I didn't love the start of this film. There's this local carpenter who crafts intricately sculpted little toys for kids at Christmas but makes his poor reindeers - "Donner" and "Blitzen" race through the most atrocious snow storm so he (David Huddleston) and his kindly wife (Judy Cornwell) can deliver them! Anyway, that weather overwhelms them and things look distinctly hypothermic until a great star arrives in the heavens and next thing they are being fêted by "Dooley" (John Barrard) in the most beautiful toy factory in the world. He is now to be called "Santa" and his job will be to deliver these presents to children all over the planet. Luckily they have a sprinkling of magic dust to doctor the food of not just his own reindeers, but of a few others too and decades now pass uneventfully. As more and more people learn to write, though, the demands on him become increasingly onerous, indeed the poor soul is frankly a bit knackered. An assistant! That's the answer. Two of his elves vie for the position but it's "Patch" (Dudley Moore) who develops and automated production line and emerges victorious. Thing is, his products are cheap and cheerful - they break and soon he is out on his pointy ear and working with disgraced toy manufacturer "BZ" (a well over-the-top John Lithgow). The naive "Patch" is only trying to regain the affection of "Santa". His new business partner is looking to make a mint. Has "Patch" got his priorities right? Perhaps "Santa" has some growing up to do, too? This is a gently entertaining Christmas tale that allows Moore to showcase a little of his comedy acting skills, but generally the rest of it is all a rather thinly-veiled swipe at the rise of commercialism and the throw-away culture. Christian Fitzpatrick is quite engaging as the urchin "Joe" and those with eagle eyes might spot Melvyn Hayes and Don Estelle (famed for the BBC sitcom "Ain't Half Hot Mum") but I found the narrative to be just a little too repetitive and it certainly made me glad I never liked candy cane. It's still fun, but like the gifts he made themselves, I wonder how many kids nowadays would get anything from the charming simplicity of this film?
