It Happened on Fifth Avenue (1947)

User Rating:

7.3/10   

Director:

Roy Del Ruth

Writers:

Herbert Clyde Lewis (story) &
Frederick Stephani (story) ...

Release Date:

19 April 1947 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Tagline:

It's Happer Than Heaven ... the Hit of '47!

Plot:

A hobo and friends take up residence in a mansion whilst the family is away on Christmas holiday. |

Plot Keywords:

Mansion | Christmas | Beautiful Woman | New York City | Screwball

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar.

Cast

Don DeFore	...	Jim Bullock
Ann Harding	...	Mary O'Connor
Charles Ruggles	...	Michael J. 'Mike' O'Connor
Victor Moore	...	Aloysius T. McKeever
Gale Storm	...	Trudy O'Connor
Grant Mitchell	...	Farrow
Edward Brophy	...	Gates Patrolman Cecil Felton
Alan Hale Jr.	...	Whitey Temple
Dorothea Kent	...	Margie Temple
Edward Ryan	...	Hank (as Edward Ryan, Jr.)
Cathy Carter	...	Alice

Runtime:

116 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Finland:S | USA:Approved (PCA #12016, General Audience)

Company:

Roy Del Ruth Productions

Trivia:

The first release by Allied Artists.

Movie Connections:

Remade as "Lux Video Theatre: It Happened on Fifth Avenue (#7.15)" (1957)

Soundtrack:

You're Everywhere

Overlooked Holiday Fun

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.