Arnold Schwarzenegger Once Directed a Forgotten Christmas Movie Years Before Starring in ‘Jingle All the Way’

Arnold Schwarzenegger reached the zenith of his Hollywood career after starring in Terminator 2: Judgment Day. However, fresh off of his career-defining film, the bodybuilding icon decided to jump into the director’s chair. Yes, you read that right. Arnold Schwarzenegger directed a film. However, barely anyone remembers the 80s action icon’s directorial debut.

The Austrian Oak is still active at 76 and released his first self-help book, Be Useful: Seven Tools for Life. However, even during the many interviews he gave while promoting the book on shows, Arnie or the hosts never mentioned his stint as a director. While the actor’s cult classic Christmas film Jingle All the Way (1997) came up, Christmas in Connecticut (1992) was never part of the conversation. So let’s unearth the reason why the bodybuilder-turned-actor-turned-governor doesn’t often speak about another feather in his cap.

The Arnold Schwarzenegger directorial was a remake

While promoting one of his films, Arnold Schwarzenegger explained that he loved romantic comedies so much, he made one. Arnold’s 1992 film was a remake of the original Christmas in Connecticut from 1945. However, the action star modernized various aspects of his film to make sure it fit in a 90s setting.

The Austrian Oak hired Dyan Cannon and Kris Kristofferson for the lead roles and got the renowned Jackie Burch as his casting director. Burch had worked with Arnie  previously as a casting director for films like Commando, Predator, Red Heat, and The Running Man. Yet, Arnie’s first film didn’t get a theatrical release. Instead, it was a direct-to-TV movie for TNT.

How did it stack up against the original?

Arnold Schwarzenegger made changes to his film but stayed true to the original premise. In the 1945 film, Barbara Stanwyck starred as Elizabeth Lane, a food writer who writes articles about her Connecticut farm, husband, and baby. However, neither her publisher nor her loyal readers knew that every aspect of her farm and wholesome family life was fiction.

So when Lane’s publisher asks her to host a war hero for dinner, Lane has to take drastic action. Despite Lane’s efforts she is discovered, but through comedy and romance, everything goes the protagonist’s way by the end of the film. In Schwarzenegger’s film, Lane’s character is a cooking show host, whose manager is in on the fact that she cannot cook.

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Kristofferson’s character isn’t a war hero but a forest ranger. Kristofferson’s character Jefferson Jones ends up starring as a guest in the protagonist’s show after his house burns down. Jones plans to rebuild his house with the money he would earn from the show’s special episode. Like the original film, things go wrong, a romance blossoms and the lead pair get a happy ending. However, it’s how the film goes about presenting the story that makes the 1992 Arnold Schwarzenegger directorial a forgettable affair.

The changes didn’t have the impact Arnie hoped for

Before Christmas in Connecticut, Arnold Schwarzenegger directed an episode of The Tales from the Crypt. Hence, he was slightly inexperienced as a director. By modernizing the story, Arnie changed the origins and motivations of the characters. These key changes allowed the True Lies star to create the comic elements and gags in the film. However, many of them fell flat for audiences.

Besides being set during Christmas, unlike Jingle All the Way, there was no other reference to the holiday spirit in the film. Arnold Schwarzenegger also inserted several references to his previous work. In the film, Elizbeth Lane hires a struggling actor to portray her son. However, the young actor dresses up like Arnie from the Terminator films. In one scene he wears a black leather jacket and sunglasses and even utters Arnie’s famous catchphrase, “I’ll be back.” 

Besides the Terminator reference, in one scene, one of the kids can be spotted watching Arnie’s comedy blockbuster Twins (1988). Schwarzenegger himself appears in a cameo. In the final act of the film, Arnie appears as the technician in charge of broadcasting Lane’s cooking show. However, despite his best efforts, Arnie’s direct-to-TV movie failed to find any success.

Arnold Schwarzenegger never helmed another project

Despite being a Christmas film, TNT aired the movie on April 13, 1992. Today it has an IMDb score of 4.8/10. While barely any critics reviewed the film, those who did, gave it a bashing. In the end, the project flew under everyone’s radar. Its failure also steered Arnie away from the director’s chair in the future. Another reason people forgot the 1992 film was what followed.

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In 1993, the Austrian Oak starred in The Last Action Hero. While the former Mr. Universe had high hopes for the film, it turned into one of the biggest disasters in Arnie’s Hollywood career. Christmas in Connecticut drowned in the noise from that disaster. Maybe, probably for the best.