Sammy’s Super T-Shirt (1978) – Nostalgia Central

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Produced by the Children’s Film Foundation (CFF), Sammy’s Super T-Shirt is standard kids vs villains fare – this time, it’s a fight for possession of the titular t-shirt, which has been accidentally imbued with superpowers.

Pint-sized 12-year-old Sammy Smith (Reggie Winch) has a special “lucky t-shirt”. It has a print of a tiger on it, and he wears it when he’s training for the “big race” with his young “manager and trainer”, Marvin (Lawrie Mark). Sammy dreams of becoming a super athlete, despite his puny build.

A run-in with some young bullies sees Sammy’s shirt accidentally mixed up with some clothing used by the Chemi-Tex research laboratory in an experiment to render clothing indestructible (by “densifying the molecular wave patterns”).

When Sammy retrieves the shirt, he discovers that wearing it now gives him super strength and speed – illustrated by slow-motion footage (a la The Six Million Dollar Man) accompanied by the roar of a tiger.

Pursued and kidnapped by Chemi-Tex employees Mr Becket (Richard Vernon) and Mr Trotter (Julian Holloway), Sammy and Marv eventually escape along a river courtesy of Sammy’s super t-shirt-powered breaststroke.

Sammy makes it to the big race in time, but when his t-shirt finally runs out of juice, it’s up to Sammy to win the “Junior Superstar Challenge Cup Race” under his own steam.

Sammy Smith
Reggie Winch
Marvin
Lawrie Mark
Big Sid
David Young
Chalky
Keith Jayne
Mr Becket
Richard Vernon
Mr Trotter
Julian Holloway
Mum
Patsy Rowlands
Sportsmaster
Jack May
Gateman
Michael Ripper
Neighbour
Marianne Stone