If you grew up in the late 90s, you probably have a weird, hazy memory of Kirstie Alley wearing a business suit and a pair of wings while flying through a bedroom window. You aren't imagining things. This isn't a Mandela Effect situation. You're thinking of Toothless, the 1997 made-for-TV gem that aired during The Wonderful World of Disney.
Honestly, it’s one of the most requested "missing" movies for people who sub to Disney Plus. It’s got that specific kind of 90s nostalgia—colorful, slightly morbid, and surprisingly heartfelt. But tracking down the kirstie alley tooth fairy movie today is basically like trying to find a lost tooth in a shag carpet.
What Really Happened in Toothless?
The plot is actually kind of dark when you strip it down. Kirstie Alley plays Dr. Katherine Lewis, a second-generation dentist who is, frankly, a bit of a pill. She’s all work, no play, and pretty much hates the idea of fun. Then, she gets hit by a bike messenger and dies.
Just like that. Gone.
She wakes up in Limbo, which looks suspiciously like a retro-future airport waiting room. Because she was so cold and detached during her life, she’s told she has to perform community service to get into "the good place." Her job? She has to be the Tooth Fairy.
💡 You might also like: Is Steven Weber Leaving Chicago Med? What Really Happened With Dean Archer
It’s a classic redemption arc, but Alley makes it work because she’s so good at being exasperated. She’s not a "magical" person; she’s a professional who is annoyed that she has to wear a sparkly outfit and crawl under pillows.
The Catch with the Kids
There’s a specific rule in the movie: only kids who still have baby teeth can see her. Once the last tooth falls out, the "innocence" is gone, and she becomes invisible.
She ends up befriending a kid named Bobby Jameson (played by Ross Malinger, the kid from Sleepless in Seattle). Bobby is grieving his late mother and has a dad (Dale Midkiff) who is a total workaholic. It’s standard Disney fare, but the chemistry between Alley and the kids feels genuine. She starts giving them life advice instead of just leaving quarters, which, of course, gets her in trouble with the "higher-ups" in Limbo.
Why the Kirstie Alley Tooth Fairy Movie is a Cult Classic
Most people remember the "Hellevator." It’s this terrifying elevator that goes down to Hell, and the movie actually shows the floor numbers counting down as Katherine nearly loses her soul. For a Disney TV movie, it had some stakes!
📖 Related: Is Heroes and Villains Legit? What You Need to Know Before Buying
- The Cast: You’ve got Lynn Redgrave as the supervisor of Limbo. You even have a very young Kaley Cuoco in one of her first roles.
- The Practical Effects: They used a lot of green screen and wire work. Kirstie Alley famously didn't have wings in the movie—she just flew via "fairy dust" and harness rigs.
- The Soundtrack: It opens with "Sugar, Sugar" by The Archies, which perfectly sets that sugary-but-weird tone.
The movie ends with a weird time-loop paradox. Katherine basically gets a "second chance" at life. She wakes up back on Earth right before the accident, but she keeps her memories. She meets Bobby again in her dental office, and while he eventually forgets her as the "fairy" once his last tooth is pulled, his dad seems to recognize her. It’s a bittersweet, "maybe they’ll fall in love" ending that felt very 1997.
The Mystery of the Missing Stream
So, why can’t you find the kirstie alley tooth fairy movie on Disney Plus? It’s frustrating.
It was produced by Mandeville Films and Disney Telefilms. Usually, that means Disney owns it lock, stock, and barrel. However, Toothless has fallen into a licensing black hole. While other Wonderful World of Disney movies like Tower of Terror or The Garbage Pick-up Tycoon (okay, maybe not that one) have surfaced in various places, Toothless remains elusive.
Some fans speculate there might be music licensing issues. The film uses several licensed tracks, including a cover of Juice Newton's "It's a Heartache" by Trick Pony. Often, when these old TV movies were made, the music rights were only cleared for broadcast and physical home video, not "digital transmission" or streaming. Clearing those rights decades later can sometimes cost more than the movie is expected to make in streaming residuals.
👉 See also: Jack Blocker American Idol Journey: What Most People Get Wrong
How to Actually Watch It Now
If you’re dying to see it, don’t bother checking Netflix or Hulu. You have three real options:
- The "Out of Print" DVD: Disney released a DVD back in the mid-2000s. It’s now "OOP" (Out of Print), which means collectors on eBay sell it for anywhere from $15 to $40.
- YouTube Bootlegs: Because the movie is so hard to find, people constantly upload grainy VHS rips to YouTube. They usually get taken down for copyright, but they pop back up like a loose molar.
- Secondary Markets: Check your local thrift stores. Sometimes people don't know what they have and toss it in the $1 bin.
Actionable Next Steps
If you want to relive the nostalgia or show this to your own kids, here is what you should do:
- Set an eBay Alert: Create a saved search for "Toothless 1997 DVD." You can often snag a copy for under $15 if you catch a "Buy It Now" listing early.
- Check the "Vault" on YouTube: Search for "Toothless 1997 Full Movie" periodically. It's often uploaded in parts to avoid automated copyright bots.
- Request it on Disney Plus: Believe it or not, the "Request a Movie" feature in the help center does get tracked. If enough people ask for the Kirstie Alley tooth fairy movie, it might nudge the legal team to finally clear those music rights.
It’s a weirdly charming slice of 90s television that deserves better than being lost to time. Kirstie Alley was at the top of her comedic game here, blending that Cheers sarcasm with a genuine warmth that made the whole "dentist-turned-fairy" premise actually work.