Pocketful of Miracles (1961)

User Rating:

7.2/10   

Director:

Frank Capra

Writers:

Hal Kanter (screenplay) and
Harry Tugend (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

25 December 1961 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Plot:

Boozy, brassy Apple Annie, a beggar with a basket of apples, is as much as part of downtown New York as old Broadway itself...

Plot Keywords:

Apple | Luck | Daughter | Dude | Mother

Awards:

Nominated for 3 Oscars. Another 2 wins & 4 nominations

Cast

Glenn Ford	...	Dave the Dude
Bette Davis	...	Apple Annie
Hope Lange	...	Queenie Martin
Arthur O'Connell	...	Count Alfonso Romero
Peter Falk	...	Joy Boy
Thomas Mitchell	...	Judge Henry G. Blake
Edward Everett Horton	...	Hudgins
Mickey Shaughnessy	...	Junior
David Brian	...	Governor
Sheldon Leonard	...	Steve Darcey
Peter Mann	...	Carlos Romero
Ann-Margret	...	Louise
Barton MacLane	...	Police Commissioner (as Barton Maclane)
John Litel	...	Police Inspector McCrary
Jerome Cowan	...	Mayor

Runtime:

136 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | American Sign Language | Spanish

Colour:

Colour (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Australia:G | Finland:K-12 | Spain:13 | Sweden:11 | UK:U | USA:Approved (PCA #20029) | West Germany:6 | Argentina:Atp

Filming Locations:

Paramount Studios - 5555 Melrose Avenue, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Franton Productions

Trivia:

Steve McQueen was once considered for playing Dave the Dude.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: In photo that looks like one of Ann-Margret's publicity glossies of the era, Apple Annie's daughter wears her hair in style from late Fifties-early Sixties - not in a short bob that a fashionable young woman would wear in 1931.

Quotes:

Butler: Nobody arrives first, sir. They all arrive last.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Killing Floor (2007)

Soundtrack:

March

Capra's Final Film

Pocketful of Miracles (1961)

** (out of 4)

Legendary director Frank Capra's final film had him working with Bette Davis and Glenn Ford in a remake of his 1933 film LADY FOR A DAY. The two films are pretty straight forward in terms of their story. The homeless Apple Annie (Davis) is considered a hero by gangster Dave the Dude (Ford) who believes that her apples bring him luck. Annie eventually is shocked to learn that the daughter she hasn't seen since a baby is coming to visit her with a rich Duke and doesn't want her to know she's homeless. With the help of Dave, Annie transforms into a royal mother. I enjoyed LADY FOR A DAY for its heart and charm but the same can't be said for this overlong remake that just goes on and on and on. The movie runs a whopping 137-minutes, which is about, at least, half an hour too long. This film and the original tell the exact same story but like a lot of remakes from this era, this film has to throw in countless subplots and must expand the film as much as they can and in doing so they kill everything good that it does have going. The main reason to watch this film is for the performance by Davis who really shines in both parts of her character. I found her incredibly touching as the homeless woman and this is especially true during her scene in the hotel where she's trying to get a letter that her daughter wrote her. Davis also does a very good job in the "rich" style and this includes when she first pops out of the bedroom to display her new self. That walk and facial gesture she gives is priceless. Hope Lange, Peter Falk and Ann-Margret, in her first film, all turn in nice supporting performances. The weakest link is Ford, believe it or not. He's a great actor but this role just wasn't right for him. A lot of this is due to the screenplay, which makes him too much of a jerk but even Ford appears to be sleepwalking through a lot of the wondering scenes. Capra's direction is decent throughout and he still knows how to hit the heart but the comedy is lacking and there's certainly no reason for the extended running time. Even though there's some nice stuff here, in the end you can't help but look at this as a disappointment considering Capra, Davis and Ford are doing the work.