Pocketful of Miracles (1961)

Boozy, brassy Apple Annie, a beggar with a basket of apples, is as much as part of downtown New York as old Broadway itself. Bootlegger Dave the Dude is a sucker for her apples --- he ... See full summary »

Director:

Frank Capra

Writers:

Hal Kanter (screenplay), Harry Tugend (screenplay),

Stars:

Glenn Ford, Bette Davis, Hope Lange

Nominated for 3 Oscars. Another 2 wins & 4 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
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

Storyline

Boozy, brassy Apple Annie, a beggar with a basket of apples, is as much as part of downtown New York as old Broadway itself. Bootlegger Dave the Dude is a sucker for her apples --- he thinks they bring him luck. But Dave and girlfriend Queenie Martin need a lot more than luck when it turns out that Annie is in a jam and only they can help: Annie's daughter Louise, who has lived all her life in a Spanish convent, is coming to America with a Count and his son. The count's son wants to marry Louise, who thinks her mother is part of New York society. It's up to Dave and Queenie and their Runyonesque cronies to turn Annie into a lady and convince the Count and his son that they are hobnobbing with New York's elite.

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Plot Keywords:

apple | luck | dude | gangster boss | remake | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English American Sign Language Spanish

Release Date:

25 December 1961 (USA)

Also Known As:

Die unteren Zehntausend

Filming Locations:

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

Box Office

Budget:

$2,900,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Franton Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

136 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The role of Apple Annie was offered to Helen Hayes who accepted it but finally couldn't do it when shooting was postponed, and she had a commitment to a State Department tour.

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Goofs

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.

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Quotes

Joy Boy: I ain't gonna marry her! An' y'know why? 'Cause my wife don't like it when I go around marryin' people! She's funny that way!

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Connections

Version of Miracles - Mr. Canton and Lady Rose (1989)

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Soundtracks

"The Man on the Flying Trapeze"
(1867) (uncredited)
Music by Gaston Lyle
Played at the pier

User Reviews

Capra Remakes Himself

With "Pockeful Of Miracles" Frank Capra remakes his own "Lady For A Day" with Capraseque results - that means a mix bag with mostly delightful stuff in it - The major problem here is Glenn Ford, not as an actor but as a producer. There is too much dedicated to Ford's character's businesses, moving away from what really matters - Apple Annie and her predicament. Bette Davis was one of the major supporters of Glenn Ford at the beginning of his career - A Stolen Life, did for his career what "Thelma and Louise" did for Brad Pitt's and one should remember that Davis sort of "imposed" Ford for that role. Now Glenn Ford bills himself above Bette Davis. That should tell you something. The film, however, more than survives the petty egos and comes out as a wonderful swan song for the extraordinary Frank Capra. Bette Davis herself confessed to have found enormous difficulty at being faithful to Apple Annie in those gorgeous gowns post-makeover, but this is, was and always will be a fairy tale and as such it succeeds beautifully. The entrance of Davis after the make-over scored with the Nutcracker suite, it's one of my most cherished movie memories as are Davis's eyes as she witnesses the "miracle" in first person. A collection of wonderful character actors: Thomas Mitchell, Ellen Corby and in particular Edward Everett Horton makes the whole thing a smashing pleasure. Beautiful Hope Lange is terrific and Peter Falk wears a coat that makes his character a shady relative of his future "Colombo". If you're not made of stone and/or your levels of cynicism have not reached inhuman stages, you're going to enjoy this very much. I certainly did.