When British Legend Tommy Steele Starred in His Own Holiday TV Musical
Tommy Steele, best known in the U.S for Walt Disney’s The Happiest Millionaire and Coppola’s Finian’s Rainbow but legendary in the U.K. for Half a Sixpence on the West End and Broadway, Scrooge and Hans Andersen at the London Palladium, and countless pop and theater triumphs, co-wrote and produced this unusual musical special, Quincy’s Quest, for Thames Television in 1979.
Cleverly keeping the budget manageable with chroma-key effects, minatures, and animation, the special stars a impressive slate of veterans. Steele plays the title character, a defective toy looking for Santa Claus. The production is often a bit surreal and offbeat by conventional standards, with a peppy original score featuring the great Mike Sammes Singers.
The cast includes Roy Kinnear and Aubrey Woods (Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory) and Lila Kaye (Frasier, Nicholas Nickelby). There is a Brit’s-eye-view essay about the special here. Yes, it seems quaint by modern standards, but it is worth watching and hearing. Steele is a thousand-watt talent, and he is partnered with excellent support.