Rating: 
Summary: Charming, tender, funny, and very touching!
Review: "Pocketful of Miracles" was Frank Capra's last motion picture he directed. For a last picture for him, I think it is quite a masterpiece. This is a remake of the 1933 movie "Lady For A Day" which Capra directed then. Bette Davis is wonderful as Apple Annie, a boozy street peddlar whose best customer is gangster leader Dave the Dude (Glenn Ford) who thinks her apples bring him luck. His flashy girlfriend Queenie Martin (Hope Lange) thinks otherwise, and the Dude can't keep her out of his hair. Peter Falk plays on his sidekicks named Joy Boy, and Mickey Shaugnessey (Elvis' costar in "Jailhouse Rock") plays the Dude's other sidekick and chauffeur Junior. They all help Apple Annie a.k.a. Mrs. E. Worthington Manville prepare for her daughter (Ann-Margret) to come from Spain to visit with a Spanish count (Arthur O'Connell) and his son (Peter Mann). They announce that she will marry the count's son, and will give a reception. The Dude, Queenie, Joy Boy, Junior, and Apple Annie's temporary "husband" Judge Blake painstakingly round up the gang members of the dude and Queenie's chorus girls to try to impersonate officials and attend the reception. Meanwhile, the police, the comissioner, the governor, and mayor are hot on the job to track down missing reporters kinapped by the Dude. (We all know even though their tied up, Dude's still kind-hearted underneath). They're in a jam, when Queenie's nightclub is surrounded by cops. Dude makes a deal with the comissioner. What ends up happening is, the governor and mayor get word and the people at the coincidental party for the mayor show up miraculously for Annie's reception. At the end, it shows, Louise (Ann-Margret), the count and son Carlos leaving to go back to Spain where the two will get married. This is a real fanciful scene there. It's a real great classic everyone will enjoy.
Rating:
Summary: Charming, tender, funny, and very touching!
Review: "Pocketful of Miracles" was Frank Capra's last motion picture he directed. For a last picture for him, I think it is quite a masterpiece. This is a remake of the 1933 movie "Lady For A Day" which Capra directed then. Bette Davis is wonderful as Apple Annie, a boozy street peddlar whose best customer is gangster leader Dave the Dude (Glenn Ford) who thinks her apples bring him luck. His flashy girlfriend Queenie Martin (Hope Lange) thinks otherwise, and the Dude can't keep her out of his hair. Peter Falk plays on his sidekicks named Joy Boy, and Mickey Shaugnessey (Elvis' costar in "Jailhouse Rock") plays the Dude's other sidekick and chauffeur Junior. They all help Apple Annie a.k.a. Mrs. E. Worthington Manville prepare for her daughter (Ann-Margret) to come from Spain to visit with a Spanish count (Arthur O'Connell) and his son (Peter Mann). They announce that she will marry the count's son, and will give a reception. The Dude, Queenie, Joy Boy, Junior, and Apple Annie's temporary "husband" Judge Blake painstakingly round up the gang members of the dude and Queenie's chorus girls to try to impersonate officials and attend the reception. Meanwhile, the police, the comissioner, the governor, and mayor are hot on the job to track down missing reporters kinapped by the Dude. (We all know even though their tied up, Dude's still kind-hearted underneath). They're in a jam, when Queenie's nightclub is surrounded by cops. Dude makes a deal with the comissioner. What ends up happening is, the governor and mayor get word and the people at the coincidental party for the mayor show up miraculously for Annie's reception. At the end, it shows, Louise (Ann-Margret), the count and son Carlos leaving to go back to Spain where the two will get married. This is a real fanciful scene there. It's a real great classic everyone will enjoy.
Rating: 
Summary: A timeless Classic
Review: A feel good heartwarming movie, with a diverse group of characters. I am a lover of old movies, and this was always a favorite. I recently purchased for 2 people and they love it as much as I did. It is now being passed from family to family.
Rating:
Summary: Enjoyable Film!
Review: A fine film full of great performances and superb storytelling. Great for the collection! Grade: A+
Rating:
Summary: Great fun
Review: A plot which manages to concurrently spoof organised crime, Prohibition, superstition, panhandling, royalty, and Pygmalion-style transformations is an entertaining winner. The premises are totally absurd, of course, but the hilarity is largely in its very absurdity. Naturally, if a tough, streetwise beggar has sufficient "magical" influence that her daughter is educated in Europe and engaged to one of the nobility - and that she has been able to present herself as a Society lady to the far-off daughter whom she apparently has not seen since babyhood - the "Duke" (Glen Ford in a hilarious gangster spoof) just may be right that Annie's apples bring plenty of luck.
Rating:
Summary: Dreams do come true.
Review: A wonderful little Cinderella story. The cast works well together. Betty Davis is believeable as a Mother down on her luck. Frank Capra delivers another heartwarming tale.
Rating:
Summary: A Great Christmas Movie
Review: Bette Davis - always entertaining - is pulled from her usual "bad girl" roles to make a movie that is probably one of her best. Sometimes a little hokey, sometimes a little cheesy, this movie lets you (even if for a moment) believe in and have hope for mankind. A really good "feel good" movie and something to share with the whole family. Look for Ellen Corby (Grandma on "The Waltons") as a mute street person.
Rating:
Summary: Dreams do come true.
Review: Bette Davis plays Apple Annie, a bag lady who has, by correspondence, convinced her daughter that she is a wealthy socialite. Her daughter (Anne Margaret), who has grown up in Europe, is now on her way, with her fiancee (the son of a Spanish noble) and his family, for a visit, putting poor Apple Annie into crisis. In steps Dave the Dude (Glen Ford), a small-time gangster wannabe with a big heart and a strong belief that Apple Annie's apples are his lucky charm and his ticket to the Big Time. Dave the Dude, his girlfriend (Hope Lange), and his henchmen (played by a cast of character actors half a mile long and featuring a young Peter Falk), step in to save the day, by transforming Apple Annie into Lady Manville. Unfortunately for Dave, the crux of Annie's transformation coincides with his making the Big Deal that will boost him into being a Big Time Gangster. He has to choose. This is a somewhat over-acted but thoroughly charming movie that is loads of fun. I've never seen "Lady for a Day", which is this movie's predecessor and, according to many of my fellow reviewers, a superior movie. "Pocketful of Miracles" is such a favorite of mine that I'm not sure I want to risk seeing this supposedly better version of the story. Either way, "Pocketful of Miracles" will never be a disappointment to me and, I think, to many.
Rating:
Summary: Light Comedy, One of My Favorites
Review: Bette Davis plays Apple Annie, a bag lady who has, by correspondence, convinced her daughter that she is a wealthy socialite. Her daughter (Anne Margaret), who has grown up in Europe, is now on her way, with her fiancee (the son of a Spanish noble) and his family, for a visit, putting poor Apple Annie into crisis. In steps Dave the Dude (Glen Ford), a small-time gangster wannabe with a big heart and a strong belief that Apple Annie's apples are his lucky charm and his ticket to the Big Time. Dave the Dude, his girlfriend (Hope Lange), and his henchmen (played by a cast of character actors half a mile long and featuring a young Peter Falk), step in to save the day, by transforming Apple Annie into Lady Manville. Unfortunately for Dave, the crux of Annie's transformation coincides with his making the Big Deal that will boost him into being a Big Time Gangster. He has to choose. This is a somewhat over-acted but thoroughly charming movie that is loads of fun. I've never seen "Lady for a Day", which is this movie's predecessor and, according to many of my fellow reviewers, a superior movie. "Pocketful of Miracles" is such a favorite of mine that I'm not sure I want to risk seeing this supposedly better version of the story. Either way, "Pocketful of Miracles" will never be a disappointment to me and, I think, to many.
Rating:
Summary: This film has aged quite well.
Review: Capra didn't have kind words to say about this, his last feature film. Blinding headaches, a star/producer out of control, his memoirs reflect an experience which soured him on directing completely. Given that, and the lukewarm box office, Pocketful of Miracles has always been considered the ugly stepchild of the Capra cannon, especially when compared to his first version, Lady For A Day. But what a pleasure this film is, almost 40 years later. If you are familiar with Capra's films, you'll recognize many of the supporting actors, three from It's A Wonderful Life, such as Ellen Corby (Grandma on The Waltons,) who played one of George Bailey's depositors, Sheldon Leonard (in a cameo as Darcey the mob boss) who played bartender Nick @ Martini's and Thomas Mitchell who was George's Uncle Billy (also Scarlett's father Gerald O' Hara in Gone with the Wind.) Capra's wove the fabric of life into his films with his supproting cast, and he does much the same here. Peter Falk is great as Junior, deservedly winning an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor. Also look for the fabulous Edward Everett Horton as the butler. While Bette Davis is given little to do in the second half, and while Glenn Ford and Hope Lange tend to the hammy, it is still Capra and there are many pleasures to be had. You may even find a tear in your eye at the end, for there is plenty of Capra corn. Indulge and enjoy! They truly don't make 'em like this anymore.
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