A little squirrel with lots of charm accidentally helps two poor, down-but-NOT-out families overcome their obstacles.

With Christmas Eve just around the corner, fading song-and-dance performer Joe Mahoney finds himself forced to part ways with his extraordinary, indispensable, kilt-wearing companion Rupert, the squirrel. In the meantime, another struggling vaudevillian, Louie Amendola, moves into the cold flat of miserly landlord Frank Dingle with his family, unbeknownst to them that an unexpected Christmas miracle is about to take place. However, as the underemployed Amendolas have a taste of the good life thanks to the godsent gift, the police start to suspect foul play. Does stealthy Rupert have something to do with their newfound happiness?—Nick Riganas

A Christmas Wish is a heartwarming holiday classic about a New York family (led by Durante) who is down on their luck at Christmas time. Shortly before Christmas, they move into a ground floor apartment where Rupert the squirrel lives in the attic rafters. Just when it seems that the holiday will come and go without so much as a Christmas tree, Rupert acts as the family's guardian angel, not only saving Christmas, but changing their lives forever. The film is enlivened with the warmth and sweetness of an unforgettable love story between Terry Moore (of Mighty Joe Young) and Tom Drake (of Meet Me in St. Louis). Rupert the Squirrel (created using George Pal's Academy Award winning animation technique) will charm young and old alike. Jimmy Durante shines when he sings Jingle Bells and other well-loved Christmas carols in the evocative voice that made him one of America's recording legends.—Anonymous