The Man in the Santa Claus Suit 1979

The mysterious owner of a New York City costume store, Fred Astaire, rents Santa suits to three men and then appears in a string of disguises—chauffeur, policeman, jeweler, hot dog vendor, taxi driver, floor walker and choral director—to help them change their lives, weaving a gentle thread of holiday miracles through the city scenery.

Bob Willis, Gary Burghoff, is a math teacher who also moves in the disco world, and he is madly in love with Polly Primer, a glamorous fashion model and rising star of the party scene who catches many eyes, including those of Rod Sanborn, David Greenan. Polly is seeing Rod, a wealthy and handsome suitor who hopes to win her over with a bold Santa-clad gesture, yet steps back when a real proposal to Polly appears on the horizon. Polly secretly longs to be swept away by a different romance, one that stirs more than just surface charm. When Polly hints to Bob that she could be ready for something more, he gathers his courage and interrupts a fashion show to tell her he loves her. Polly confesses she has felt the same way since their talks about math, and she accepts Bob’s proposal, setting the stage for a hopeful, if imperfect, future together.

Stan Summerville, John Byner, was once a promising chef but has fallen on hard times and now exists as a homeless crook who happens to come across a firearm once used in a bank robbery by Babyskin, Eddie Barth, and Bruno Betinger, Ron Feinberg. To hide from his pursuers, Stan rents a Santa suit while his ally Eddie, Raymond Vitte, keeps the criminals distracted. They break into a wealthy residence where Dora Dayton, Nanette Fabray, and her husband Dickie Dayton, Harold Gould, now prosperous after oil discovery, live with their lively, somewhat bratty grandchildren, Melissa, Debbie Lytton, and Lance, Pat Petersen. The Daytons, who remember the labor they once endured, are touched by Stan’s plight and extend hospitality, deciding to nurse him back to health despite moments of tension when he is briefly knocked unconscious by their loyal butler Chandler, Danny Wells. As the story unfolds, Babyskin and Bruno close in, but Melissa and Lance take action to thwart the criminals, and the police ultimately reward Stan with $25,000 for helping to capture them, a small fortune that mirrors the Daytons’ own awakening to generosity.

Gil Travis, Bert Convy, is a busy political aide who works for a Senator and finds himself juggling duty with family. He rents a Santa suit with the intent of surprising his estranged son Terry Travis, André Gower, on Christmas Eve. His wife Linda Travis, Brooke Bundy, has left him because he was never truly present, and Terry himself feels the weight of distance between father and son. Polly-less at home and stuck in a cycle of professional ambition, Gil longs for the old days when his writing offered a different kind of fulfillment—days that seem distant now. Yet as Christmas unfolds, Gil shows a willingness to reclaim that balance, choosing to spend time with his son and to put family first, tucking Terry into bed as a quiet testament to the love that still binds them.

In the end, the mysterious shop owner’s true identity is revealed in a final, quiet flight of magic: he is Santa Claus, as he soars away into the night aboard a sleigh, leaving behind stories of transformation, forgiveness, and the enduring idea that a single holiday tradition can realign the heart and redirect a life toward what truly matters.