Ernest P. Worrell is a character played by Jim Varney who is tasked with assisting Santa Claus in identifying his successor before Christmas. If he fails, Christmas will be lost. One of the delights of an Ernest film is the vast array of clothing he wears. Douglas Seale as Santa gives a fantastic performance, perfectly capturing the cheery old Saint Nick. Ernest Saves Christmas may not have been a box office hit at the time of its release, but it has developed a cult following since then.
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Synopsis: When Santa Claus decides to retire and pass on his magic bag of Christmas surprises to a new Saint Nick, he enlists the aid of a hilarious assortment of characters. A perky teen runaway and hapless taxi driver Ernest P. Worrell must convince a skeptical kiddie-show host to take over the post of Father Christmas.
More on Ernest P. Worrell
Ernest P. Worrell is a fictional character played by Jim Varney in a series of television commercials, as well as a television series (Hey Vern, It’s Ernest!) and feature films. Ernest was created by Carden and Cherry, a Nashville advertising agency, and appeared in a number of local television commercials. Coca-Cola, Sprite, TaB, Mello Yello, Chex, and Taco John’s were the only national brands he advertised. The original Ernest commercial, shot in 1980, featured the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders performing at Beech Bend Park, a theme park near Bowling Green, Kentucky.
The commercials’ formats rarely changed. Ernest, who wore a denim vest and a baseball cap virtually all of the time, knocked on the door of an unseen and unheard but seemingly hesitant neighbor named Vern. Varney looked directly into the camera whenever Vern was addressed in the advertisements, allowing the audience to experience what it was like to be “Vern.” Ernest’s seemingly useless chats with Vern – which were essentially monologues because Vern never responded – always ended with a positive description of the sponsor’s goods, followed by his famous close, “KnowhutImean?”
Despite the fact that Vern is never seen saying anything, it is inferred that he considers Ernest to be an unwelcome pest based on his attempts to slam his door in Ernest’s face on several occasions. When Ernest invites Vern to do something, he shakes his head “No.” Despite his good intentions, Ernest is completely unaware of Vern’s apparent anguish and views him as his best friend and confidant.
Fun fact: There are 6 Ernest movies including Ernest saves Christmas
Ernest Goes to Camp
Ernest Goes to Jail
Ernest Scared Stupid
Ernest Rides Again
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