It Happened on Fifth Avenue (1947) User Reviews

Sweet and enjoyable...

[planktonrules · 9/10 · 20 October 2009]

In some ways, IT HAPPENED ON FIFTH AVENUE is like a reworking of the marvelous 1941 film, THE DEVIL AND MISS JONES. Both films consist of an old rich crank (in THE DEVIL it was Charles Coburn, here it is Charlie Ruggles) assuming the identity of a poor man--and finding friendships and love among the working poor. However, the set up for this film is truly bizarre and clever. It seems that hobo Victor Moore has made a career out of breaking into mansions while the owners are away and living like a king. But, in an odd twist, his solo act starts to include others--others who are homeless due to the housing shortage following WWII. Soon, there are eight living in the mansion of the second richest man in the world (Ruggles) and soon Ruggles himself pretends to be in need of a home--at the insistence of his lovely young daughter (who has fallen for one of the squatters, Don Defore). There's a heck of a lot more to the film's plot than this but I don't want to spoil the film by discussing the plot further.

If you think too much, the movie really is quite silly and hard to believe. However, it works very well--mostly because of the marvelous direction. While the film could have been played for wacky laughs (and there are many opportunities for this), the director instead chose to emphasize the humanity of the characters as well as a fundamental sweetness to them. In many cases, the laughs take a back seat to allowing this goodness to slowly come out through the course of the film. In doing this, it avoided overt laughs but instead is a very sentimental and nice film--but never cloying. Of course, the acting sure helped as well. Victor Moore was a joy to behold and this is one of his best roles (for his best, I suggest you see MAKE WAY FOR TOMORROW). Likewise, Ruggles is excellent as the rather befuddled but ultimately likable mega-millionaire. As for the rest of the cast, they were very good as well and it was nice to see Ann Harding (who had virtually retired from films since being a star in the 1930s), Don Defore ('Mr. B' from "Hazel") and Alan Hale, Jr. (in a non-goofy role that is light-years from "Gilligan's Island").

How have I missed this one?

[kathi-22236 · 9/10 · 8 December 2021]

"Sort of a Christmas movie and not really a musical" is how a friend described this to me. Kind of a perfect description and is the reason I decided to watch it. And finding out it starred Gale Storm was icing on the cake. I watched My Little Margie and The Gale Storm Show when I was a kid and she was a family favorite in those days.

It's a little uneven and could've used some better continuity in spots, but I loved it. And seeing Alan Hale, Jr as a young man was a delightful surprise.

Heartwarming, sweet, and just the right amount of sappy, I highly recommend this one.

A very underrated holiday film

[billsnotes · 8/10 · 3 January 2016]

This is a very enjoyable holiday film that gets no press. I learned about it because it was included in a set of holiday films.

If you are familiar with and enjoyed the 18th century play, "She Stoops to Conquer," the same social commentary about relations between the upper and lower classes appears here with a Dreppression era - post World War II twist. It requires you to suspend your sense of logic, but if you can do that, you will have a lot of fun. It's a holiday film that you will enjoy viewing year after year.

The professional critics big knock on this film is that it is too long. That is valid criticism for the ending. A scene or two could have been cut or shortened without damaging the plot. That weakness is more that offset by a great many laughs and chuckles and honest warmth which make the first 90 minutes fly by.

Watch for Gail Storm as the run-away college student who was a very popular TV personality in the early 1950s and Alan Hale, Jr., as one of World War II veterans, who was the captain on "Gilligan's Island."

One of the most refreshing movies I have ever seen.

[kubichan · 10/10 · 18 March 2001]

Victor Moore is fantastic as a homeless man who journeys between a wealthy, self made man's (Charlie Ruggles) winter and summer homes when the wealthy man is at his other home. The last words by Charlie Ruggles will make you cry for joy. "Remind me to board up that fence next year. He's coming in the front door." A unique, wonderful story. I wish everyone could see it, especially around Christmas time when it would be most appropriate.

My favorite movie of all time

[cpa4601 · 10/10 · 29 November 2003]

In the early 1970's channel 44 in Tampa would play this movie on Christmas day every year. It became a tradition with me to watch it. I soon fell in love with the movie. When I moved to Ft. Myers I went through withdrawal, not being able to get 44. One year WTBS played it and, since I had by then purchased a VCR, I taped it. Unfortunately my VCR was not working properly and my copy is very poor and getting poorer each year. Each year I scan the TV listings, hoping against hope, that some station will run it. Each year I am disappointed. I am planning to burn a DVD from my tape, but what I wouldn't give for a good copy. Now that I have cried on everyone's shoulder, let me talk about why this is my favorite all time movie. The movie was made in 1947 and captures a slice of American history that is unknown to most of us alive today. It shows a view of the hardships faced by ex-GI's in obtaining housing and employment after WW II, this surprises most of us. The movie has everything, comedy, drama, romance, philosophy, sub-plots,a feel good ending, you name it. The message of the movie is that people are more important than possessions, it puts Christ's words of "what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his own soul" more effectively than any sermon I have ever heard. This and the humorous, yet poignant interplay between the characters makes it an even better Christmas movie than It's a Wonderful Life. I have indoctrinated my wife and kids to the merits of this movie, and they enjoy seeing it almost as much as I do. I understand that the movie is in public domain, if anyone has a good copy I would be thrilled to purchase a copy of it from you.

Love thy neighbor as thyself?

[res0cc5x · 23 November 2001]

Of all the Christmas movies produced over the last 50-60 years I vote it in the top 5. It's heart-warming, funny, and thought provoking. Hey, I'm a man and I like to cry during a movie every once in a while, and this movie is one that will surely leave a lump in your chest and a tear or two on your cheek. I can't remember the last time I saw this movie. It's one of my favorite classics and I hope that it will make it to the video/laser/DVD format before it becomes too late. Ted Turner, is this one in your TCM library?

The secret is out. My favorite Christmas movie is now becoming a legend like "It's a Wonderful Life"

[jhumlong · 10/10 · 14 January 2003]

Yes, I dare to compare this wonderful, obscure little movie to It's A Wonderful Life!They came out a year a part and both were initially lost in obscurity. A Wonder Life was made at a big time studio (RKO), with a hallmark cast and a director that had several Oscars to his name already. It arose from the RKO vaults in the early 70's and has been shown every Christmas since then. This film actually fell out of copyright in 1976 and then as public domain, was picked up by Republic and put out on VHS about the time that Ted Turner bought the RKO Film Library from General Tire. It Happened on 5th Avenue was made a year (1947)later by a poverty row studio, Monogram (Allied Artists) with a shoe string budget and a venerable director by the name of Roy Del Ruth, from the silent screen days and actors that for the most part ( besides Victor Moore and Charles Ruggles and Ann Harding) had just started acting within a 5-6 year period. The plot was far from ingenious and the storyline was almost comical. What came out was a film that tugged at your heart strings with emotion and sentiment.It has my vote for the all time favorite Christmas film. I am lucky enough to have an original 16mm film copy and a VHS tape of the film. There were few negatives struck of the film for cost reasons so not many positives are in circulation today. I got mine from a TV studio film package I purchased in the early 70's from a Tampa Florida TV station. The copyright was never renewed as in It's a Wonderful Life so any prints out there are public domain. I would love to put out a DVD and let a new generation enjoy this little gem as much as mine has. Remember the line, A man without friends is the most serious form of poverty. That line was a great quote in the film and stands truer today than ever.

Charming, sweet and funny movie

[grantss · 7/10 · 23 July 2015]

Charming, sweet and funny movie.

A homeless man moves into the house of a very wealthy man, while the owner is away for the summer, as he does every year. This year, however, he manages to accumulate a mixed band of fellow house sitters, some of whom aren't what they seem...

A quite farcical, yet sweet and funny, movie. The dialogue is sharp and there's a wonderful innocence and warmth about it that keeps it going.

Decent performances all round, with the vivacious and gorgeous Gale Storm to the fore.

Ideally watched around Christmas (though any time is good)...

Sweet and intelligent

[jayraskin1 · 10/10 · 1 September 2009]

This is a very sweet and funny movie. It gently pokes fun at class and social differences. It has a liberal romantic view of homelessness that is similar to the romantic view of poverty that Charles Dickens presents. It is close to "Sullivan's Travels" in its humor.

I watched the movie for Gale Storm who became a big television star in the 1950's on "My Little Margie" and "the Gale Storm Show". She is fine, even more natural, relaxed and open in her performance than on the later television shows.

The big surprise for me was Dom Defore as the romantic lead. He played a best friend on Ozzie and Harriet for five years and was the lead on a dismal 60's television comedy called Hazel for five more years. He's actually quite good here.

Victor Moore as the Hobo and Charlie Ruggles as the rich man are delicious. The scenes where they trade places are hilarious. There's a nice chemistry between these two old pros who actually starred in silent movies.

The director, Roy Del Ruth, also started out in silent films as a gag-man and writer for the great Mack Sennett (who discovered Charlie Chaplin). His silent film background contributes to the many delightful visual gags in the film. The first ten minutes could almost be a silent film.

It is a nice family movie, well worth seeing. While times were never as sweet as this movie portrays them, the movie does suggest that a more humane ethic existed at this time than we generally see around us today.

Far-fetched But Cute

[myronlearn · 7/10 · 4 December 2021]

This is one of those cute, kind of fantasy, holiday movies of the 1940s with acting veterans, Victor Moore and Charles Ruggles leading the show. It's a decent NYC-set film, albeit far fetched most of the way through. Don Defore and Gale Storm add to the fun. Also, look for a very young Alan Hale Jr long before his Skipper role in the tv show, 'Gilligan's Island'. 'It Happened on Fifth Avenue' despite its many flaws, is a lot of fun and worth watching.

This charming delight now on DVD

[ptb-8 · 8/10 · 28 April 2009]

In 1946 Monogram Pictures decided to upgrade their image by creating a new bigger budget style of film and presenting them by new in-house section ALLIED ARTISTS..... and this delicious humane film was their second big budget outing. IT HAPPENED ON 5TH AVENUE has been mostly lost to TV and cinema goers for over 40 years and now it is available on WB label DVD.... The first Allied Artisis film was BLACK GOLD which also wonderfully humane and kind shows what a focus on viable films they embarked upon. IT HAPPENED ON 5TH AVENUE is a very funny and witty and ultimately wise family comedy about how a group of genuinely homeless people (in every sense of the word) re discover their home and family. As a Christmas movie it is terrific...and there are some hilarious sequences, notably an old tailor who delivers an uproarious monologue about moths and a waiter in a restaurant trying to set a table from wobbling (while Ted FioRito plays the violin). With a perfect cast for each role and the $1.4m budget resulting spectacularly well decorated and very elaborate sets, this Monogram-Allied Artists film must have been a box office bonanza. Other films they made in this period that reflected their new image are THE GANGSTER and SUSPENSE both equally compelling, well made and worth a DVD release soon.... what a find IT HAPPENED ON 5TH AVENUE is and presented in a spotless gleaming DVD. I really applaud WB for releasing this charming humane and delicious film. Nominated for an Oscar for script, it should have also been nominated for Victor Moore's wry turn as the hilarious hobo who secretly babysits mansions while their owners go to another house for their holiday. Gale Storm is gorgeous and her clothes - as are all the qualities of this well made film - peppered with Blake Edwards' added sight gags - are A grade.

Hobos and millionaires...always good for a laugh and a tear

[moonspinner55 · 6/10 · 11 December 2009]

Genial homeless man in New York illegally moves into a millionaire's mansion while the rich businessman is away for the winter, eventually inviting other unfortunates to join him; naturally, the owner returns home unexpectedly--and is forced to play along under the guise of a destitute codger after his teenage daughter falls in love with one of the unemployed "idea men" now residing in the estate. Fanciful story from Herbert Clyde Lewis and Frederick Stephani, given a tightly-adjusted script from Everett Freeman (who manages not to be too treacly within this unlikely scenario). There are lots of funny visual jokes, and a nice turn from Charles Ruggles as the second wealthiest man in the world, yet the idea of strangers breaking into someone's house and making themselves to home is probably less 'adorable' now than it was in 1947. Still, director Roy Del Ruth keeps it light-hearted and whimsical, and the supporting cast is cheerful. **1/2 from ****

Not in the A-list of Christmas Films But Has a Cute Mutt

[ifyougnufilms · 5/10 · 7 December 2012]

This is in every sense of the word a B- picture and is certainly not worthy of being listed among classic Christmas films of the same period, films such as Miracle on 34th Street and Christmas in Connecticut. The charm is potential in the comic plot idea, which is clever, but the execution may leave a viewer wishing for better acting, better directing, and less embarrassing shtick inserts. The vaudeville segments, i.e. the goofy ethnic tailor and the mugging restaurant owner trying repeatedly (eternally it feels like)to straighten the table, might have been handled with comic finesse by a director like Preston Sturges, but here they are just annoying, overlong plot breaks. Maybe director Roy del Ruth was giving his old, washed-up buddies from the Mack Sennett days a last gig. But this is not the only reason his directorial wisdom may be called into question. With a few exceptions, the casting is weak. Don DeFore was better playing comic sidekicks than romantic leads, and the redundantly named Gale Storm is a beauty but delivers her (admittedly badly written)lines unconvincingly. Both the romantic leads seemed made for the small screen where they comfortably ended up. Victor Moore, surprisingly, is ineffective as the supposedly charismatic rascal around whom all the action swirls. There were a dozen character actors around Hollywood at the time who could have done a better job. Of course, Moore had to contend with uttering some of the most feeble bits of pseudo-philosophical fluff ever offered in a film. He just prattles on and on in his equally feeble voice until it is a relief to see him toddle on down the Avenue toward the credits on his way to squat in another rich man's mansion. Charles Ruggles would have been much better in the McKeever part. The scenes between him and Ann Harding put all the other actors to shame (except maybe the dog). Thanks to the fine directing, acting, and other artistic talents available to the Hollywood studios at the time, some excellent B movies were produced. This is not one of them. The addition of heavy-handed populist political messages doesn't help--even though watching tomatoes being thrown at business executives may make us regular guys feel swell. The raggy little dog was cute, though, and it out-acted most of the two-legged cast members.

IT COULD HAPPEN ANYWHERE

[Sunsphxsuns · 10/10 · 21 November 2021]

It could happen anywhere, at anytime, but as the film's title declares, this time, "It Happened on 5th Avenue (1947)." This is always one of my favorite "go to" films to screen during the Christmas holiday. Nicely directed by Roy Del Ruth, it stars Victor Moore, Ann Harding, Don DeFore, screen veteran Charles Ruggles, a very young and vibrant Gale Storm (My Little Margie), Herbert Lewis, Frederick Stephanie, and a surprisingly slim Alan Hale Jr. (he would later be fondly remembered as the "Skipper" in the popular television series, Gilligan's Island, 1962).

It Happened on 5th Avenue was an immediate hit with audiences. Not surprisingly it was nominated for a "Best Story" Oscar, and would have won had it not been for another charming Christmas film released that same year, "Miracle On 34th Street" featuring child actress Natalie Wood.

Given the global increase in homelessness as of this review (2021), the plot of It Happened on 5th Avenue seems surreally as sad and relevant today as it did in 1947. Fortunately, Hollywood was able to offer a more pleasant storyline for the people in this film who find themselves in the unfortunate position of not having a job or adequate shelter from the bitterly cold streets of Manhattan. Sadly, in real life, being homeless and jobless isn't as nice.

Victor Moore plays the opportunistic vagabond, Aloysius T. McKeever, a remarkably resourceful hobo who ingeniously finds shelter in a seasonally boarded-up classy 5th Avenue mansion. When the ultra-wealthy owner, Michael J. O'Connor, vacates his Manhattan mansion to spend the winter at his Virginia estate, Aloysius quietly moves in. It's a pretty simple plan, albeit not as plausible in modern times given the amount of security devices available to homeowners.

Although Aloysius's routine winter occupation of O' Connor's splendid home is clearly unlawful, his demeanor and casualness somehow justifies his actions. It doesn't take long before other "intruders" join Aloysius in the mansion, and though initially reluctant to accept more boarders, he makes it clear to all of them that they must respect the O'Connor mansion and belongings, and at the end of the holiday season, they must leave the mansion in the same pristine condition they found it.

All in all, this is one of a broad list of post WWII American films that glows eternally hopeful and optimistic. It's playful, a film to be savored and enjoyed, particularly during the holidays where the themes of charity, budding romance, and even rekindled love seem to blossom with each new scene.

No spoilers here, but I will reveal you will likely be quite intrigued to learn about "Slumgullion Stew." And don't you dare cheat by Googling it!

This one floored me

[fung0 · 10/10 · 12 December 2012]

It's hard to believe that there are still movies out there as brilliant as this one that I've never seen... or in fact never heard of. But "It Happened on Fifth Avenue" is easily overlooked. It's a sort of accidental masterpiece, a seemingly minor film that turns out to be absolutely unforgettable on several levels.

The plot certainly sounds like pure Hollywood cliché: a tramp spends winter each year in a rich man's shuttered New York mansion. He picks up a variety of stragglers, and works like a good fairy to help them with their lives.

But in practice, it all becomes fresh and original. Time and again, the film veers away from obvious plot points, into realms of zaniness that rival the most famous screwball comedies. These twists in turn bring out unexpected depths in the otherwise stereotypical characters. (There are some obvious similarities to "My Man Godfrey.")

Direction varies - at times awkward, yet frequently sublime. For example, some reaction shots are badly misjudged, obviously spoken to a camera. But there are also many little set-pieces, or even individual shots, that will make you fall off your chair. There's a side-splitting little monologue by the owner of an old-clothing shop, about divorce and woolen suits. And an entirely gratuitous distraction with a restaurant table, that's worthy of Monty Python or the Marx Brothers.

"It Happened on Fifth Avenue" is a film that sneaks up on you. Don't be misled by the formulaic B-movie trappings, or the absence of major stars. This is a film not to be missed, at Christmas, or any time.

This is a truly GREAT movie!!!! Sure would like a copy of it!

[teddybearten · 29 April 2004]

This a movie for all to see for it is so superb in the story, the actors and the directing!!! I would recommend it to everyone and it sure would be wonderful to be able to see it on television or even better to have a copy on DVD or VHS. It is so sad that great movies like this are forgotten in lieu of action films of today that are all too often do NOT have a good story or acting! Most are full of foul language and sex scenes which are not at all necessary for a truly great film such as "It Happened On Fifth Avenue". In summary this is a wonderful Family Film that will truly bring tears to your eyes.

Overlooked Holiday Fun

[Mike-764 · 7/10 · 25 December 2004]

Aloysius T. McKeever spends his winters living uninvited as a guest for the Fortune 500's houses. For the past three winters, McKeever has been living at the house of Michael O'Connor, wealthy industrialist. McKeever has also invited Jim Bullock, war veteran, who has been recently evicted by O'Connor to make way for his new building. O'Connor's daughter, Trudy, comes back to the mansion after running away from finishing school, and is about to throw out the two guys, but lets them stay and tells them she is just like them. After finding out the location of his daughter, O'Connor comes back from his vacation early, but is convinced by Trudy to let the people living in the house stay (Jim also invited two war buddies Hank and Whitey, plus their families to stay) and have him pretend to be the new butler. Jim and friends decide to solve the housing shortage the three war buddies, plus several hundred others have, by renovating a series of army barracks, but O'Connor sees the profit in there as well, and tries to buy the barracks for his interests. Will the philosophical lessons of McKeever, the new relationship with his ex-wife Mary, and the love of Jim and Trudy, help O'Connor change his ways? Okay film, but I was expecting more. The film could have been trimmed of a few scenes since many of them are recycling the sentimental hash that we saw a few minutes earlier. Del Ruth's direction doesn't surprise you, but is able to tug at the heart strings of those who watch it. The cast is very good, especially Ruggles and Harding as the O'Connors. The film does have a nice moral message of self worth, beautifully told through its characters (especially Moore's McKeever) and makes for holiday watching. Rating, 7.

Life's a Gift

[wes-connors · 9/10 · 4 January 2013]

Slightly tipsy hobo Victor Moore (as Aloysius T. McKeever) arrives with his dog "Sam" at a swanky New York City brownstone. This is where he spends the winter, while owner and "second richest man in the world" Charles Ruggles (as Michael "Mike" O'Connor) is in Virginia at his "Bubbling Springs" mansion. Meanwhile, World War II veteran Don DeFore (as Jim Bullock) is down on his luck and in his underwear. Thrown out of a tenement, Mr. DeFore is sleeping on a city bench when Mr. Moore happens by, his ragged clothes replaced by Mr. Ruggles' classy duds. Moore invites DeFore over to his adopted mansion...

Houseguest DeFore's homeless buddies move in because their prospective apartment won't allow children. Young father Edward Ryan Jr. (as Hank) begs him to reconsider, but landlord Charles Lane asserts, "We don't take children!" Dripping with sarcasm, Alan Hale Jr. (as Whitey) offers to drown the kids while DeFore asks, "If he lets your kids in, everybody'd start having children - then what would happen to the human race?"

Meanwhile, nubile young heiress Gale Storm (as Trudy O'Connor) runs away from school, intending to hide out in New York while her father's away. Hoping to stay incognito, Ms. Storm decides to pose as a vagrant in her own mansion. Naturally, father Ruggles hires a detective, and divorced mother Ann Harding (as Mary O'Connor) is also concerned...

The whimsical fun continues with Moore and Ruggles reversing their rich man, poor man roles. The older gentlemen are in fine form. Minor bits with tailor Abe Reynolds and waiter Pat Goldin's wobbly table add to the fun, smoothly guided by producer/director Roy Del Ruth. The thoroughly charming script, by Herbert Clyde Lewis and Frederick Stephani, won a much-deserved "Academy Award" nomination. Other than that, "It Happened on Fifth Avenue" seems to have fallen through the cracks. If you're looking for "lost gems" among old movies, you'll find one here.

********* It Happened on Fifth Avenue (4/19/47) Roy Del Ruth ~ Victor Moore, Charles Ruggles, Don DeFore, Ann Harding

Sentimental Christmas fable

[jamesrupert2014 · 7/10 · 9 June 2020]

Genial vagabond Aloysius T. McKeever (Victor Moore), who lives in a seasonally empty New York mansion every winter, ends up sharing his palatial squat with a number of people including the actual owners and their lovely daughter. The social issue driving the story is the shortage of housing for returning veterans and their families and the film wears its heart on its sleeve as discharged army-buddies Whity (Alan Hale Jr.), Jim (Don De Fore), and Hank (Edward Ryan) scheme to convert abandoned U.S. Army barracks into affordable housing, only to be stymied by grasping millionaire Michael J. O'Connor (Charles Ruggles), in whose home they have unwittingly taken up residence. Most of the comedy revolves around hidden identities and in general the film is quite funny, especially the interaction between authentic down-and-outer Aloysius and faux down-and-outer Mike. The scene in which Mike suspects the worst when he finds his 18 year-old daughter Trudy (Gale Storm) mothering in infant is hilarious (and borderline risqué for the era and genre). The cast is great and the story, if painfully predictable, is entertaining. The film is one of many comedies from the era that invoked the venerable trope of a rich person passing themselves off as poor and their resulting humanistic epiphany. 'It Happened on Fifth Avenue ' is a bit schmaltzy (but what 'Christmas classic' isn't?) and dated, but still cheerful, optimistic and fun.

Del Ruth's not to wise decision

[EDBAYES · 8/10 · 16 August 2006]

One of the cutest holiday movies for the entire family to see. I just wish that Del Ruth had allowed Gale Storm to sing instead of having to lipsinc someone elses voice. Mr. Del Ruth decided that you can either act or sing; pick one. Had he put Gales voice in the movie in 1947 we would not have had to wait another decade before she started recording hits. The movie has a beautiful story to tell; showing that even when you invade some one elses property, you do it with grace and respect. And when you leave, you improve the conditions from your original arrival. All the actors were meshed in the scenes and created a realistic holiday cine that should be released on disc so all familys can rent or buy. James Stewarts Christmas classic did not hit at the theatres, but time made it into a classic. This movie could earn the same admirers. It's ready for holiday release, it's ready for the family to see and enjoy...and it's ready to show the talents of these young performers. You might even recognize many who went on to stardom either on television or in the cinemas. Almost all of those who appear in this keeper of a money went into television and became quite successful.

What Christmas Means to Me

[utgard14 · 7/10 · 8 December 2013]

Heartwarming, sentimental, pleasant Christmas movie about a homeless man (Victor Moore) who moves into a New York mansion while the owners are away for the winter. He makes himself at home and even starts inviting others to stay with him. There's a whole lot more to the plot but that's as much as you need to know before you start. While it's technically a comedy, it's not memorable for the laughs. Although it is very funny in spots. Its strength lies in its heart. It's a sweet, smart, thought-provoking movie that focuses on the goodness in people. If this movie doesn't make you smile, you must have a lump of coal for a heart. Give it a shot and I'm sure you won't be disappointed.

Larger than life classic

[drystyx · 9/10 · 11 December 2009]

Some films are just larger than life. They take ordinary characters, and make legends out of them.

This is the story of a charismatic hobo who assumes residences of mansions while the owners have them boarded up. He adopts a large group of people to spend a Christmas with him in this classical tale written with a classic attitude of the poor struggling masses coping with the upper classes.

The characters are thoroughly enjoyable, even the crusty ones. The acting is stellar, the writing monumental. The characters may be too real for modern writers, in fact.

The hobo is delightful as he gives orders to the mogul who masquerades as a pauper to please his daughter. Meanwhile, the daughter is in love with a common man who despises the wealthier classes.

And to top it all off, perhaps the greatest closing line in film History, which could bring a tear to the eyes of the Grinch.

Great laughs in this sentimental holiday film.

[cgvsluis · 7/10 · 28 December 2021]

This is a sweet and whimsical holiday film, filled with laughter and great acting. It also leaves you with the wonderful sentiment that you do not have to have money to be rich. This is about a homeless drifter Aloyiscious and his dog Sam. He figured out a way to live comfortably through the year...with out a job or any real means. In the winter, three days after the family moves back to their Virginia home, Al sneaks into the second richest man in the world's 5th Avenue home in New York...where he lives comfortably till March when the family moves back in. He and his dog Sam encounter a young ex-soldier sleeping on a park bench. Jim has recently been evicted from his apartment because a certain Michael J. O'Conner is turning it into an 80 story office building. After an unfortunate incident involving San the dog and water...Al invites Jim back to his place which it turns out to really be Michael J. O'Conner...which is how they meet his daughter Trudy when she runs away from her finishing school. They mistake her for a girl who is down on her luck and they all begin dwelling together. One becomes two, two becomes three and three becomes eleven as New York is experiencing a post war housing shortage.

Some of my favorite scenes involve the fabulous Michael J. O'Conner...like when he thinks his daughter had a baby with Jim, when he is shoveling snow...and when he is throwing tomatoes at "Michael j. O'Conner"!

Great comedy, sweet romance (young and old) and a warm holiday shared amongst found friends.

It has all the makings of a wonderful holiday film that you can share with the whole family.

My favorite line, "It's as empty as a sewing box in and nudist camp."

When the fat cat's away...

[Lejink · 5/10 · 6 December 2019]

The story goes that Frank Capra passed on this story to make "It's A Wonderful Life". It's easy to imagine why he considered it, indeed it too has links to Christmas, but in the end I think he made the correct choice. It's possible to think that Capra might have elevated the material here into another holiday classic but for me it falls short.

The plot is sort of "Trading Places" meets "You Can't Take It With You" as wandering tramp Aloysius T McKeever (Victor Moore) alights on a boarded-up but fully furnished and unaccountably fully-stocked 5th Avenue mansion and makes it his home while its owner, multi-millionaire financier Michael O'Connor (Charlie Ruggles) is absent for the season. McKeever soon meets ex-serviceman Jim Bullock (Don DeFore), himself indirectly made homeless by the self-same O'Connor whose company has just bought the building which contained the apartment where he lived. From there the O'Connor place attracts people to it like iron shavings to a magnet, comprising DeFore's army chums and their families, plus inadvertently, O'Connor's rebellious 18 year old daughter Trudy (Gale Storm).

Indeed, it's not long before O'Connor himself has entered the household, also in disguise as a vagrant, ostensibly to prise Trudy from Jim to whom she's quickly grown attached, but when the daughter turns for help to her mother, O'Connor's four years divorced wife and she too enters the house under false pretences, we're soon enough pointed towards a seasonal happy ending for all, under the beatific gaze and general beneficence of the venerable vagabond McKeever.

Although I quite liked the film, I ultimately wasn't completely charmed by it. It took me some time to warm to McKeever's Christmas squatter and I found the plotting just too contrived, meandering and sweeping, before O'Connor's inevitable conversion from capitalism to philanthropy is complete.

DelRuth's direction is also staid and lacking in flair, making too obvious use of back projections for the exterior New York scenes, all the more odd considering the grand interiors of the O'Connor mansion. The humour, what there is of it, is somewhat forced while I found the acting to be largely second-rate too.

In the end, the film comes over as B-movie Capra, which isn't to say it's bad, but it does appear to lack the sparkle and emotional resonance that a more capable director not to say cast might have given it.