It Happened on 5th Avenue
Directed by Roy Del Ruth
Written by Everett Freeman and Vick Knight; original story by Herbert Clyde Lewis and Frederick Stephani
1947/USA
Roy Del Ruth Productions
Repeat viewing/Netflix Rental
[box] Michael J. ‘Mike’ O’Connor: Remind me to nail up the board in the back fence. He’s coming through the front door next winter.[/box]
1947 was the year for Christmas movies and here is another one. The many heartwarming messages in this one are probably best appreciated at Christmastime but the performances by some favorite actors from the 1930’s are good anytime.
Aloysius T. McKeever (Victor Moore) is a lovable tramp who has spent the last three winters holed up in the mansion of Michael J. O’Connor, second richest man in the world, while the family is vacationing in Virginia. This winter he gets an unexpected number of fellow lodgers. The first is Jim Bullock (Don DeFore) who has been evicted from his apartment so that the self-same O’Connor can raze the property for an office building. Then O’Connor’s daughter Trudy (Gale Storm) shows up, having run away from finishing school. She hides her identity in order to stay in the house with Jim, who she naturally falls for in a big way. Then Jim offers places to some fellow GIs who are down on their luck.
Finally Michael T. himself (Charles Ruggles) turns up looking for Trudy. She tells him of her love for Jim and persuades him to dress in rags in order to meet her intended. O’Connor tries some dirty tricks to get Jim out of the picture but the only effect is to send Trudy running home for mother Mary (Ann Harding). You guessed it – soon Mary is living in the house masquerading as a cook.
The rest of the film finds the fun in the situation while McKeever illustrates what “real riches” are to the wealthy and brings the estranged Mike and Mary together again.
It’s been awhile since I’ve caught up with Victor Moore, Charles Ruggles or Ann Harding and it is always a treat to see them do their stuff. The romantic leads are only so-so. This is a movie that would benefit from a dose of Christmas cheer to help the medicine go down but it’s not bad by any means.
It Happened on 5th Avenue was Oscar-nominated for Best Writing, Original Story.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZjjdIYG5rBU
Clip – first few minutes
