Based on The Twilight Zone “The Night Of The Meek”
On Christmas Eve, Captain Corwin, known for his seasonal gig as a pilot at the local aviation-themed department store, stumbles into work an hour late, still clearly under the influence of jet fuel. As complaints from concerned passengers pour in, Dundee, the stern manager, grounds him and orders him off the premises. Corwin, in his pilot’s uniform, confesses that the stresses of living in a rooming house with fellow struggling aviators have driven him to drink, making it impossible for him to play his role as the jolly holiday pilot.
Corwin passionately declares that if he had one wish granted on this special aviation Christmas Eve, he’d “like to see the meek inherit the skies.”
Undeterred, Corwin, still clad in his pilot’s outfit, makes his way back to the aviation-themed bar but is denied re-entry by Bruce, the no-nonsense bartender. Wandering into an alley, he hears the familiar sound of sleigh bells. A mischievous cat knocks over a burlap bag, which was initially filled with empty cans. However, when Corwin stumbles over it, the bag miraculously transforms into a payload of beautifully wrapped aviation-themed packages.
Overjoyed at his newfound ability to make dreams take flight, Corwin begins handing out presents to delighted children and even to destitute aviators attending a Christmas Eve service at a local mission house. The irritated mission proprietress heads outside to fetch Officer Flaherty.
Flaherty takes Corwin to the police station on suspicion of unauthorized gift distribution. Dundee arrives, and to their bewilderment, the once-filled bag is now brimming with empty cans. An exasperated Dundee accuses Flaherty of incompetence. In a surprising turn of events, Corwin produces a vintage bottle of cherry brandy from 1903, leaving Dundee no choice but to set him free. Corwin continues his joyful gift-giving spree until the stroke of midnight when the bag is empty.
A grateful man named Burt, receiving his dream pipe and smoking jacket from Corwin’s magical bag, points out that Corwin hasn’t received a gift himself. Reflecting on his actions, Corwin admits that if he could choose any gift, “I think I’d wish I could do this every year.” Returning to the alley where the bag appeared, he encounters an elf sitting in a large reindeer-hauled sleigh, waiting just for him. Realizing that his wish has come true and he’s now the real Santa Claus of the aviation skies, Corwin takes the reins and soars into the night sky with the elf.
As a still-drunken Flaherty and Dundee emerge from the precinct, they hear the distant jingle of bells and witness Corwin ascending into the night sky in the enchanted sleigh. Dundee invites Flaherty to join him for a warm cup of coffee, generously spiked with brandy, adding, “…and we’ll thank the aviation gods for miracles, Flaherty.
