Living Up to the Legend

The World Through Santa's Eyes

Mr. T tried it, Burl Ives personifies it, and Orson Wells should do it.

As even the muscled captain of the A Team can attest after donning the familiar red suit, stocking cap, and black boots at Nancy Reagan’s children’s Christmas Party at the White House this past week, playing Santa is no easy task. But then, living up to a legend never is. The courageous among us note, however, that once you've looked at the world from behind that long white beard, it will never look quite the same again.

Here in Mt. Washington Valley, the arrival of St. Nick at the various village tree lighting ceremonies marks the beginning of the holiday season. Unlike Mr. T’s self-styled attire of a sleeveless costume decorated with 23 pounds of gold and diamonds, local Valley Santas go for the more traditional look in Christmas fashion. No fools, they dress warmly, in outfits designed to withstand the elements.

That dedication to dressing warmly, when accompanied by a desire to remain anonymous to the children flocking at their feet, leads to an unfortunate result--no one knows just who these hardy local souls behind the fleece and garb really are. In short, they never get their proper credit for the good that they do.

Fred Dudley has been spending his Christmas as Santa for Conway Village for the past 19 years, ever since bank president Arthur Brown coaxed the friendly restaurant owner to “give it a try.” The proprietor of Poor Dudley’s and Conway’s Fire, Rescue, and Water Precinct Commissioner, Fred seemed a natural with his large build and understanding demeanor. Even so, he recalls that first Christmas as an un-nerving experience.

“I was nervous as hell that first time. Until you put on that suit,” he said, puffing on his ever-present cigar, “you just don’t have any idea of how different it makes you feel.”

Despite his nervousness, Fred was an instant hit as St. Nick, as he evolved into the role the way an actor grows into Hamlet. As he noted, “You wonder the first time how you’re going to get on with the kids, but then it becomes second nature and you get so you don’t even have to think about it.”

With such an appreciative and non-critical audience to play to, Fred says that it’s no wonder that the role becomes so enjoyable for Santas once they’ve grown accustomed to it. As he related, everyone wants to believe in Santa, from the children whose faith is unwavering, to the parents who haven’t forgotten what it’s like to see the world through the eyes of a child.

Surrounded by all the devotion, it’s hard for even Fred not to believe in St. Nick. “The kids are so sincere, that they really get you motivated. With all the trouble going on in the world these days, it really makes you feel good to see the kids believe in Santa,” Fred said. “You really can’t explain the feeling unless you've actually talked to the kids.”

Watching Fred in action as the featured guest of honor at last Saturday’s parade and tree lighting ceremony in Conway Village, it was easy to see that he truly enjoys spreading that sense of holiday good cheer to others. Whether innately acquired or learned through years of practice, he has a knack for reading children - soft and tender with the shy ones, boisterously “Ho-ho-ho’ing” to the more uninhibited, rambunctious children. They loved him.

His secret? “Each kid is different. Just by looking at their eyes, you get so you know which ones want you to pick them up, and which ones are a little timid and want to be left alone,” Fred related. While some children get overly excited or just plain curious (it’s not always clear which) and try to pull off his beard during those close encounters, Fred says that most behave well. “They get so excited, they’re in another world,” he noted.

While requests for presents have changed over the years from the standard trains, trucks and dolls of old to today’s computers and Star Wars paraphernalia, Fred says there has been one constant which holds true even now: When Santa asks whether or not he or she’s been naughty or nice, no child ever admits to being bad. “So,” Fred says, “I tell them to stick out their tongue, which they always do and then I just go, “Unh huh, I see you’ve been good, but you haven’t been all good.”

According to Fred, the ruse always works, as the youngsters “fess up” and admit they haven’t been complete angels. Everyone goes away with a clear conscience. Another trick is to put into action when a youngster who knows Fred Dudley hears that same familiar voice, and suddenly begins to wonder if maybe he also knows just who Santa really is. Facing such disillusion, Fred simply goes up to the suspecting youngster later on with a wink and a whisper,

confessing that he’s really not Santa--he’s one of his helpers. “I ask them if they can keep my secret, and they say 'Sure',” Fred laughed. “They’ll come up to me a year later and give me a knowing nudge, as if they’re on to Santa. I get a real kick out of that.”

In addition to serving as the Grand Marshall for the annual Conway Village Parade, Fred’s annual duties as Santa include stops at the Conway Fire Department's Children’s Christmas party, and visits to Memorial Hospital on Christmas Eve. The Department sends out a fire engine to transport Santa in style to their party, driving him the distance from Poor Dudley’s to the station.

“One time, I forgot all about it, and I was plowing on Eidelweiss when this guy runs up and tells me that the department was looking for me, as they wanted me to be at their party in 10 minutes,” Fred related about one of his more hectic trips. “I was there at the restaurant when the engine came around to pick me up, all right, but it wasn’t until I got to the station that I finished getting my boots on just in time.”

Of all his appearances, Fred finds the trips on Christmas Eve to Memorial Hospital to be the most rewarding, as well as the most emotionally moving. In the old days, the local Elks club donated the toys for Santa to hand out, a tradition which was later continued by Harry French of Aubuchon Hardware. Today, Fred calls up the hospital to see if there are any children staying overnight who are unable to spend their Christmas at home. He then heads on up between 6:30-7:00 p.m., stopping to see the children, as well as making the rounds throughout the hospital.

“Once I went up to the hospital with presents for four children, but when I got there, two had gone home already. Of the two that we left,” Fred noted, "one had parents who didn’t really believe in giving presents at Christmas. Thank God they weren’t there when I gave all those extra toys to that nice boy--when I dumped them on his bed, his eyes lit up as big as saucers."

Fred’s visits with the elderly are equally rewarding. “The older folks don't believe in Santa Claus, but they’re so pleased that someone would stop and see them on Christmas Eve, they sometimes get really shook up,” Fred said.

Although offers come his way frequently, asking him to serve as Santa at various private parties or commercial functions, Fred steadfastly refuses as a matter of principle. “People ask me to play Santa all the time, but I won’t do it for money,” he stated. “If I had to get paid, it would ruin it for me. I refuse to do it.” Fred does accept the support and help of friends in non-monetary ways, however, such as when Bob Robson of the former Ben Franklin store donated a new Santa suit recently to replace the well-worn outfit used by Dudley over the years.

LIke his counterpart in North Conway -- Marilyn Miller, who donned the whiskers and stocking cap (along with a lot of hot cotton batting) at this year’s highly successful North Conway Village Association Christmas in the Park celebration -- Fred agrees that everyone should play Santa at least once in their life. Just ask Mt. T.