This Frank Capra directed film is actually Capra's second attempt with the movie. POCKETFUL OF MIRACLES is actually a remake of LADY FOR A DAY (1933),and I've got to say that nothing in this remake made me favor it over the original. May Robson and Warren William just did a better job with the material than Bette Davis and Glenn Ford. In particular, Ford is more selfish and nasty when compared to the "nice" scoundrel played more gracefully by William. Plus, overall, it looks like everyone just tried and emoted too much in the remake. The original was slow and graceful and also quite beautiful. The remake is just LOUDER and brash--like it is a "dumbed-down" version of the original.

However, despite my complaint, the basic story itself is still excellent and couldn't help but produce a good movie. This one is sure worth watching, but if at all possible, find LADY FOR A DAY--it's a much better example of the magic of Frank Capra.

Frank Capra got out of the directing feature film business right after Pocketful of Miracles, creating a symmetry of sorts in his career because this is a remake of Lady for a Day, his first film to garner any kind of award nominations. He felt that it was a mistake going into partnership with a star, in this case Glenn Ford because it meant yielding creative control of the product.

You never know what you get with collaborative efforts. It could be something like Gone With The Wind or Mister Roberts. Or it could be something as disastrous as Desire Me (go check my user comments on that one). Pocketful of Miracles falls somewhere in the middle of that. I still remember seeing it and enjoying it as a lad.

Originally Frank Capra wanted to do Pocketful of Miracles with Frank Sinatra with whom he had done good work in A Hole in the Head. Sinatra proved unavailable except to record the title song for a best selling record with a kid's choir.

Lady for a Day back in 1933 boasted the performance of May Robson as the disheveled Apple Annie who has the secret daughter in a convent school in Spain. All the panhandlers and street grifters chip in and support the girl who's about to marry into nobility. But she wants to visit her mother before the vows are taken. She thinks Robson is a society matron.

Stepping in and doing more than an adequate job in the remake is Bette Davis. Capra did put a curb on the Davis grand manner during her scenes as the apple seller in Depression era New York. And he gave her free reign as society matron, Mrs. Worthington Manley.

Robson got an Academy Award nomination for Lady for a Day. Pocketful of Miracles boasts an acting nomination itself in the Supporting Actor category. In this case for Peter Falk as Glenn Ford's second in command in his gang. Capra had nothing but praise for Falk as an actor in his memoirs. I agree, the man's range is astonishing, he's capable of a lot more than Lieutenant Columbo.

Capra gathered his usual outstanding group of identifiable supporting players including a few who've seen service with him before. This film marked the farewell performance of Thomas Mitchell who graced so many classic films for Frank Capra and others. He's wonderful as the smooth talking pool shark that Ford drafts into being Davis's husband.

One career ends, another begins; this was the debut film for Ann-Margret playing Davis's daughter. She even gets to sing to her intended, a rather stiff young actor named Peter Mann of whom little was heard after this. Both were given billing as being introduced in Pocketful of Miracles.

Both Lady for a Day and Pocketful of Miracles were based on a Damon Runyon short story and Runyon certainly lavished love on the Broadway characters he created. One of the problems I've always had with both versions of this story is that for all everyone's good intentions which surprise everyone, a fraud is being perpetrated here. Will there be a happily ever after ending when it's discovered?

I guess the moral of the story is that if you get enough VIPs involved in the fraud it's OK. That's not a great lesson to learn.

But when written by Damon Runyon and directed by Frank Capra it's not something we think about too much.

Superstitious bootlegger Dave the Dude (Glenn Ford) always buys apples from local Broadway street legend Apple Annie (Bette Davis) for the luck. She and her street beggar friends have been sending money to care for her daughter Louise in a Spanish convent. Louise (Ann-Margret) is now grown up and coming to America with her aristocratic fiancé Carlos and his father Count Alfonso Romero assuming Annie to be a part of New York high society. Annie had been sending letters to her from a high class hotel while pretending to live there. Dave and his combative singer girlfriend Queenie Martin (Hope Lange) try to keep up the charade with a makeover and a penthouse suite. Meanwhile, Dave and his right hand man Joy Boy (Peter Falk) have to deal with a powerful gangster and being hounded by the authorities.

This is director Frank Capra's last full length theatrical release. It's a bit muddled. It takes almost an hour to get to the heart of the matter which is Annie getting the letter from Louise. Quite frankly, I don't care that much about Dave and his gangster life. Annie is the heart. The movie is simply too long. It's a simple light comedy and needs to cut out about thirty minutes. There are great moments of humor and heart but it rambles on too much. It's uneven. It is still great to have Bette Davis doing great work. The number of legends at work is appealing. The problem is that I don't find Dave and his gang that funny. It's a little dated. The ending feels rushed. It would be nice to have a more streamlined comedy.