Comedy legend and Oak Park native Bob Newhart liked to insist that his role as Papa Elf in “Elf” (2003) “outranks, by far” any other character he ever portrayed across his decades-long career. He also compared the film’s appeal to that of holiday classic “Miracle on 34th Street” (1947). ‘
Newhart made that statement just a year before his death at age 94 on July 18, 2024, in an interview with CNN to mark the 20th anniversary of “Elf.” It was a surprising claim from the former accountant/advertising copywriter turned comedian/actor who broke through with the live album “The Button-Down Mind of Bob Newhart” (1960). That disc went to No. 1 on Billboard’s Hit 100 chart and won Grammys in the categories of album of the year and best new artist. Best remembered for his hit sitcoms “The Bob Newhart Show” (1972-1978), set in Chicago, and “Newhart” (1982-1990), Newhart said he knew “Elf” would become a holiday classic after he first read through the script.
Members of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra will perform “Elf” in Concert, a live-to-picture presentation on Dec. 11-13, conducted by Justin Freer.
In the film, Buddy (Will Ferrell) travels to New York City in search of his real father, years after his adoption as an infant by Papa Elf (Newhart) at the North Pole.
On his way to NYC, Buddy must travel through “the seven levels of the Candy Cane Forest, past the Sea of Swirly-Twirly Gumdrops.” And then he walked through the Lincoln Tunnel. While in Manhattan, Buddy discovers that he must swoop in and somehow rescue the holiday from malevolent forces.
Papa Elf gets the last words: “And so, with a little help, Buddy managed to save Christmas. And his spirit saved a lot of other people, too.”
