Glengarry Glen Christmas: Elf Motivation - SNL 

I get the feeling 80% of the studio audience never saw Glengarry Glen Ross

incredible how almost none of the audience even realized how genius this was.

He acted in Glengarry Glen Ross thirteen years before this came out and he still said "always be closing" by instinct.

Dude, if you’re a Glengary fan this skit still hits 15 years later.

"Because you rode in here on a hedgehog and I rode in here in a Talking Moose." I was Rolling!!

Alec's "Always be closing" mistake is one of the greatest, almost poignant, moments on SNL ever. His smile of acknowledgement to Seth was just, well, endearing.

I like how the box of candy canes looks just like the box of steak knives

Love the part where he flubs the line, "always be closing [cobbling]." He accidentally falls right into his actual Glengarry character.

This remains one of the most underrated sketches in the history of SNL.

I saw Glengarry Glen Ross was free to watch on RU-vid and turned it on, when I saw that scene I was smiling ear to ear because I FINALLY got this skit all these years later.

Rachel Dratch’s face (and the camera cut to her) holding the big cup of cocoa is one of the SNL moments that always makes me laugh.

The audience didn’t seem to get the reference. That was so perfectly done. The original is one of my favorite movie scenes of all time.

This monologue is so powerful that it works even in a parody. Mamet is a great playwright.

Alec Baldwin's performance in Glengarry Glen Ross was extraordinary, absolutely blood-chilling.

Put that cocoa down. Such a fantastic movie.

This went over the head of way too many people. One of the greatest skits in SNL history

3:21 “Drinking fermented dew out of acorn caps” is such a well written line. I feel like many would just say hot chocolate but nope, gotta be booze

If you saw, "Glengarry Glen Ross" then this is one of the best skits, ever! If you didn't, then I feel sorry for you.

You can tell a lot of the studio audience hadn’t seen Glengarry Glenn Ross.

Deleted line: "Get out there! You got the prospects coming in, you think they came in to get out of the snow? A kid don't walk in the shop, unless he wants a toy. They're sitting out there waiting to give you their cookies! Are you gonna take it? Are you elf enough to take it?"

"second prize is a box of candy canes" lol

You call yourself an elf, you son of a bitch?! LOL

What's funny is Rachel didn't have to change her voice at all, to be an elf.

Get the feeling most of the audience have never seen glengarry glen ross, what a shame

It took me a couple seconds to remember the gumdrop was supposed to be a Rolex and when I got it I was in hysterics

"A. Always. B. Be. C. Closing...I mean Cobbling."

The best part was when he said "Always be closing" by mistake.

I have watched the Glengary Glen Ross scene more times than I can count. I can't believe I never knew this was made. I love the smile he gave with the Always be closing line.

I get the sense that the majority of the audience had NO idea what this was referencing, never having seen Glengarry Glen Ross. I also bet the majority of the people in the comments also haven't seen the source movie. If they and you have, you will fully understand just how hilarious this sketch truly is. It's what we call a "parody" of epic proportions.

I will pay money to see the rest of the movie adapted to Santa's Workshop! I want to see Al Pacino elf rant at Kevin Spacey elf.

Fred's impression of Spacey'character is so true.

As a Glengarry Glen Ross movie fan, this is one of the funniest parody skits I've seen on SNL. Would like to know if that film set was existing, or built especially for this.

"Hey, what's your name? Screw you...that's my name." I was laughing so hard I was crying!!!

"Elf you!" LMAO

My entire family watches this clip together every Christmas - it's a tradition for us now. Never gets old!!!

I think if most of the audience had SEEN Glengarry Glen Ross they would have been rolling in the aisles with LAUGHTER! That was absolutely HILARIOUS... And just the fact that Alex Baldwin was actually doing it made it even MORE hilarious!

Great homage to one of my favorite films! sad to say I think a lot of people didn't get it.

I have seen Glenn Gary Glenn Ross several times. One of the best acted movies ever. Recognized it immediately.

Alec is especially funny in this scene because he is the only elf that doesn't have an elf Voice.

"These are the Good leads--the Glengarry leads ...."

i don't think he flubbed the line. i think he did on purpose. it's too perfect. the smirk between alec and seth was one of acknowledgement. The audience wasn't getting the references bc if they did they would've been cheering and WOOing, nevermind laughing.

I love how Seth and Amy had to squeakify their voices while Rachel just used her normal cutesy voice :P

The timing is like he's touring around the globe with this speech.

When nobody in the audience has done their homework.

This is an absolute gem sketch. Notice the flow of each and every line to mimic the movie...quite brilliant. Alec is speeding up his cadence, has to for tv time, but it still is quality start to finish. And the audience, half of which never saw the movie and don't know the references (you can tell) are loving how every sentence is quality. Different than most SNL sketches written today. That's because the masterpiece screenwriter did the heavy lifting in GlenGarry. All Alec has to do is insert appropriate elf magic. And this works great. I replay it and still laugh it's so good. Always Be Cobbling.

I’ve never seen glen garry glen ross. I always loved this skit. I just watched the original speech and now I can appreciate the brilliance of this skit

The interesting thing is that many of the big laughs in this sketch come straight from lines in the movie and not how the SNL writer's changed up the dialogue to fit in the elf motif. For example, "third prize, you're fired" gets a big laugh but that's pretty much what he says in the film with no changes made. I'm sure many of the people laughing have no idea where it's from. David Mamet is a pretty powerful writer.

Haha... He said Always be closing twice...that monologue is so engrained in his memory he almost didn’t catch his goof...Love it!

"I rode in here on a talking moose! *THAT'S* my name!" 🤣😂🤣😂🤣

That was superb. I dont think too many in the audience had seen Glengarry Glen Ross though, otherwise they'd have been laughing harder I bet. That cup of cocoa made my day.

this was awesome!!!

"My hammer is falling apart in my hands." I DIED!!! 😂😂😂😂😂😂

Haha!!! He says candy canes just like steak knives. This is hilarious.

One of the best skits ever! GGGR is one of my all time fave films. Love me some Mamet. He probably loved this bit.

I would watch this full length elf version of Glenn Gary Glenn Ross in a heartbeat

“Elf you!” Just a normal work day for elf’s 😂

genius premise for a sketch, just absolutely savage!

Him going back into the actual scene with "Closing" by accident at 2:09 was priceless...

Of course no one understood the Glengarry Glen Ross references!! Why?! Because EVERYONE that saw that movie are at work....CLOSING!! 😄😂🤣

Almost too good. Spot on rendition. Genius. Saturday Night Live

Alec baldwin speaking to you seriously: " do you see this gumdrop??"

His best performance ever is in Glen Garry Glen Ross and it’s only an 8 minute cameo

“Always Be Closing” Loved this scene from GGGR.

This is winters breath 😂guys a breath of fresh air

I had to watch the Glengary Glen Ross clip before this one and even you’ve also never seen the movie, you’ve got to appreciate how Alec can call forth his character for that performance despite the intervening years.

I feel like it should've been "silver balls". Missed opportunity, IMO (great skit tho)

he's just a really good comedic actor. there's a reason he's hosted a million times.

ALWAYS BE CLOSING 🤣

Audience is clueless. Best skit ever

This is my all-time favorite Christmas film.

3:11 "Know what it takes to be one of Santa's elves?"... It takes Jingle Balls!

this clip is so hilarious! i salute u alec baldwin. true legend

lol he almost got into character when he pulled the board out

Ha! He said closing

This is nuts. I just watched Glengarry last night after years of not seeing it and now I see this. This is amazing.

Referencing something like GGGR and getting it SO right makes this work for me. It’s like Documentary Now. I don’t get every reference, but it’s made with love and that’s brilliant.

GGGR is 30 y/o now so I don’t blame anybody for not catching the reference. It’s basically a stage play put on film so it’s not everyone’s cup of tea, but this was spot on parody.

Or how about- " You company man! You Christmas fairy!!"

This was a ton of fun to watch! I had just been looking up parodies of this speech and found this old video, and it was a lot of fun. Alec was fantastic in reprising his character, with an Elfy twist, and I loved when he said closing instead of cobbler, whether it was a genuine accident or cheeky nod to the original speech being parodied, it was still quite funny. Great sketch!

you know what it takes to be one of Santa's elves it takes some brass balls to be an elf

Bwhahaha. How did I miss this skit? Gold. Baldwin always brings it.

Im dead, im in my grave, this was sooooo funny to me!. Glengarry Glenross is a classic

Perfect SNL remake from a classic.

"You see this gumdrop?" LoL

On a talking MOOSE!

3rd prize is your fired

" Scr.. you that's my name" LOL 😂😂😂😂😂

I love how I just slipped right into the original speech, slipper, ate it and kept going. Alec Baldwin is one of the best.

I love how well he sells those ridiculous lines just makes it that more hilarious

"3rd prize is you're fired" i couldn't take it

“You’re fired!” He was practicing for 2016 Even back then.

"You rode a hedgehog to work, and I got here on a talking moose." Hey - hedgehog is an AWESOME mode of transportation.

All the elves have squeaky elf voices, Rachel Dratch is just talking. You couldn't tell the difference blind-folded.

funny as hell.

AlwaysBeClosing. God it's long since I've seen that movie!

And you call yourself an elf you son of a bitch?

ONG how could most of this audience never see this move ? this is literately one of his best work ever WTF ?

Santa Clauses elves need to form a union.

I'm actually a salesperson in real life who gets paid commission only. So at least twice a year I listen to his actual speech to berate myself enough to try harder, LOL. From now on, when he brings me to the verge of tears cause of how much I suck, I'll also remember him saying at the end "oh one more thing, you get a bonus, it's still Christmas" 😭😆

The sad face on that one elf makes me feel so bad I don’t even know why