User Reviews

I enjoy watching this movie every year with my family. It is very helpful when you are not finding yourself getting into the Christmas spirit. Mickey Rooney's character will boost your Christmas spirit with a heartwarming speech near the end of the movie. That part alone is worth watching the movie.

Additionally, this movie demonstrates what other Christmas movies fail to do. It focuses almost entirely on the subject of Christmas spirit. Most other Christmas movies entail Santa Claus, gift giving, Christmas lights and holiday parties. This movie makes you realize the importance of family, life, and most importantly, spreading Christmas cheer.

Continuing with a string of successful theatrical films and memorable TV movies, Mickey Rooney took time off from the Broadway and national tour of the musical revue of "Sugar Babies" to star in this Christmas film that is quite potent 35 years later. As the grandfather of the lovable Scott Grimes, Rudy has a sudden heart attack while decorating the Christmas tree. He has had the goal of taking Grimes to New York where he works for 40 years as a cop to experience Christmas there, and unfortunately, it looks like that will never happen. When a heavenly miracle occurs, by chance they end up there, searching for the angel William Griffis who has disappeared in New York while on the mission of turning that magical City into a Christmas Paradise. Meanwhile, New York reporter Annie Potts is searching for a story of Hope throughout the city and cannot find one.

This is a very sweet film that goes from the busy metropolis of LA to the cold streets of Manhattan is that can only get warmer when you've got a heartfelt story like this. Rooney is very sincere in his performance, and Grimes is an 80's version of what Mickey had played in the 1930's. The mixture of pathos and humor (especially after Rooney jumps out of bed, having been declared to be dead) works very well. Potts at first seems to be an extraneous and unnecessary character, but as her cynicism grows after not being able to find any sign of Christmas spirit in all of New York, her reason for being there becomes clear. Veteran character actors George Gaynes, Lloyd Nolan, Jerry Maren and Elisha Cook Jr. add a touch of vintage class that this sentimental tale that could use with a restored DVD release as the available VHS prints are extremely faded.

It Came Upon The Midnight Clear is a wonderful television flick for the Christmas holiday that has vanished from television screens. In the 1980s this movie was on around Christmas but those days have ceased. Why? Nobody knows. This film is special for Mickey Rooney's performance. His relationship with his grandson, Scott Grimes, makes the movie flow. The most powerful part of the movie is Rooney's meeting with the priest from his youth, Lloyd Nolan. The singing of the church choir as Rooney gives his final confession before he must return to Heaven is powerful. The quest Rooney undertakes, to find the missing angel and to restore the Christmas spirit to New York makes this film one to see and only one can hope it will return to television screens in the years to come. The ending of the film is a bit of let down but the acting by Rooney makes you believe in the presence of Christmas angels. Mickey Rooney by far steals the show and It Came Upon The Midnight Clear is a Mickey Rooney and Christmas classic.

We have had the movie on VHS for years, but would really like it on DVD! I see from other comments I am not the only person who is interested in this. Is there a place we can contact to request that this movie be made into DVD before VCRs have disappeared into oblivion?? Great, great movie and a real shock it is not more widely played on TV or available for sale on DVD. I don't know if anybody else noticed, but when I saw "Elf" with Will Farrell a few years back, I thought the last scene, with the singing, was VERY reminiscent of the last scene in It Came Upon the Midnight Clear--perhaps this movie inspired that scene in Elf??