As far as Hollywood is concerned, this is the season to be tacky and few films have packed in as many overripe ingredients as this gooey confection. That game old trouper Mickey Rooney stars as a petty crook whose bungled car theft leads to the most magical Christmas of his life. This blend of whimsy and wish fulfilment was old hat when Rooney was a child star, but at least then there were directors capable of turning such mawkish material into wholesome family entertainment. Sadly, Peter McCubbin is not that good, but the end result is still quite quaint.

An old-time crook is unwittingly united with his long-lost son and 6-year-old granddaughter.