Director Frank Capra's last feature film, Pocketful of Miracles is a Technicolor remake of his 1933 film Lady for a Day. A barely recognizable Bette Davis plays Apple Annie, the besotted, unkempt, rag-clad street vendor who controls the activities of all the beggars on Broadway. Apple Annie is the pet of Dave the Dude (Glenn Ford), a tough but basically kind-hearted gangster who believes that Annie's apples bring him luck. One morning, Annie fails to show up at her usual corner. That's because she is sitting disconsolate in ...
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Director Frank Capra's last feature film, Pocketful of Miracles is a Technicolor remake of his 1933 film Lady for a Day. A barely recognizable Bette Davis plays Apple Annie, the besotted, unkempt, rag-clad street vendor who controls the activities of all the beggars on Broadway. Apple Annie is the pet of Dave the Dude (Glenn Ford), a tough but basically kind-hearted gangster who believes that Annie's apples bring him luck. One morning, Annie fails to show up at her usual corner. That's because she is sitting disconsolate in her squalid shack, contemplating suicide. The reason: Annie has received a letter from her daughter Louise (Ann-Margret, in her screen debut). Annie has been supporting Louise's high-priced European education, leading the girl to believe that she, Annie, is a high-society dowager. Now Louise is returning home with her wealthy fiance Carlos Romero (Peter Mann) in tow, and it looks as though Annie's cover will be blown to bits. Partly out of sympathy, but mostly because of his superstitious belief in the power of Annie's apples, Dave the Dude arranges with his Broadway cohorts to "doll up" Annie so that she can pass as a woman of means, then stage-manages a huge, expensive reception for Louise and her beau. The complications that ensued in the original 1933 version of Lady for a Day exercise their prerogative once more, with a few added plot twists to pad out Glenn Ford's screen time. Cutting through the sentimental goo like a machete is Peter Falk, who is hilarious as Dave the Dude's sarcastic bodyguard. Evidently, Falk was one of the few actors on the set of Pocketful of Miracles with which Capra remained sympatico throughout shooting. In his autobiography (a not altogether reliable tome), Capra insisted that Pocketful of Miracles was ruined by Glenn Ford's autocratic and self-serving on-set behavior, and by Ford's demand that his current lady friend Hope Lange be (mis)cast as brash nightclub chirp Queenie Martin. As usual, Capra was not telling the whole story: at 63, he was beginning to lose his grip on his movie-making skills, allowing every scene to run well past its value and concentrating on cute isolated "bits" rather than the story at hand. Way too long at 136 minutes (Lady for a Day ran but 90), Pocketful of Miracles still has a lot going for it, especially the glowing performance of Bette Davis and the basic, foolproof Damon Runyon story on which it is based. While it disappointed at the box office, Miracles has since its release become a Christmastime TV perennial, seldom failing to draw big ratings numbers. Hal Erickson, Rovi
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Add this copy of Pocketful of Miracles [Dvd] to cart. $3.74, good condition, Sold by Goodwill Books rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Hillsboro, OR, UNITED STATES, published 2001 by United Artists.
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Good. May have very light or no surface scratches. Case and cover artwork are included but may show minimal signs of wear. If applicable: Digital copy or ultraviolet codes may be expired or not included. Slipcover may not be included.
Add this copy of Pocketful of Miracles to cart. $5.24, good condition, Sold by Goodwill Books rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Hillsboro, OR, UNITED STATES, published 2014 by United Artists.
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Good. May have very light or no surface scratches. Case and cover artwork are included but may show minimal signs of wear. If applicable: Digital copy or ultraviolet codes may be expired or not included. Slipcover may not be included.
Add this copy of Pocketful of Miracles [Dvd] to cart. $5.92, fair condition, Sold by EB-Books LLC rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Rockford, IL, UNITED STATES, published 2001 by United Artists.
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Fair. Orders ship SAME or NEXT bussiness day! ! The item has obvious and significant wear but is still operational. Item may arrive with damaged packing or be repacked. Signs of wear can include aesthetic issues such as scratches, dents, worn corners. The item may have identifying markings on it or show other signs fo previous use. 100% money back guarantee. 100% satisfaction GUARANTEED!
Add this copy of Pocketful of Miracles to cart. $8.99, very good condition, Sold by HPB-Movies rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Dallas, TX, UNITED STATES, published 2014 by Kino Lorber.
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Thomas Mitchell, Ann-Margret, Peter Falk, Hope Lange, Bette Davis, Glenn Ford. Very good. 1961 Run time: 136. Providing great media since 1972. All used discs are inspected and guaranteed. Digital copy/codes may be expired or not included. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority!
Add this copy of Pocketful of Miracles to cart. $17.93, new condition, Sold by Importcds rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Sunrise, FL, UNITED STATES, published 2014 by United Artists.
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Glenn Ford; Bette Davis; Hope Lange; Arthur O'Connell; Peter Falk. New. Run time: 136 mins. Language: English. New in new packaging. USA Orders only! Brand New product! please allow delivery times of 3-7 business days within the USA. US orders only please.
Add this copy of Pocketful of Miracles to cart. $23.70, new condition, Sold by newtownvideo rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from huntingdon valley, PA, UNITED STATES, published 2014 by Kino Lorber.
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Thomas Mitchell, Ann-Margret, Peter Falk, Hope Lange, Bette Davis, Glenn Ford. New. 1961 Run time: 136. Buy with confidence-Satisfaction Guaranteed! Delivery Confirmation included for all orders in the US.
Add this copy of Pocketful of Miracles [Dvd] to cart. $30.00, very good condition, Sold by itswinwinwithdon rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from NORTH PORT, FL, UNITED STATES.
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Very good. ***EXPEDITED SHIPPING IS AVAILABLE WORLD-WIDE***. As for me, I am a "small shop" retiree, prioritizing customer service. All "new" items, unless otherwise noted, are Factory Fresh/Sealed in Excellent Condition and will be mailed expeditiously. "Like New", "Very Good", and "Good" items have packaging conditions reflective of the listing. Not all used items will have inserts. Used discs themselves will be in very good to excellent condition in all cases. Note well: on occasion, discs may become dislodged from the center hub holding it in place within the sleeve. This is not a defect, nor should you presume the item to be damaged. It is not an uncommon occurrence, signaling minor cosmetic consideration solely and, again, does not impact, in 99% of the cases, the quality of the DVD provided. As is always the case, damaged DVDs may be returned for credit within the timeframe provided by Sponsor.