 Charles Champlin of the "Los Angeles Times" remarked that "'Half a Sixpence' at Grauman's Chinese Theatre is, almost uniquely these days, a picture of innocence (or, if you will, simple-mindedness) and for all its flaws there are those who will respond gratefully to this excursion into the primer-story past.My regret is that the machineries of film-making have rendered the lighter-than-air as heavy as lead and have surrendered innocence to technical sophistication.Tommy Steele is a wonder and he gives a dazzling, perfected performance.