I'll have to add my voice to the others asking why this movie hasn't been shown in years. It was one of the better made for TV Christmas movies. Put it out on DVD, please.
One thing I'll always remember about this movie is this: the last time I remember seeing it was in 1986 right after the birth of my daughter. She was about two days old. The scene of Mickey Rooney in heaven caught her eye and she couldn't take her eyes off the screen. We wondered if it was just the contrast of the stereotyped view of the overbearingly "white" of heaven or if perhaps she was seeing something comfortably familiar. Whatever the reason, she didn't pay any attention to the TV again for months and months.
One thing I'll always remember about this movie is this: the last time I remember seeing it was in 1986 right after the birth of my daughter. She was about two days old. The scene of Mickey Rooney in heaven caught her eye and she couldn't take her eyes off the screen. We wondered if it was just the contrast of the stereotyped view of the overbearingly "white" of heaven or if perhaps she was seeing something comfortably familiar. Whatever the reason, she didn't pay any attention to the TV again for months and months.