"Pocketful of Miracles" with Bette Davis and Glenn Ford (1961)

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.

"Guys and Dolls" and Other Writings by Damon Runyon

Every now and again I return to the stories of O. Henry, Edgar Allan Poe and the wry, witty writings of Damon Runyon. This neat little paperback was re-issued about 3 years ago with an introduction by Pete Hamill. It contains the complete manuscript of "Guys and Dolls", and then, as promised in the title, a few more stories are thrown in to round things out.

New York City in the 1930's through the late 1950's was a colorful place with equally colorful people. And many of them hung out on Broadway. Long before the re-vitilization of Times Square took place, it was a place to go and see all kinds of various hustlers, tricksters, 3 Card Monte sharks, street salesmen with suitcases that had accordion legs for quick getaways, and all sorts of hookers, shysters and gamblers.

I was first introduced to the Times Square area at about age 5 when my Uncle Irving took me with him to get tickets for a show. My mother was horrified. There were peep shows in antiquated machines that worked with the turning of a handle that caused still picture cards to flip rapidly, making a moving picture. They cost 5 cents. You didn't see much, but those machines were, for me at least, a tangible link to an era which was quickly passing.

The antics of characters such as Sky Masterson, Jew Louie, Sam the Gonoph, Liverlips, Benny South Street and all of their minions are not just some abstract creation of the author. They are the real thing. These "Guys", and "Dolls", are the people like my Grandfather Pincus, who made it out of the Lower East Side and spent alot of time and money gambling on the ponies. They spoke from the corners of their mouths as they went about their business, collecting bets and exchanging tips. They effected a thin veneer of class with their mispronounced mangling of words that they had only seen in writing, but had never heard spoken. They were saavy in the ways of the street, in much the same way as they were lost in the world of art and literature. But they weren't dumb.

The importance of the characters created, or chronicled, by Damon Runyon can be boiled down to the fact their story is the story of New York City during those decades. Mr. Runyon paved the way for the likes of Jimmy Breslin, Norman Mailer and Pete Hamill. His was the template that became the "norm" for a whole new generation of writer's who would go on to chronicle New York City during the 1950's and 1960's. Even the McCourt brothers, with their extensive writings, are an extension of this style of story telling.

New York City will always be in the midst of change. Her sounds and smells will always be in a flux. But the individual stories of people trying to make it, trying to scheme, scam and sell a dream will always remain the same. That's what I love so much about Damon Runyon. He captured it all so well, so many years ago.