For some reason, Fred Astaire decided to star in this Christmas film. At first, I could understand him...it seemed like a cute movie. But towards the end, it really unraveled and became embarrassingly bad.
Three men are having awful holidays and they all end up in a shop where the owner (Astaire) supplies Santa outfits. One is a schlemiel who is a math teacher who is too timid to tell a woman he loves her (Gary Burghoff). One is a compulsive workaholic who has abandoned his family in favor of a job working as a senatorial aid (Bert Convy). And, the final is a guy on the lamb from two crooks who want to kill him (John Byner). All don the suits and by the end of the film, they magically work out all their troubles and live happily ever after. And, throughout the story, Astaire keeps appearing in many different roles...such as a cop, a chauffeur, a hot dog vendor and more.
So why didn't I like this film? Well, it grabbed my attention and I liked it...only to have the ending turn out schmaltzy and awful. In one case, two bratty children attack and subdue the killers! In another, Santa Burghoff crashes a WEIRD fashion show filled with lechers....and it's the worst part of the movie. It just seemed very wrong-headed and confusing...and the men attending honestly acted more like Johns looking over the women than folks interested in buying clothing. And, the ending with the workaholic somehow magically worked out...even though there really wasn't much reason for him to change nor did he seem to want to change. Overall, a decent idea...but a story which just didn't know how to make subtle and convincing endings to each of the three stories. As such, it's disappointing.
Three men are having awful holidays and they all end up in a shop where the owner (Astaire) supplies Santa outfits. One is a schlemiel who is a math teacher who is too timid to tell a woman he loves her (Gary Burghoff). One is a compulsive workaholic who has abandoned his family in favor of a job working as a senatorial aid (Bert Convy). And, the final is a guy on the lamb from two crooks who want to kill him (John Byner). All don the suits and by the end of the film, they magically work out all their troubles and live happily ever after. And, throughout the story, Astaire keeps appearing in many different roles...such as a cop, a chauffeur, a hot dog vendor and more.
So why didn't I like this film? Well, it grabbed my attention and I liked it...only to have the ending turn out schmaltzy and awful. In one case, two bratty children attack and subdue the killers! In another, Santa Burghoff crashes a WEIRD fashion show filled with lechers....and it's the worst part of the movie. It just seemed very wrong-headed and confusing...and the men attending honestly acted more like Johns looking over the women than folks interested in buying clothing. And, the ending with the workaholic somehow magically worked out...even though there really wasn't much reason for him to change nor did he seem to want to change. Overall, a decent idea...but a story which just didn't know how to make subtle and convincing endings to each of the three stories. As such, it's disappointing.