Die unteren Zehntausend

This Frank Capra directed film is actually Capra's second attempt with the movie. POCKETFUL OF MIRACLES is actually a remake of LADY FOR A DAY (1933), and I've got to say that nothing in this remake made me favor it over the original. May Robson and Warren William just did a better job with the material than Bette Davis and Glenn Ford. In particular, Ford is more selfish and nasty when compared to the "nice" scoundrel played more gracefully by William. Plus, overall, it looks like everyone just tried and emoted too much in the remake. The original was slow and graceful and also quite beautiful. The remake is just LOUDER and brash--like it is a "dumbed-down" version of the original.

However, despite my complaint, the basic story itself is still excellent and couldn't help but produce a good movie. This one is sure worth watching, but if at all possible, find LADY FOR A DAY--it's a much better example of the magic of Frank Capra.

Apple Annie (Bette Davis) makes her living as a gin-sauced, basket-carrying, apple-selling NYC street woman. This motion picture is in color which makes Davis's famous facial expressions, especially her eyes, all the more effective.

The people Apple Annie hangs out with are other street vendors who are social misfits of various sorts; but, they have one thing in common: poverty.

Apple Annie is well connected with a mobster known as The Dude. Fortunately, he's superstitious. The tough mobster (Glen Ford) believes Apple Annie's apples bring him daily good luck because she says, "God Bless You," to everyone who buys from her.

All along Apple Annie's been writing her daughter on stationary from an upper-crusty city apartment complex, in order to pretend that she's a well-to-do lady. When her daughter, Louise (Ann Margaret, in her film debut) writes that she's coming to the city with her potential fiancé', whose father is a Spanish count, Apple Annie's pretense is not only about to be exposed but it could ruin her only child's chance for marrying well enough so that she'll never live in poverty as her mother has.

The rest of the story is fabulous: humorous, ingenious, well-casted, scripted and acted. It's anything but a typical mob story.

For me, the priceless scenes are between the veteran actor Bette Davis and upstart Ann Margaret. Imagine being able to claim that in your first film you starred as Bette Davis's daughter? Margaret gives a fine first film performance face-to-face with the Queen of the Screen. Peter Faulk does his mobster version of "Columbo," in top form. Davis, in Technicolor, delivers one of the most realistic, heart-felt, truly dramatic metamorphosis characters I've seen.

The film centers about the boozy as well as brassy elderly female called Apple Annie (Bette Davis , though before Bette accepted the role , Shirley Booth was Capra's first choice for Annie , but she politely declined the role) . She is an old , ugly and poor woman on his own resources , she splits luck to a mobster (well played by Glenn Ford who helped finance the movie through his production company) giving him apples . Ford (who asked his sweetheart Hope Lange as Queenie) has a beautiful girlfriend and helps Annie and he sets up a masquerade for her daughter Louise (Ann Margret's first movie) , who has lived all her life in a Spanish convent, is coming to America and she goes to marry to a high class man and for him to believe than Bette/Annie is a countess . You've got to see it to belove it! . Warmth, schmaltz, heart, whatever it is, this motion picture's got it - that certain something that turns the screen hilariously and miraculously wonderful!

In the film there is a mingle of comedy , drama and humor , it's a very amusing movie . Although this is not as good remake as ¨ Capra's Lady for a day ¨ , the former and early classic movie . First-range acting , especially by main actors : Bette Davis , Glenn Ford , Hope Lange , Peter Falk , Ann Margret but the secondary actors are also excellent : Edward Everett Horton , Thomas Mitchell , Arthur O'Connell , among others . The original version of the film, ¨Lady for a day¨(1933) -also directed by Frank Capra- was pretty good , and even had Oscar-nominated performance for May Robson as Annie . According to the Bette Davis biography, 'Fasten Your Seatbelts', the actress was furious when she read a Glenn Ford interview in which the actor claimed to have gotten her the part because of the boost she had given him years before . Direction by Frank Capra , in his last film , is very good , he had a lot of experience because of his previous classic films, such as ¨It's a wonderful life¨, ¨ Meet John Doe ¨, ¨ Mr Smith goes to Washington ¨ and several others. Rating : 7 , above average , well worth watching .

Glenn Ford and the late Hope Lange in a comedy with Bette Davis taking a supporting role. Interesting enough, this crowd pleaser works quite well.

Dave The Dude (Ford) is a gangster on the verge of making a big deal. Dave is superstitious. He always must get an apple from that vagrant-looking Davis.

Davis, as Apple Annie, was phenomenal in this film. She acts just like an old broken down bag-lady. She does it with a finesse. (Is it really possible to have a refined bag-lady, you bet it is.)

Anyway, it appears that Davis has a daughter living abroad all these years. Ann-Margret is she and the latter thinks that her mother is high society. Trouble now is that Ann is getting engaged to a count and they're coming to New York to look mom over. Dave and his girlfriend, Lange, fix up Davis to make her look like a dowager. They even provide a husband for her-Thomas Mitchell!

As if this isn't funny enough, we have Peter Falk, in a truly worthy Oscar nominated supporting performance, as Dave's sidekick who can't fathom what is going on.

Edward Everett Horton is the butler who can't take bad endings. Fortunately, for him, the film has anything but that kind of ending. It's up-beat down to the last laugh.

When "the kids" sail away, Apple Annie resorts to her old ways by even announcing that her prices have gone up to her faithful friends.

A romp and memorable film.

Apple Annie (Bete Davis) is an alcoholic beggar who sells apples and controls the beggary in Broadway area. Dave the Dude Conway (Glenn Ford) is a prominent gangster, who believes that Annie's apples are magic and brings `good luck' to him. Elizabeth 'Queenie' Martin (Hope Lange) is his lover, and she wants to get married with him and move to Maryland, to have children. One day, Annie receives a letter from her daughter Louise (Ann Margret, making her debut on the screens), who lives in Spain. She informs that she is going to get married with the son of a Count, and her future father-in-law is coming to New York with them to visit her. Annie becomes desperate and Dude decides to help her, pretending she is from the high-society of New York. This is another wonderful Frank Capra's magic movie. Indeed, it is a fairy tale. The cast, direction and screenplay are delightful and although being talkative and long, it is such a good film that the viewer does not feel the time passing. Bete Davis has another outstanding performance, as usual, very well supported by the magnificent cast. Highly recommended as a family entertainment. My vote is nine.

Title (Brazil): `Dama Por Um Dia' (`Lady For a Day')