Walter Hobbs

Walter Hobbs
Background information
Feature films	Elf
Television programs	Elf: Buddy's Musical Christmas
Portrayed by	James Caan
Voice	Mark Hamill
Character information
Full name	Walter Hobbs
Other names	Mr. Hobbs, Dad
Personality	Smart, arrogant (formerly), mature, greedy (formerly), selfish (formerly), uncaring (formerly), vile (formerly), rude (formerly), incredulous (formerly), caring, kind, humble, generous, remorseful
Appearance	Average build, fair skin, auburn hair, blue eyes, grey business suit
Occupation	Greenway Publishing Employee (fired) Founder of his own Publishing Company
Alignment	Neutral, later Good
Nationality	American
Goal	To make better books for Greenway (formerly)
Home	Walter's Apartment
Relatives	Buddy Hobbs (older biological son) Emily Hobbs (wife) Michael Hobbs (younger biological son) Jovie (daughter-in-law) Susie (granddaughter)
Allies	Susan Wells, Fulton Greenway (formerly), Miles Finch, Eugene Dupree, Morris
Minions	His associates Eugene Dupree, Morris, his secretary Deb
Enemies	Fulton Greenway (currently)
Likes	Making money, pleasing Greenway, Publishing better books
Dislikes	Buddy's childish behavior, seeing Buddy as insane (Walter puts his dislikes aside when he accepts Buddy as his son), Greenway's arrogance (eventually)
Fate	Starts his own publishing company, and becomes a kinder and more caring person.
Quote	"See, I... I see what you're trying to do here. Y-You're trying to make me feel bad, When, in actuality, you're the one That missed the payments."

Walter Hobbs is Buddy's only biological father and a major character in the film Elf and its television special Elf: Buddy's Musical Christmas. He is portrayed by James Caan in the film and voiced by Mark Hamill in the animated special.

Background

Personality

Walter Hobbs is an selfish and arrogant employee at a publishing company, he shows no feelings for any customers who are unable to pay their debt. Unlike his biological son Buddy, Walter is an highly mature man, and when Walter crosses the line by disowning Buddy harshly, he begins to feel remorseful. Walter eventually learns to be a better father and a kinder person by quitting his job, apologizing to Buddy and accepting him as his son, now believing in Santa Claus and even becomes a founder of his own publishing company.

Physical appearance

Walter Hobbs is an average-built, fair skinned man, with auburn hair and blue eyes. He dons a gray business suit with white shirt and a black necktie. He wears black framed-glasses in the animated remake.

Biography

Early Life

Walter Hobbs fell in love with a beautiful girl named Susan Wells, who gave birth to Buddy Hobbs without Walter knowing. Susan later died and Walter now works at a children's publishing company in the Empire State Building in New York City. Walter married to Emily and gave birth to their son Michael Hobbs. As the years pass, Walter became arrogant, selfish and greed, explaining why he was on the Naughty List, according to Santa.

Role in the film

Walter works at Greenway Publishing Company, still arrogant, and selfish. He takes the books away from a nun, due to her not having time paying for them.

Later, Walter is asked to reprint "The Puppy and the Pigeon" due to its two missing pages, but Walter refuses, citing the printing costs. He is called on the intercom from Deb, saying that someone send him a Christmas gram, when it actually Buddy who had traveled day and night from the North Pole to find him. Buddy sang a little song of how he loves his father, which Walter counts as "weird", Buddy mentions Susan Wells, prompting the incredulous Walter to ask Deb to call the security to eject him from the building. At his apartment, Walter eats his dinner alone in his room where he is considering over the loss of Susan Wells.

Walter sees Buddy sleeping inside Gimbels and ignores Buddy's calls to him as he walks to the Empire State Building to work. Later, he receives a nightie, a photograph with him and Susan Wells and a Christmas card from Buddy which was handed in by the security who threw Buddy out again. Walter receives a call from Deb that the police are on the phone, Walter answers their call, and it turns out that Buddy called Walter to bail him out of prison after exposing the Gimbel's Santa. Walter reluctantly leaves work to bail Buddy out, and thinks Buddy is insane and an imposter before taking him to the family's pediatrician Dr. Leonardo who does a DNA test on both Walter and Buddy, which confirms that Buddy is in fact Walter's biological son. Dr. Leonardo advises Walter that Buddy was developing a child like state and tells him to take Buddy home to meet Emily and Michael.

Walter and Michael are obviously put off by Buddy's childlike behavior, Walter, seeing Buddy insane, plans to throw him out, but Emily advises him to let him stay until he "recovers". Walter has to spend some of the night, doing all the childish things for Buddy, for example, tucking him in with his duvet. The next morning, Walter prepares to go to work, and rips down most of the decorations that got in his way in the living room. Walter advises Buddy to get rid of the costume, but Buddy declines, prompting Walter to ask him to "lose the tights", Buddy does so, accidentally freaking out Emily.

Walter gets a phone call from Buddy about a strange noise until he realizes it was the heater, Walter tells him to stop making phone calls to him. Later, Walter's boss, Fulton Greenway is furious over the published failure "The Puppy and the Pigeon", causing the company to be in financial trouble. Greenway organizes a book pitch on Christmas Eve, and demands Walter to be there, or face dismissal, and Walter agrees, not wanting to lose his job.

Later, Walter is advised by Emily to take Buddy to work with him. Walter works in his office as Buddy reads a children's book, and after Buddy disrupts a phone call, Walter persuades Buddy to help out in the mailroom, in order to keep Buddy out of the way. Desperate to save the company, Walter and his associates Morris and Eugene Dupree, place a phone call on the speaker mode with the best-selling children's book author Miles Finch, in order to hire him. But the phone call was interrupted by Deb on the intercom, telling Walter that a phone call is coming from the mailroom supervisor, due to Buddy throwing an outrageous dance party in the mailroom. Walter finally has Finch to come round to his office on Christmas Eve.

Finch arrives at the conference room and starts discussing ideas with Walter about the cover of the new book until Buddy interrupts the meeting, telling Walter about his love. Buddy mistakes Finch for a elf, due to his dwarfism, causing the short-statured author to attack Buddy, before storming out in fury, ignoring Walter's attempts of persuading Finch to stay. Now finally having enough, Walter loses his temper and harshly yells at Buddy, wanting him out of his life. Buddy leaves heartbroken, as Walter is given disapproving looks from the employees, including Deb, Morris and Eugene.

Walter calls Emily, telling her that he is working late on Christmas Eve. Walter now feels very remorseful for his yelling and disowning Buddy, until his thoughts of shame are interrupted by Eugene and Morris, informing him that Finch left behind a notebook that is filled with brilliant ideas, Walter comes off his thoughts and excitedly tells them to get the storyboard ready for Greenway.

During a meeting with Greenway, Michael bursts in, telling Walter that Buddy ran away after reading his apology note. Michael manages to convince Walter that to put his family above his job for the first time, and Walter tries to ask Greenway to reschedule the meeting. When Greenway callously refuses, Walter and Michael tell him "up yours" before leaving the conference room, prompting Greenway to fire Walter.

Walter and Michael go into Central Park, and find Buddy who is looking for a engine that broke off from the sleigh. Walter apologies to Buddy, telling him that Buddy has shown him the true meaning of Christmas, and truly and finally accepts Buddy as his son. Buddy takes them to meet Santa for the first time, Michael and Walter are convince that Santa is real. After seeing that the Central Park are on their way to get Santa, Buddy formulates a plan with Walter and Michael. Michael takes Santa's list in order to get the people in New York City to believe Santa as Walter takes Santa's coat and tries to stop the rangers, but to no avail.

As the rangers chase Santa, Jovie leads everyone to sing "Santa Claus is coming to town", Walter is mouthing the words, but Michael encourages to start singing earnestly, Walter eventually does so, finally restoring the Christmas Spirit in Santa's sleigh, allowing it to fly.

Next Christmas, Walter is no longer arrogant and selfish, but now becomes a kinder and caring person, and starts his own independent publishing company, starting with the best-selling book titled Elf, written and illustrated by Buddy himself.

Quotes

• [On the verge of fury after Buddy had inadvertently caused Miles Finch to flip out and left, because he mistook him for an elf.] I don't care where you go. I don't care that you're an elf. I don't care that you're nuts! I DON'T CARE THAT YOU'RE MY SON! GET OUT OF MY LIFE!! NOW!!!
• [Whispering to Deb, after Buddy tells him about Susan Wells] I think we should call the security.

Trivia

• Walter wears framed glasses in the animated special.

v - e - d

Media Elf | Video | Soundtrack | Buddy's Musical Christmas Characters Buddy Hobbs | Walter Hobbs | Jovie | Emily Hobbs | Michael Hobbs | Santa Claus | Papa Elf | Santa's Elves | Mailroom Employee | Deb | Leon the Snowman | Ming Ming | North Pole Creatures | Central Park Rangers | Fulton Greenway | Miles Finch | The Naughty Children | Gimbel's Santa | Susan Wells | Eugene and Morris Locations North Pole | New York City | Empire State Building | Greenway Publishing | Gimbel's | New York Police Department | Walter's Apartment | Central Park Objects Transports Songs See also