This Vitaphone short served as a season-and-holiday plug and a promo for Vitaphone's one-and-two-reel series shorts. Opening scene is a family home where Penrod and his sister are opening their presents beneath the Christmas tree, with Penrod's smiling parents looking on. Among the presents are miniatures of the various stars of the 1931-32 series, who come to life and perform for a moment, in series character. Singer Janet Reade leads off with "Many Happy Returns of the Day."
One Kris Kringle, a department-store Santa Claus, causes quite a commotion by suggesting customers go to a rival store for their purchases. But this is nothing to the stir he causes by announcing that he is not merely a make-believe St. Nick, but the real McCoy. The production is followed by a preview of scenes from the Fox feature film The Rains of Ranchipur, starring Lana Turner, Richard Burton, Fred MacMurray, and Michael Rennie. This behind-the-scenes portion was produced and directed by Joe Parker.
Wallace Beery stars in this patriotic World War II drama about a tough retired Marine who is caught in the middle of the Philippines campaign, experiencing action, heroics and tragedy. Gruff Sergeant Bailey has never actually been in combat, but when the Japanese invade, the untested leader finally sees battle, ironically as a civilian in charge of organizing the citizens' withdrawal.
Louise Randall is an independent woman whose "glass is half full" mentality was passed onto her from her father. Louise hopes that those around her, especially her children, have that same ethic of life. Louise learns that if she is ever to find true love in her life, she will have to have a special man who has the same outlook, and that she can't mold others to that mentality. She finds such a man in the form of Harold Pierson, her second husband who most see as being unreliable and non-driven. But together, Louise and Harold and their children try one business venture after another, some with success, some without. World events such as World War I, the Great Depression and World War II affect what happens to the family and their ventures.
Sam Clayton has a good heart and likes to help out people in need. In fact, he likes to help them out so much that he often finds himself broke and unable to help his own family buy the things they need--like a house.
