An orphan in a facility run by the mean Miss Hannigan, Annie believes that her parents left her there by mistake. When a rich man named Oliver "Daddy" Warbucks decides to let an orphan live at his home to promote his image, Annie is selected. While Annie gets accustomed to living in Warbucks' mansion, she still longs to meet her parents. So Warbucks announces a search for them and a reward, which brings out many frauds.

Three hopefuls -- Shanna Reed, Deborah Geffner and Maureen Teefy -- each wants to be a Radio City Music Hall Rockette, vying for the one open spot the hall's choreographer, Gwen Verdon (in her TV-movie debut), has to fill. Sheree North plays Geffner's ex-Rockette mother and John Heard is a magazine reporter who falls for each of the aspiring dancers. The film was shot partially at Radio City Music Hall and was given a single public showing there several nights before its television premiere.

The Radio City Christmas Spectacular is an annual musical holiday stage show presented at Radio City Music Hall in New York City. The show features over 140 performers, lavish sets and costumes and an original musical score. The 90 minute revue combines singing, dancing and humor with traditional scenes in spectacular stage settings. The star performers are the women's precision dance troupe known as the Rockettes. Since the first version was presented in 1933, the show has become a New York Christmas tradition seen by more than a million visitors a year.