This excellent short film is my favorite adaptation of O. Henry's short story. Art Carney does a great job, although his character is French in this version, as opposed to the German character in the book. (Maybe he was better at French accents?) Anyway, it is fun to see a great actress like Hermoine Baddeley in a small, but significant role. I had to take a double-take, since this is probably what you call an independent film, by early 80's standards, and she had been in a lot of big productions for many years. (It was made for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints by their media arm, Bonneville Media.) Also, it is interesting to see then-unknowns Sydney Penny & Jane Kaczmarek in the lead roles. However, as good as Sydney was in this film, I still liked her best in Pale Rider.
Unfortunately, it is doubtful it will be on DVD anytime soon. It shares that unfortunate fate with another great LDS-produced film from that same time period. Mr. Krueger's Christmas also had a "brand-name" star, namely Jimmy Stewart. Sadly, neither are widely available, even in VHS format.
Unfortunately, it is doubtful it will be on DVD anytime soon. It shares that unfortunate fate with another great LDS-produced film from that same time period. Mr. Krueger's Christmas also had a "brand-name" star, namely Jimmy Stewart. Sadly, neither are widely available, even in VHS format.