IMDb RATING
7.4/10
5K
YOUR RATING
A gangster tries to make Apple Annie, the Times Square apple seller, a lady for a day.A gangster tries to make Apple Annie, the Times Square apple seller, a lady for a day.A gangster tries to make Apple Annie, the Times Square apple seller, a lady for a day.
- Nominated for 4 Oscars
- 2 wins & 4 nominations total
Ernie Adams
- Reception Guest
- (uncredited)
Irving Bacon
- Pool Hall Dupe
- (uncredited)
Ward Bond
- Mounted Policeman
- (uncredited)
Joe Bordeaux
- Reception Guest
- (uncredited)
Harry C. Bradley
- Lloyd - Hotel Mail Clerk
- (uncredited)
Raymond Brown
- Seated Man in Mayor's Office
- (uncredited)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Featured reviews
Others have said it all! However, check out the beautiful love scene photographed through a glass fountain. Absolutely GORGEOUS! Solid performances from the stars right down to the supporting actors. I think we hardly ever see great supporting actors like these any more.
Frank Capra wrote about this movie in his autobiography, apparently one of his first hits, using the recipe of lesser-known actors, a great scriptwriter, and a low budget. He relies heavily on the great supporting actors available to him and gave them all a Runyon-esquire quality which never fails to please. They are all just great! Check this movie out! It gets better every time I see it!
Frank Capra wrote about this movie in his autobiography, apparently one of his first hits, using the recipe of lesser-known actors, a great scriptwriter, and a low budget. He relies heavily on the great supporting actors available to him and gave them all a Runyon-esquire quality which never fails to please. They are all just great! Check this movie out! It gets better every time I see it!
For a middle class Indian guy like me falling head over heels for Hollywood movies and especially for B/W beauties is like making Ned Sparks laugh.... very difficult!
And yet in love I am with Hollywood for movies like 'The Lady For A Day'.
( What you haven't seen it? Rent it or better BUY it .. Right Now!)
It's pure magic from beginning to end.
Performances are top notch.Warren Williams with his voice n charm, Ned Sparks with his comments and May Robson for her great performance make the film a legend.
Let's not forget Frank Capra. It actually makes you wonder weather it is Capra's direction , the performances or the storyline which sets this film apart.
Capra's brand of comedies is well known. And this one is an out n out success!
Whatever be the ingredients it's poetry in motion. It's a must watch for true fans and it should be made compulsory for the 'Scary Movies Gang'.
And yet in love I am with Hollywood for movies like 'The Lady For A Day'.
( What you haven't seen it? Rent it or better BUY it .. Right Now!)
It's pure magic from beginning to end.
Performances are top notch.Warren Williams with his voice n charm, Ned Sparks with his comments and May Robson for her great performance make the film a legend.
Let's not forget Frank Capra. It actually makes you wonder weather it is Capra's direction , the performances or the storyline which sets this film apart.
Capra's brand of comedies is well known. And this one is an out n out success!
Whatever be the ingredients it's poetry in motion. It's a must watch for true fans and it should be made compulsory for the 'Scary Movies Gang'.
Almost 70 years on, this film is as fresh as ever, with brilliant performances, great dialogue, and an irresistible story, even if you don't believe in fairy tales. Watch out for the butler's line, addressing Happy MacGuire, who talks in the not-so-grammatically-correct mob-lingo of the 1930s: "If I had a choice of weapon with you, Sir, I'd choose grammar." Definitely a must see!
Another old film I was excited to discover, and puzzled to not have heard of. I was unsurprised to find its a Frank Capra film, but I think I like this better than his later, more well-known films.
May Robson's performance in this is superb, I was gratified to see she was nominated as Best actress, but sorry she did not win. The other leads are great, and dialog well-written. As some others have noted the scene of the lovers on the patio is beautifully set and filmed.
If you love Frank Capra you'll love this one, and if not, you may find it a somewhat less saccarhine effort than his others....highly recommended!!
May Robson's performance in this is superb, I was gratified to see she was nominated as Best actress, but sorry she did not win. The other leads are great, and dialog well-written. As some others have noted the scene of the lovers on the patio is beautifully set and filmed.
If you love Frank Capra you'll love this one, and if not, you may find it a somewhat less saccarhine effort than his others....highly recommended!!
It's not often (especially these days) that a character actor or actress pulls a leading role. This movie rates my 8/10 vote mostly on the strength of the marvelous character performance of May Robson in the central role as Apple Annie, an elderly down-and-out who must somehow preserve the imaginary persona she has built for herself to her daughter, soon to arrive from Paris with a prospective husband in tow. Robson was nominated for an Oscar, as lead, and richly deserved it for her tragicomic characterization.
Frank Capra's excellent direction (also nominated for an Oscar) keeps the plot unfolding with the speed and apparently effortless fluidity so characteristic of the comedies of this period. Capra did not win the Oscar that year, but this film launched his series of feel-good dramas and sparkling comedies that netted him three subsequent Oscars.
But this is far more than a feel-good comedy/drama. It's an excellent movie that stands on its merits outside the genre, with a solid supporting cast. Capra's own remake (Pocketful of Miracles), doesn't meet the standard he himself set here. And although I have tremendous respect for Bette Davis, who played the lead in the remake, it is the difference between a good performance and an exceptional portrayal. Now that I've seen this version, May Robson simply IS Apple Annie.
Frank Capra's excellent direction (also nominated for an Oscar) keeps the plot unfolding with the speed and apparently effortless fluidity so characteristic of the comedies of this period. Capra did not win the Oscar that year, but this film launched his series of feel-good dramas and sparkling comedies that netted him three subsequent Oscars.
But this is far more than a feel-good comedy/drama. It's an excellent movie that stands on its merits outside the genre, with a solid supporting cast. Capra's own remake (Pocketful of Miracles), doesn't meet the standard he himself set here. And although I have tremendous respect for Bette Davis, who played the lead in the remake, it is the difference between a good performance and an exceptional portrayal. Now that I've seen this version, May Robson simply IS Apple Annie.
Did you know
- TriviaA number of beggars in downtown Los Angeles were cast in small roles, including the legless man, nicknamed William F. Sauls, whom Frank Capra had remembered as selling pencils when the director was a paperboy.
- GoofsWhile Dave the Dude's gang waits inside Missouri Martin's nightclub, Happy McGuire and Dave stand outside and are informed of the presence of the cops. Behind them on the left side of the double doors, there is a "Closed" sign, but the sign is gone when the interior shot has the two entering the club.
- Quotes
Happy McGuire: That should be a cinch.
Butler: I beg your pardon, Sir.
Happy McGuire: I said that should be a leadpipe cinch!
Butler: If I had choice of weapons with you, Sir, I'd choose grammar!
- ConnectionsFeatured in Frank Capra's American Dream (1997)
- SoundtracksThe Sidewalks of New York
(1894) (uncredited)
Music by Charles Lawlor and James W. Blake
Played during the openng credits
- How long is Lady for a Day?Powered by Alexa
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Languages
- Also known as
- Lady for a Day
- Filming locations
- Production company
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $300,000 (estimated)
- Runtime1 hour 36 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.37 : 1
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