It Happened on Fifth Avenue (1947)

User Rating:

7.4/10   

Director:

Roy Del Ruth

Writers:

Herbert Clyde Lewis (story) &
Frederick Stephani (story) ...
(more)

Release Date:

19 April 1947 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Tagline:

It's Happer Than Heaven ... the Hit of '47!

Plot:

A hobo and friends take up residence in a mansion whilst the family is away on Christmas holiday. |

Plot Keywords:

Mansion | Christmas | Beautiful Woman | New York City | Screwball

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar.

Cast

Don DeFore	...	Jim Bullock
Ann Harding	...	Mary O'Connor
Charles Ruggles	...	Michael J. 'Mike' O'Connor
Victor Moore	...	Aloysius T. McKeever
Gale Storm	...	Trudy O'Connor
Grant Mitchell	...	Farrow
Edward Brophy	...	Gates Patrolman Cecil Felton
Alan Hale Jr.	...	Whitey Temple
Dorothea Kent	...	Margie Temple
Edward Ryan	...	Hank (as Edward Ryan, Jr.)
Cathy Carter	...	Alice
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Jean Andren	...	Secretary (uncredited)
Johnny Arthur	...	Apartment Manager (uncredited)
Florence Auer	...	Miss Parker, Head Mistress (uncredited)
Leon Belasco	...	Musician (uncredited)
George Blagoi	...	Executive (uncredited)
James Cardwell	...	Young Man (uncredited)
Chester Clute	...	Phillips (uncredited)
Dudley Dickerson	...	Joe, the Chauffeur (uncredited)
Adolph Faylauer	...	Executive (uncredited)
Al Fenney	...	Executive (uncredited)
James Flavin	...	First Policeman (uncredited)
Edward Gargan	...	Policeman in Park (uncredited)
Jack George	...	Executive (uncredited)
Pat Goldin	...	Waiter (uncredited)
John Hamilton	...	Harper (uncredited)
Arthur Hohl	...	Brady - Gates Patrolman (uncredited)
Bert Howard	...	Executive (uncredited)
Major Kieffer	...	Executive (uncredited)
William Kline	...	Executive (uncredited)
Charles Lane	...	Landlord (uncredited)
Carl M. Leviness	...	Executive (uncredited)
Vera Lewis	...	Woman in Chauffeured Car (uncredited)
George Lloyd	...	Foreman of Movers (uncredited)
Eddie Marr	...	Tour Bus Spieler (uncredited)
David Martell	...	Executive (uncredited)
Rowland McCracken	...	Executive (uncredited)
George Meader	...	Music Store Manager (uncredited)
Howard M. Mitchell	...	Executive (uncredited)
William H. O'Brien	...	Executive (uncredited)
Garry Owen	...	Detective (uncredited)
Abe Reynolds	...	Finkelhoff - the Tailor (uncredited)
Linda Lee Solomon	...	Young Girl (uncredited)
Bert Stevens	...	Farrow's Associate (uncredited)
Jack Stoney	...	Man wearing Second Hand Clothing Advertising Sign (uncredited)
Anthony Sydes	...	Jackie Temple (uncredited)
Victor Travers	...	Executive (uncredited)
Max Willenz	...	Musician (uncredited)
Al Winters	...	Executive (uncredited)

Directed by
Roy Del Ruth

Writing credits
Herbert Clyde Lewis		(story) &
Frederick Stephani		(story)
Everett Freeman		writer
Vick Knight		additional dialogue

Produced by
Roy Del Ruth	....	producer
Joe Kaufmann	....	associate producer (as Joe Kaufman)

Original Music by
Edward Ward

Cinematography by
Henry Sharp

Film Editing by
Richard V. Heermance		(as Richard Heermance)

Art Direction by
Lewis H. Creber		(as Lewis Creber)

Set Decoration by
Raymond Boltz Jr.		(as Ray Boltz Jr.)

Costume Design by
Lorraine MacLean

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Frank Fox	....	assistant director

Sound Department
Corson Jowett	....	sound

Other crew
Clarence Bricker	....	assistant to producer

Production Companies

• Roy Del Ruth Productions

Distributors

• Allied Artists Pictures (1947) (USA) (theatrical)
• Allied Artists Home Video (1979) (USA) (VHS)

Other Companies

• King's Men  group cast members

Runtime:

116 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Finland:S | USA:Approved (PCA #12016, General Audience)

Company:

Roy Del Ruth Productions

Trivia:

Cathy Carter's first film.

Movie Connections:

Remade as "Lux Video Theatre: It Happened on Fifth Avenue (#7.15)" (1957)

Soundtrack:

That's What Christmas Means to Me

The secret is out. My favorite Christmas movie is now becoming a legend like "It's a Wonderful Life"

Yes, I dare to compare this wonderful, obscure little movie to It's A Wonderful Life!They came out a year a part and both were initially lost in obscurity. A Wonder Life was made at a big time studio (RKO), with a hallmark cast and a director that had several Oscars to his name already. It arose from the RKO vaults in the early 70's and has been shown every Christmas since then. This film actually fell out of copyright in 1976 and then as public domain, was picked up by Republic and put out on VHS about the time that Ted Turner bought the RKO Film Library from General Tire. It Happened on 5th Avenue was made a year (1947)later by a poverty row studio, Monogram (Allied Artists) with a shoe string budget and a venerable director by the name of Roy Del Ruth, from the silent screen days and actors that for the most part ( besides Victor Moore and Charles Ruggles and Ann Harding) had just started acting within a 5-6 year period. The plot was far from ingenious and the storyline was almost comical. What came out was a film that tugged at your heart strings with emotion and sentiment.It has my vote for the all time favorite Christmas film. I am lucky enough to have an original 16mm film copy and a VHS tape of the film. There were few negatives struck of the film for cost reasons so not many positives are in circulation today. I got mine from a TV studio film package I purchased in the early 70's from a Tampa Florida TV station. The copyright was never renewed as in It's a Wonderful Life so any prints out there are public domain. I would love to put out a DVD and let a new generation enjoy this little gem as much as mine has. Remember the line, A man without friends is the most serious form of poverty. That line was a great quote in the film and stands truer today than ever.