Did you know that a lot of your favorite Hallmark Christmas movies are from the mind of a man who broke into show business by writing the cult horror film Hello Mary Lou: Prom Night II? The same man who directed several episodes of YA horror TV shows Goosebumps and Are You Afraid of the Dark?
That man is Ron Oliver, and he is being honored on May 23 with a star on the Palm Springs Walk of Stars, the Palm Springs Chamber of Commerce announced Tuesday (May 6).
Oliver is a Canadian by birth but has lived in Palm Springs since 2003, according to KESQ, when he purchased a mid-century modern home in Racquet Club Estates and became a very active member of the Palm Springs community.
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Oliver has written and/or directed over 30 Hallmark movies, including such fan-favorites as Hallmark Hall of Fame movies The Christmas Train and Christmas Everlasting, plus Christmas at the Plaza, A Timeless Christmas, and Falling For Christmas, the 2022 hit Netflix Christmas film starring Lindsay Lohan. He also wrote and/or directed the Hallmark Groomsmen trilogy of films.
Dubbed the kind of Hallmark movies by Toronto Life, several of the actors and crew members who have worked with Oliver told Life that he’s a joy on set.
“It’s definitely the Ron show, and it’s a fun show to be a part of. I think that’s why his sets run so smoothly,” said frequent Hallmark star Jonathan Bennett.
Producer Brad Krevoy added, “Every time I receive an order to make a Christmas movie for a new company, my first call is to Ron. He understands the holiday genre better than anybody.”
Oliver also shared with Toronto Life a story of a woman who came up to him at the airport to tell him how much The Christmas Train had meant to her Alzheimer’s-stricken mother.
“Do I want an Oscar? Sure — who doesn’t want an Oscar? But do I also want a hug from a clerk at the airport, because she loved my film and it touched her? I’ll take that any day,” said Oliver.
