talks with the veteran movie star’s agent in recent weeks. Hancock said the 80 year old Elliott gave in, though, once La Porte Mayor Tom Dermody began making phone calls to handlers for the Hollywood legend.
“He just wouldn’t take no for an answer and, finally, Sam decided to come. I had given up but Dermody is a persistent guy,” he said.
In the movie, Elliott plays a grieving widowed father, whose apple farm outside La Porte has fallen on hard times. Fearing he’ll be unable to provide for his eight year old daughter, Jessica, he considers having his deceased wife’s sister take care of her but later changes his mind.
At one point, the girl discovered an injured reindeer, she named Prancer, in the family’s barn and nurses the animal back to health. The movie ends with the girl looking on in amazement as Prancer reunites with other reindeer pulling Santa’s sleigh after landing on the farm.
Hancock said he directed the film at the request of his wife, who felt it would become a classic during the Christmas season.
“It turned out to be. She was right,” he said.
