A POCKETFUL OF MIRACLES

US, 1961, 136 minutes, Colour.
Glenn Ford, Bette Davis, Hope Lange, Arthur O'Connell, Peter Falk.
Directed by Frank Capra.

A Pocketful of Miracles is a particularly American comedy. Based on a Damon Runyon story, already filmed by director Frank Capra in the 30s under the title of Lady for a Day, with May Robson. Capra tries to repeat his success with Bette Davis in the central role. She gives a particularly interesting and enjoyable performance as Apple Annie, the poor woman who gets dressed up as a lady for a day. Glenn Ford is pleasant but bland in the central role and there is interesting support from Hope Lange, Peter Falk and a very young Ann Margret.

Frank Capra is an interesting director. During the 30s he was very socially conscious ? but presented his points in a didactic style in light comedy. He won several Oscars in the 30s and his films were immensely popular. They range from It Happened One Night, Mr. Deeds Goes to Town, Mr. Smith goes to Washington, You Can't Take It With You, Meet John Doe. He then went into war service and made a number of documentaries. After the war his films lacked bite, although he made some pleasant comedies with Bing Crosby as Here Comes the Groom. He attempted a comeback in the 50s with a Frank Sinatra vehicle, A Hole In The Head and this particular film. However, it was to be his last. Enjoyable, particularly American.

1. What did the title mean? How did it give a mood to the film? Sentiment and whimsy?

2. What kind of genre was this film? With its broad humour? Its broad characters and caricatures, its use of sentiment, its use of colour and colourful language? Humorous and satirical situations? Is this particularly an American genre? Why?

3. How did the film use a basic fairy story outline? How critical was the whole story? Did it matter if it was not? How much reality was there meant to be in the film? Judged as a fairy story. how successful and entertaining is the film? (The judge quoted from Pascal about the heart and its reasons.) Is it meant to be a heart film? Heart-warming, heartfelt?)

4. Did you like Apple Annie? What kind of a person was she? Her speech about the little man? Her confidence tricksterism? Her poverty and her gin drinking? Her humiliation? Her popularity in New York? Her popularity with Dave the Dude? Her love for her daughter? Comment on the effect of her writing her letter with the photo there and her stories and her gin sodden collapse? The sequence where she goes to the hotel to get her letter? What effect did the transformation have on her? Did it change her as a person? How did the audience identify with her in her plight? Were you always on her side? Should she have told the truth to her daughter? Was the fact that she was finally willing to tell the truth enough for the film? Were you glad there was a happy ending? What would happen to her after this?

5. What kind of character was Dave the Dude? Was he a typical American gangster comedy figure? The typical bootlegger? Was it important that he have moral values or not in this film? Was he an evil man? Why was he so superstitious? Why so greedy? Ambitious? Did he really love Queenie? Why did he do all that he did for Apple Annie? Was the fact that Darcy was waiting for him a good ploy for the film to highlight his work for Annie? Did he deserve a happy ending?

6. How enjoyable was Joyboy? The typical gangster stooge? And yet his wisdom? what values did he stand for? How amusing was his repartee? His anxiety to get things done? How enjoyable was his role in the film?

7. Was Queenie an interesting heroine? Her transformation at the beginning? Her relationship with Dave? Her wanting a quiet life? Why was she moved to work for Annie? How well did she handle the situation? Did she deserve a happy ending?

8. How amusing was the presentation of Darcy, a Chicago gangster head travelling around in a truck getting seasick? How real were his threats, guns, the police world?

9. How were all the characters transformed in the film, as if a magic wand was waved over them? Was this what the film was meant to show?

10. How amusing was the butler? Why did people laugh? How did he utilize the gangster background with the English snob background?

11. Was Louise a sympathetic daughter? The Spanish company interesting? Was this too sentimentalised? Louise's love for her mother? Louise and her fiance, singing? What effect emotionally would these sequences have had? Were you anxious that Louise know the truth or not? Why?

12. Did you enjoy the judge? What did he add to the proceedings? His learned background and his pool playing? His helping Annie? The training of the gangsters and the girls for the party? The happy ending?

13. Why were the crises in the film engaging audience attention?

14. How happy was the film and what faith in goodness did it have?

15. How typical a Hollywood film was this? How characteristic of Americana was it? Why?