It Happened on Fifth Avenue (1947) - Christmas Archive
__________________________________
Delightful holiday film (set between early November to New Years), captures a spirit of the season perfectly, with a wonderful cast top to bottom. In New York, the mansion of a wealthy industrialist (Charles Ruggles) isn't occupied as he travels to Virginia during the winter (Bubbling Springs). Aloysius T McKeever (Victor Moore, a real charmer with that classic amiability and pleasant nature) "moves in" while Industrialist (and second richest man in the country), Michael J O'Connor (Ruggles) is away. McKeever and his dog have free run of the place, but that will change this particular year as he invites a discarded young veteran, Jim Bullock (Dan Defore), who had to leave his apartment because O'Connor bought the property with plans to build a brand new building. Bullock isn't fond of O'Connor, obviously, with an article in the paper condemning him for removing those like him from their home during such a time of the year as the holiday season.
Soon O'Connor's daughter, a privileged and spoiled beauty, Trudy (Gale Storm, plenty of spunk and bright wattage smile), leaves finishing school, arriving at her father's mansion unannounced to take some dresses (and her own mink coat), startled by McKeever and Bullock who think she's just another squatter trying to thieve from the place. McKeever admits to Bullock that he isn't O'Connor's friend allowed to stay in the mansion, copping to the fact that he's merely an "interloper". As fate would have it, Trudy likes them and decides to create an artificial identity all her own of the daughter (14 siblings, she tells them) of a father who is abusive (!), needing a place to stay herself until she can get back on her feet.
When O'Connor gets word that Trudy fled school he returns to New York, later finding Trudy, convinced, inexplicably, to also play a part as someone in need of a place to crash until he also can get back on his feet! McKeever ordering "Mike" to do the dishes and help around his own mansion (unknowingly wearing O'Connor's suits and clothes right in front of him!) is hilarious. And when it appears "Mike" will order the "interlopers" to leave his mansion, Trudy elicits the aid of her mom (divorced from O'Connor and living in Palm Springs) as a cook (Ann Harding, a star of the 30s, returning "to form" in this "comeback"), which surprises her father, keeping him mum from spilling the beans on his true identity.
The scenes where McKeever speaks about the O'Connors and their faults without realizing they are in his presence and their expressive reactions to what he has to say (a dinner table conversation which they often consider attacks on their character, his finding them in the bedroom alone with orders to separate because of what their behavior might look to others, and his confronting them about their obvious feelings for each other) are real treasures.
DeFore and Storm have really good chemistry and you get plenty of them flirting while at times also arguing. DeFore and two war buddies (Alan Hale, Jr. (Gilligan's Island) and Edward Ryan) want to buy some government barracks available and renovate them for low income families while O'Connor eyes them for his own business pursuits. Also in the house are the war buddies' wives (and Ryan's baby).
They all try to avoid two cops (Edward Brophy's thick Bronx-accented cop, talking about his wife and relenting to these good people, willing to keep mum about them, risking his job, is especially memorable) who patrol the grounds and building each night. DeFore handcuffing himself to the bed in the opening scene, refusing to leave his apartment, and his later sprinklers bath while dozing on the park bench, are a funny way to be introduced to him.
But, honestly, despite the entire cast's magic, Victor Moore is the glue that holds this whole film together. His "overseeing" supervisory role, dictating rules and "urging" Ruggles to take a snow-shoveling gig to help pay for groceries (!), and just his sage experiences in life (and how he's avoided the working life and its struggles) offered in the forms of advice and comment(ary) remain the film's anchor all the way through. How Ruggles responds to how others speak about him while in his false identity are also pure gold...trying to use his influence to undermine DeFore (he wants a job offered to him, that would send him to Bolivia, away from his daughter) and failing is also an ongoing melodramatic arc with the expected payoff.
I just myself discovered this two years ago and can say it will remain an annual Christmas tradition. Although not as well known as "It's a Wonderful Life" or "Shop Around the Corner", "It Happened on Fifth Avenue" is a 40s treat just ready for new eyes and open hearts.
Soon O'Connor's daughter, a privileged and spoiled beauty, Trudy (Gale Storm, plenty of spunk and bright wattage smile), leaves finishing school, arriving at her father's mansion unannounced to take some dresses (and her own mink coat), startled by McKeever and Bullock who think she's just another squatter trying to thieve from the place. McKeever admits to Bullock that he isn't O'Connor's friend allowed to stay in the mansion, copping to the fact that he's merely an "interloper". As fate would have it, Trudy likes them and decides to create an artificial identity all her own of the daughter (14 siblings, she tells them) of a father who is abusive (!), needing a place to stay herself until she can get back on her feet.
When O'Connor gets word that Trudy fled school he returns to New York, later finding Trudy, convinced, inexplicably, to also play a part as someone in need of a place to crash until he also can get back on his feet! McKeever ordering "Mike" to do the dishes and help around his own mansion (unknowingly wearing O'Connor's suits and clothes right in front of him!) is hilarious. And when it appears "Mike" will order the "interlopers" to leave his mansion, Trudy elicits the aid of her mom (divorced from O'Connor and living in Palm Springs) as a cook (Ann Harding, a star of the 30s, returning "to form" in this "comeback"), which surprises her father, keeping him mum from spilling the beans on his true identity.
The scenes where McKeever speaks about the O'Connors and their faults without realizing they are in his presence and their expressive reactions to what he has to say (a dinner table conversation which they often consider attacks on their character, his finding them in the bedroom alone with orders to separate because of what their behavior might look to others, and his confronting them about their obvious feelings for each other) are real treasures.
DeFore and Storm have really good chemistry and you get plenty of them flirting while at times also arguing. DeFore and two war buddies (Alan Hale, Jr. (Gilligan's Island) and Edward Ryan) want to buy some government barracks available and renovate them for low income families while O'Connor eyes them for his own business pursuits. Also in the house are the war buddies' wives (and Ryan's baby).
They all try to avoid two cops (Edward Brophy's thick Bronx-accented cop, talking about his wife and relenting to these good people, willing to keep mum about them, risking his job, is especially memorable) who patrol the grounds and building each night. DeFore handcuffing himself to the bed in the opening scene, refusing to leave his apartment, and his later sprinklers bath while dozing on the park bench, are a funny way to be introduced to him.
But, honestly, despite the entire cast's magic, Victor Moore is the glue that holds this whole film together. His "overseeing" supervisory role, dictating rules and "urging" Ruggles to take a snow-shoveling gig to help pay for groceries (!), and just his sage experiences in life (and how he's avoided the working life and its struggles) offered in the forms of advice and comment(ary) remain the film's anchor all the way through. How Ruggles responds to how others speak about him while in his false identity are also pure gold...trying to use his influence to undermine DeFore (he wants a job offered to him, that would send him to Bolivia, away from his daughter) and failing is also an ongoing melodramatic arc with the expected payoff.
I just myself discovered this two years ago and can say it will remain an annual Christmas tradition. Although not as well known as "It's a Wonderful Life" or "Shop Around the Corner", "It Happened on Fifth Avenue" is a 40s treat just ready for new eyes and open hearts.
___________________________________
--December 3, 2018--
Comments
Post a Comment