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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.

a Capra's movie must be nice. and Pocketful of Miracles is a real puzzle of fairy tales. miracles, love, humor, two great actors in the lead roles, few drops of Dickens, few crumbs of Pygmalion by Bernard Shaw, old fashion atmosphere, the dramatic scenes, the hope and the joy, grains of tension , the social problems, the changes and the ...miracles, of course.and, as result, a great job by an extraordinary seducer from Hollywood. a film who reminds childhood's flavors and that could be the lead virtue of it. than- to remind the art of Glenn Ford and Bette Davis , the last in almost comfortable role. and as oasis in middle of the challenges of every day. a film who has, always, its target. the same, with insignificant nuances. because it is , in high measure, an useful support for rest. and nostalgia.

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.

Bette Davis turns in a great performance as "Apple Annie". Peter Falk, as has been noted, gets the best lines. Glenn Ford shows his talent for comedy. The young Ann-Margret is as cute as can be. But if i can be permitted a bit of Trivial Observation: I had to watch the next to last scene (the police-escorted motorcade) again because i could not believe it on the first viewing. Did anyone else notice the rear projection in the back windows of the cars? The story is set in the 1930's, the cars are of that era but the automobile following in the back window looks like a 1950 Cadillac! Either that car window was a time tunnel or someone used the wrong film clip for the rear projection. That's why studios have a Continuity Department.

in this case, the name of director is the best definition for the movie. like many of movies by Capra, Pocketful of Miracles is a superb fairy tale. but not only. Bette Davis does an admirable job and Ann Margret is charming at whole at first steps on screen. Glen Ford is a special gangster and Hope Lange far to be a surprise. a family film who represents gate to another time. a film about values, hopes and mankind . and, sure, about magic in a profound and lovely sense. a film who, out of artistic value, is a trip in an useful atmosphere heart. that is its best virtue. and the source of delicate joy after its end. because the romanticism and the friendship are essential pillars. always. for everybody.