O. Henry's Full House (1952)

John Steinbeck introduces a quintet of five of O. Henry's most celebrated stories from his New York Period (1902-1910) in this anthology film.

Directors:

Henry Hathaway, Howard Hawks

Writers:

Lamar Trotti (screen play), Richard L. Breen (screen play)

Stars:

Fred Allen, Anne Baxter, Jeanne Crain

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Fred Allen	...	Samuel Brown (segment "The Ransom of Red Chief")
Anne Baxter	...	Joanna Goodwin (segment "The Last Leaf")
Jeanne Crain	...	Della Young (segment "The Gift of the Magi")
Farley Granger	...	Jim Young (segment "The Gift of the Magi")
Charles Laughton	...	Soapy (segment "The Cop and the Anthem")
Oscar Levant	...	William Smith (segment "The Ransom of Red Chief")
Marilyn Monroe	...	Streetwalker (segment "The Cop and the Anthem")
Jean Peters	...	Susan Goodwin (segment "The Last Leaf")
Gregory Ratoff	...	Behrman (segment "The Last Leaf")
Dale Robertson	...	Barney Woods (segment "The Clarion Call")
David Wayne	...	Horace (segment "The Cop and the Anthem")
Richard Widmark	...	Johnny Kernan (segment "The Clarion Call")
Joyce Mackenzie	...	Hazel Woods (segment "The Clarion Call") (scenes deleted) (as Joyce MacKenzie)
Lee Aaker	...	J.B. Dorset (segment "The Ransom of Red Chief")
Richard Rober	...	Chief of Detectives (segment "The Clarion Call")

Storyline

"O. Henry's Full House" is a film divided into five segments telling five tales at the beginning of the twentieth century. 1) "The Cop and the Anthem": The winter is coming and the homeless drifter Soapy wants to go to jail for three months to get shelter and food. His partner Horace suggests they look for shelter with the Salvation Army, but Soapy refuses. He forces many situations to be arrested, but he is always forgiven. When he goes to the church, there is a miracle and Soapy decides to seek a job position. Will he succeed? 2) "The Clarion Call": When a thief kills a man, the police investigators do not have any lead to follow. Police Sergeant Barney Woods sees a pen that was found in the crime scene and he seeks out a man called Johnny Kernan. He finds Johnny, who invites Barney to drink with him, and they go to his hotel room. Johnny recalls their youth, when they were friends, but Barney tells him that he must arrest him since he recognized the pen that belonged to Johnny. ...

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Plot Keywords:

ransom | 21 year old | ambulance | author name in title | narration by author | 

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Taglines:

A dozen top stars - five famed directors bring you the best stories of O. Henry!

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Genres:

Drama

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Did You Know?

Trivia

When preview critics felt that the segment "The Ransom of Red Chief" was weak, it was cut from the official premiere prints. When the film was released to television in the early '60s, the sequence was restored.

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Goofs

In 'The Last Leaf', an ambulance arrives ringing its bells to carry away a dead person. The ambulance also leaves while ringing its bells. In both cases, there is no emergency, and thus bells would not be necessary.

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Quotes

Bookkeeper (segment "The Gift of the Magi"): Poor fella's henpecked, isn't he?
Bill (segment "The Gift of the Magi"): Did you ever see his wife?
Bookkeeper (segment "The Gift of the Magi"): No.
Bill (segment "The Gift of the Magi"): You should be henpecked so nice.

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Alternate Versions

The "Ransom of Red Chief" segment was deleted after the film's initial engagements, then restored in the television prints.

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Connections

Remake of Falling Leaves (1912)

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Soundtracks

Bringing in the Sheaves
(1880) (uncredited)
Music by George A. Minor
Lyrics by Knowles Shaw
Played and sung by The Bowery Mission Band

User Reviews

A Trove Of Literary Treasures Brought To The Screen

Watching a film may not be the same as reading the book, but this anthology of O. Henry stories does a good job of capturing the author's talent for crafting a story, thanks to good direction and wonderful casting. Here are a few highlights:

In "The Cop and the Anthem", the versatile and talented Charles Laughton brings nobility to his portrayal of a bum. Marilyn Monroe adds a touch of class.

In "The Clarion Call", Richard Widmark's portrayal of a cocky criminal jumps off the screen. The story centers around the concept of honor--even among the less than honorable.

"The Last Leaf" deals with the humanity, sometimes hidden, that lies within all people. Surprisingly, the concept of artistic realism is elevated over expressionism, though a spiritual thread runs through the story.

I read "The Ransom of Red Chief" as a boy and the memory of that story is still vivid for me. Here, O' Henry turns a dramatic story on its ear, producing comedic results. It's a fish out of water story about two Yankee conmen who think that uneducated Southerners are easy marks. Fred Allen and Oscar Levant are well matched in this classic.

"The Gift of the Magi" is perhaps O. Henry's best known story. This tale has Dickensian roots and celebrates the true spirit of Christmas. Jeanne Crain brightens this story with her beauty and sensitivity.

The film is narrated by John Steinbeck, who helps unify the five parts into a tribute to O. Henry.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

16 October 1952 (USA)

Also Known As:

La sarabande des pantins

Filming Locations:

20th Century Fox Studios - 10201 Pico Blvd., Century City, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Twentieth Century Fox

Technical Specs

Runtime:

117 min 95 min (cut)

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1