ridiculous rating

Better Late Then Never

In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.

The storyline feels a little thin and moth-eaten in parts but this sequel is plenty of fun.

A fairly tale out of Damon Runyon, a writer with whom everyone must touch bases now and again. Nobody can make up nicknames like Damon Runyon -- Dave the Duke, Sammy the Schtunk. This particular adaptation of his work by the renowned director Frank Capra tells the tale of Apple Annie (Bette Davis) a ragged street drunk who has a friendly relationship with Dave the Duke (Glenn Ford). Ford has just promoted his girl friend (Hope Lange) into a dancer and chanteuse in his night club and suddenly the shekels are rolling in. This invites the attention of Chicago gangster Steve Darcey (Sheldon Leonard) who wants to run New York now.In the midst of this impending confrontation, Ford and his principal goons (Mickey Shaughnessy and Peter Falk) discover that Apple Annie has a daughter (Ann-Margaret) who has been living at a boarding school in Spain for years. Davis has made a sub rosa arrangement with the exclusive Marberry Hotel to mail Annie's letters from there and to pick up her daughter's letters at the same address. Ann-Margaret announces that she is now returning to New York with her aristocratic fiancé and his family, expecting to find Davis living in luxury at the opulent hotel.Ford forgets about his confrontation with Leonard and devotes his time, money, and energy to seeing to it that Davis looks like a wealthy matriarch, borrowing an elaborate hotel suite from an absent buddy and calling in a horde of makeover people to re-do the tattered and raggedy bundle that Davis as become. The various ladies hustle Davis into the bedroom followed by Fritz Feld as the hair dresser. "Hey -- he can't go in dare!" says Falk. Lange, who is hustling them about, turns and replies, "It's all right. Honest, it's all RIGHT." Feld sneers at Falk and minces into the room. Feld is always good, always in small parts. He's the psychiatrist in "Bringing up Baby." ("The love impulse in men very frequently reveals itself in terms of conflict.") There follow the usual complications. The pace is fast but the movie is really to long for the story, which would pack more of an emotional and ludic wallop if it were trimmed by about one quarter of its running time. No organic reason for Ann-Margaret to sing all the verses of "I Gave My Love a Cherry" a capella. Glenn Ford does the best he can with the comic role and the frantic pace. He can be hilariously funny in the right context, as he was in "The Teahouse of the August Moon," but he's less convincing as a shady New York operator. He's not vulgar enough. He sounds as if he's been graduated from college. A handsomer Edward G. Robinson is called for. Hope Lange, on the other hand, is a real surprise. He forte is looking winsome and shy. This role takes her from a girl in a raincoat quietly pleading for favor, to a brassy show-business type with a loud (but never coarse) voice. She's quite pretty, and she kept her looks for years. She was my very appealing co-star in "Blue Velvet." I never managed to lay eyes on her during the shoot.

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.

Existing in a Damon Runyon universe this charmer has only the most ephemeral touch in common with the real world but is that necessarily what you watch a Frank Capra movie for? Let the whimsical spirit of the film carry you along and it's most beguiling. Bette Davis' guttersnipe perhaps too easily transforms into a regal lady but she is wonderful here no matter. The whole cast is swell actually with many standouts, Peter Falk is a riot as Joy Boy and received an Oscar nomination for it. The picture's happy nature is infectious and it you roll with it by the end you'll have a smile on your face. While the costume and set design may not be accurate it's certainly high class and sumptuous. A pleasure from another era.

Pocketful of Miracles (1961) ** (out of 4) Legendary director Frank Capra's final film had him working with Bette Davis and Glenn Ford in a remake of his 1933 film LADY FOR A DAY. The two films are pretty straight forward in terms of their story. The homeless Apple Annie (Davis) is considered a hero by gangster Dave the Dude (Ford) who believes that her apples bring him luck. Annie eventually is shocked to learn that the daughter she hasn't seen since a baby is coming to visit her with a rich Duke and doesn't want her to know she's homeless. With the help of Dave, Annie transforms into a royal mother. I enjoyed LADY FOR A DAY for its heart and charm but the same can't be said for this overlong remake that just goes on and on and on. The movie runs a whopping 137-minutes, which is about, at least, half an hour too long. This film and the original tell the exact same story but like a lot of remakes from this era, this film has to throw in countless subplots and must expand the film as much as they can and in doing so they kill everything good that it does have going. The main reason to watch this film is for the performance by Davis who really shines in both parts of her character. I found her incredibly touching as the homeless woman and this is especially true during her scene in the hotel where she's trying to get a letter that her daughter wrote her. Davis also does a very good job in the "rich" style and this includes when she first pops out of the bedroom to display her new self. That walk and facial gesture she gives is priceless. Hope Lange, Peter Falk and Ann-Margret, in her first film, all turn in nice supporting performances. The weakest link is Ford, believe it or not. He's a great actor but this role just wasn't right for him. A lot of this is due to the screenplay, which makes him too much of a jerk but even Ford appears to be sleepwalking through a lot of the wondering scenes. Capra's direction is decent throughout and he still knows how to hit the heart but the comedy is lacking and there's certainly no reason for the extended running time. Even though there's some nice stuff here, in the end you can't help but look at this as a disappointment considering Capra, Davis and Ford are doing the work.