Here’s a movie which captured my attention; as well as my
heart; back when I was about 7 years old. As I grew up I was only ever to catch
this one on late night TV reruns; and later on when it was released on VCR I
was probably the only one to borrow it from the library. And that’s a shame
because this is one fine movie.
From the original story by Damon Runyon (“Guys and Dolls”)
to the direction by Frank Capra (too many films to mention) this movie has
everything going for it. The acting is excellent, with none of the cast playing
their roles “over the top” and chewing up the scenery. Even Peter Falk; who is
known for being a bit too much like Peter Falk in all his roles; manages to
pull off his role as Joy Boy with just the right mixture of comedy and pathos.
The story centers on the relationship between Apple Annie;
played by Bette Davis in one of her finer roles; who is a poor street peddler
selling apples on the corner during the Depression. Her best customer is Dave
the Dude; a successful gambler played by Glenn Ford in one his most memorable
roles; who is superstitious and never does anything without buying an apple from
Annie before he does it. He believes in the power of luck, and that luck; as
far as he is concerned; comes only from Annie’s apples.
Annie has a secret. The old woman has a daughter, Louise;
played by Ann Margret; who lives out of town, where she attended a very prestigious
school. Now grown, she is returning to New York City to see her mother, who she
has not seen since she was a little girl. She believes her mother to a wealthy
socialite named Mrs. E. Worthington Manville. She believes this because her
mother has been writing her letters to this effect for many years. So, while Louise
is excited, Annie is completely unhinged. Her daughter knows nothing about her
mother’s real circumstances in general; let alone that she has been reduced to
peddling apples in the street.
Annie has been conducting this ruse by obtaining stationary
from the fancy hotel where she claims to be living. She uses that stationary to
write the letters to her daughter and reinforce the fantasy of her life as a
rich woman. But now that the gig is up Annie is terrified that her lies are
about to be revealed. This is more than she can bear.
When Dave the Dude becomes aware of the problem he does what
he does best. He’s a gambler after all; so he takes the long odds and with the
urging of his girlfriend Queenie Martin; played by Hope Lang; he decides to
help Annie. With Queenie coaching Annie on the refinements of being a socialite,
Dave arranges for all their other friends to pitch in on the effort to save
Annie’s reputation.
Pool hustler "Judge" Henry G. Blake ; played by
Thomas Mitchell; poses as Annie's
husband. Dave also arranges for Annie and the Judge to occupy an out-of-town
friend's hotel suite. Even the man’s butler, Hudgins; played by veteran character
actor Edward Everett Horton; gets involved.
Dave, meanwhile, is having his own problems postponing a
very important “meeting” with some very important “people”. The whole film is pure Frank Capra as the two
plots unfold and you are left wondering how all this will work itself out in
the end. But it’s a Frank Capra film and everybody winds up being exactly where
they should be. And along the way Dave the Dude learns that true luck; and
love; don’t necessarily come from apples.
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