Movie · 1961 · Comedy, Drama · 2h 16m · NR · English
Curator score: 4.3/10 (13.1K ratings)
You have to see it to belove it!
Overview
A New York gangster and his girlfriend attempt to turn street beggar Apple Annie into a society lady when the peddler learns her daughter is marrying royalty.
Ratings
Curator score: 4.3/10
IMDb: 7.1/10
Letterboxd: 3.42/5
Rotten Tomatoes: 50%
TMDB: 7.3/10
Director
Frank Capra
Production
Franton Production, United Artists
Cast
Glenn Ford, Bette Davis, Hope Lange, Arthur O'Connell, Peter Falk, Thomas Mitchell, Edward Everett Horton, Mickey Shaughnessy, David Brian, Sheldon Leonard, Peter Mann, Ann-Margret, Barton MacLane, John Litel, Jerome Cowan, Jay Novello, Frank Ferguson, Willis Bouchey, Fritz Feld, Ellen Corby
Curator Review
Verdict
A warm, old-fashioned Capra remake with a strong cast, colorful production design, and real sentimental charm, but it’s also overlong and occasionally loses momentum. Best approached as a glossy, performance-driven holiday curio rather than a tightly paced comedy.
Best for
fans of classic Hollywood sentiment and redemption stories
viewers who enjoy Christmas-set crowd-pleasers
people interested in Frank Capra’s late style
Bette Davis admirers and character-actor showcases
audiences who like lush Technicolor-era studio craftsmanship
Skip if
you need brisk pacing and a lean runtime
you dislike sentimental, openly manipulative storytelling
you want Bette Davis at the center of the film
you prefer modern comedy rhythms over old-school broadness
Overview
Pocketful of Miracles is the kind of studio-era comfort food that can feel both overstuffed and irresistible. Frank Capra revisits his own material with more color, more bustle, and a little more strain, but the movie still has the director’s signature faith in decency, reinvention, and the possibility of grace in shabby places.
Worth noting
The cast does a lot of the heavy lifting. Bette Davis gives the story its bruised, comic heart, while Glenn Ford is unexpectedly relaxed in a lighter register, and Hope Lange brings a grounded warmth that helps the film feel less like a pageant. Peter Falk also makes a memorable impression in an early role that hints at the sly authority he’d later perfect.
Bottom line
It’s too long, and you can feel the seams of the remake, but the film’s charm is real: a glitzy, Christmas-season fable about class performance, found family, and the absurdity of trying to pass off a beggar as a society lady. If you’re in the mood for a sentimental Hollywood antique with enough sparkle to outweigh its drag, it’s worth a look.
Top Letterboxd reviews
Berenice Poe ⊹.˚📽️🎬🎞️🕯️♡ (4★) · 56 likes
“She's like a cockroach what turned into a butterfly!” ୭ 🍎 ✧˚ 🧺 . ᵎᵎ 🎀
I didn’t expect to laugh this much, but wow—Frank Capra knew what he was doing! (Fun fact: Capra means goat in Italian, so he really was the GOAT) Peter Falk completely stole the show, and this was before Columbo was even a thing 😵 Major shoutout to the butler: we love an unbothered king. Do yourself a favor and watch this movie: it might just become your new go-to funny, unconventional Christmas classic to enjoy with the family! ☺️
B E R T (3.5★) · 55 likes
Bit of a fun one, good role for Bette, and the movie is nice and lush to look at. Very colourful and glitzy.
Bre · 46 likes
This is way longer than it needs to be so it really loses steam toward the latter half, and Bette Davis does not get near the screen time she deserves, but this is really a film with quite a lot of heart and is a real gem to watch. Glenn Ford is wonderful (here with a rare opportunity to do comedy!) and is a delight to watch with Hope Lange, his girlfriend at the time, who has such a commanding… more This is way longer than it needs to be so it really loses steam toward the latter half, and Bette Davis does not get near the screen time she deserves, but this is really a film with quite a lot of heart and is a real gem to watch. Glenn Ford is wonderful (here with a rare opportunity to do comedy!) and is a delight to watch with Hope Lange, his girlfriend at the time, who has such a commanding… more
Gregor Kreyca (3.5★) · 39 likes
I gotta say, “Pocketful of Miracles” is much better than I remembered. Frank Capra’s remake of his classic Comedy “Lady for a Day” was not a happy shoot and turned out to be his last movie. He was in constant conflict with star and co-producer Glenn Ford who himself had a feud with co-star Bette Davis. But sometimes good or even great movies come out of difficult shoots. And while I would not call this a great movie it is… more I gotta say, “Pocketful of Miracles” is much better than I remembered. Frank Capra’s remake of his classic Comedy “Lady for a Day” was not a happy shoot and turned out to be his last movie. He was in constant conflict with star and co-producer Glenn Ford who himself had a feud with co-star Bette Davis. But sometimes good or even great movies come out of difficult shoots. And while I would not call this a great movie it is… more
1947 · Comedy, Drama, Family · 1h 36m · NR · Curator 8.2/10 (140.7K ratings) · Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video, Disney Plus, Amazon Prime Video with Ads
If the Christmas-season sincerity and civic warmth are the appeal, this is the cleaner, more beloved counterpart.
1959 · Comedy, Romance, Crime · 2h 3m · NR · Curator 9.7/10 (658.9K ratings) · Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video, MGM Plus, Amazon Prime Video with Ads
For a sharper, more agile comedy of disguise, performance, and romantic scrambling.
1966 · Comedy, Drama, Crime · 2h 5m · NR · Curator 5.5/10 (32.3K ratings) · Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video, fuboTV, MGM Plus, Philo, Amazon Prime Video with Ads
A later comedy that pairs con artistry with character-driven humor and a strong sense of urban texture.