In old London, playwrights Cavis Appythart and Millward Phelps are planning a big musical for Christmas Eve, that will teach the people of the city how to love.
It's their big break! But "The Prince and the Plumber" needs a good word from the Crown Prince, Frederick, to be a success.
Cavis convinces the prince's favorite actress, Effie Pickering, to be in the show. Prince Frederick agrees to come!
But Cavis and Millward discover that they have some competition. St. Bart's Church is putting on a pageant at the very same time!
Cavis visits the church to investigate. "It's just a bunch of kids puttin' on a church play," he learns. They won't be any threat to his grand event.
Young Edmund is in charge of the pageant. His dad, Reverend Gilbert, tells him that they can use the Star of Christmas in the play.
Cavis doesn't know what the Star is, but a reporter tells him that it's an ancient relic everyone will want to see!
But Prince Frederick wants to see the Star of Christmas, and tells Cavis he won't come to their play unless they have it.
Cavis is desperate! He and Millward sneak into the church late at night and steal the Star. (Millward thinks it looks more like a turtle.)
They are almost caught by the church custodian, "Moyer the Destroyer," who chases them up and down the bell tower. But they narrowly escape.
Cavis and Millward try to make their production more spectacular. They even add lots of electric lights to the scenery and costumes!
The Star becomes a part of Cavis and Millward's big show. But all the electric lights start a fire during the dress rehearsal!
The theatre burns down, and the Star of Christmas is destroyed. The police show up and arrest Cavis and Millward for stealing!
In jail, they meet Pincher, a sad jailbird who thinks that teaching London to love is hopeless.
People only do nice things for when they want something, he says.
Reverend Gilbert and Edmund arrive to tell Cavis and Millward that they aren't pressing charges. They're free to go! Maybe some people aren't just looking out for themselves.
But it's too late to walk all the way across town for the church's Christmas pageant. Edmund gave up his play to help them.
Their friend Seymour pulls up in his rocket car, and Millward gets an idea. They all hop in - but they've only got five rockets to reach the church!
Millward fires the rockets one after another, and the car zooms through London. They crash through a bakery and a bank, but keep on going!
But it's not enough! They run out of power and stop. Millward decides to try the one rocket Seymour warned him never to use!
Millward presses the button, and the giant rocket ignites. The car shoots up into the sky!
The car crashes down in front of the church. Its passengers are hurtled inside, straight onto the stage...just in time for the pageant!
The pageant is a big success, with the whole town (including Prince Frederick) in attendance. Millward stands in as the star of Bethlehem.
The pageant teaches Cavis and Millward what it really means to love: God loved us so much that he gave his son, Jesus.
And not to worry - Moyer tells them that they stole the Turtle of Damascus by mistake! The real Star of Christmas is safe and sound.
Cavis and Millward have one more thing to do on Christmas Eve. They lead everyone to the police station, to bring Pincher a Christmas celebration he would never forget!
The End