Pocketful of Miracles (1961)

Far from Perfect, Far from Terrible

A lot of perfectly good film show their cards early, establish a unique premise and let the audience explore a topic at a leisurely pace, without much in terms of surprise. this film is not one of those films.

The joyful confection is coated in a sparkly gloss, bright enough to gleam from the darkest, most cynical corners.

I didn’t really have many expectations going into the movie (good or bad), but I actually really enjoyed it. I really liked the characters and the banter between them.

They just don't make movies like this anymore! Frank Capra brought magic to the silver screen and A Pocketful Of Miracles is as good as movie making gets! Great storyline, great characters, great acting, and great directing!

. . . may just see this flick as Peter Falk's chance to pick up an Oscar Nod for inventing the Bob De Niro\Al Pacino\Sylvester Stallone Branch of Italian Stallion Acting. The Deplorable Products of U.S. Strongman Vlad "The Mad Russian" Putin's American Secretary of Miseducation (Billionairess Betsy "Amway Calling" DeVos and her chains of For-Profit Charter Brainwashing Shacks) won't know the rest of the POCKETFUL OF MIRACLES story. POCKETFUL marks the final stages of Director Frank Capra's schizophrenic break with Reality. After an early Tinseltown career focused upon championing the Little Guy for low-rent movie studios (culminating with IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE), Capra signed a pact with Satan to destroy most of Hollywood by starring himself in IT'S A WEASEL's LIFE. Joining forces with fellow rat finks and closet KGB-controlled thugs such as John Ford, Elia Kazan, Ronald Reagan, Charlton Heston, Ward Bond, and the latter's sidekick Marion Mitchell "Il Duce" Morrison, Capra helped to jail or assassinate countless film giants including Dalton Trumbo, John Garfield, Errol Flynn, Anne Revere, Kirk Douglas, and Joseph L. Mankiewicz. POCKETFUL represents the victims of Capra's Cabal through "Apple Annie's" Beggars Guild. Capra anticipates Putin's successful U.S. Putsch through the Fat Cat One Per Centers threatening Annie's Family. His hurried POCKETFUL conclusion implying that these two groups can cooperate toward a common goal reeks of the Real Life insanity tearing apart Capra's mind by the 1960s as it dawned upon him that his Younger Self would have committed suicide in a heartbeat rather than willingly allow the Geriatric Witch Hunter he'd become to irrevocably tarnish his formerly Good Name.

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.

This film was also a remake of a film made in 1933 called Lady For a Day with Warren William and Mae Hopson. But it was an excellent remake. I especially liked Peter Falk's portrayal in this film. The entire cast is really top notch.I don't think anything is as good as the original. But, this film comes very close. The cast is really what makes this version so good. Bette Davis is excellent as is Glenn Ford and Thomas Mitchell. This is also an early film for Ann-Margaret.I, personally, would recommend this film as highly as I would Lady For a Day. By all means, watch both films. They each have an ambiance that makes both movies unique.