Frank Capra

A 1961 American comedy film starring Bette Davis and Glenn Ford, and directed by Frank Capra. The screenplay by Hal Kanter and Harry Tugend is based on the screenplay Lady for a Day by Robert Riskin, which was adapted from the Damon Runyon short story “Madame La Gimp”.
The film proved to be the final project for both Capra and veteran actor Thomas Mitchell but also featured the film debut of Ann-Margret.
Supporting player Peter Falk was nominated for an Academy Award but George Chakiris won that year for West Side Story. Capra said that Falk’s performance was a bright spot in this “miserable film.”
The 1989 film Miracles starring Jackie Chan and Anita Mui is based on Pocketful of Miracles.Read More »

Synopsis:
After her father’s death, Mary Rainey takes over the Rainey Circus (which operates twice daily, rain or shine) but runs into financial troubles. In one bit reminiscent of the Marx Brothers, the circus performers are up to some ridiculous antics at a dinner party with the family of Bud Conway, Mary’s beau. As times become worse and the performers go on strike, Mary must try to save the circus from rioting patrons.Read More »

Synopsis:
Reporter ‘Stew’ Smith meets beautiful Ann Schuyler, a rich socialite, while covering the story of a scandal involving Ann’s family. Ann takes a liking to the wisecracking Smith and the couple eventually elope. Stew’s roots as a street smart reporter don’t prepare him well for mixing with Ann’s high society friends and he starts spending more time with his ‘pal’, female reporter Gallagher. Everything comes to a head when Ann and her family return home to their mansion one evening and find that Stew has invited all his ‘pals’ over for an impromptu drinking party.Read More »

Tycoon J.L. Higgins controls his whole family, but one of his sons-in-law, Dan Brooks, and his daughter Alice are fed up with that. Brooks quits his job as manager of J.L.’s paper-box factory and devotes his life to his racing horse Broadway Bill, but his bankroll is thin, luck is against him, and he is arrested because of $150 he owes somebody for horse feed, but suddenly a planed fraud by somebody else seems to offer him a chance.Read More »

Quote:
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939) is producer/director Frank Capra’s classic comedy-drama, and considered by many to be his greatest achievement in film (and reminiscent of his earlier film, Mr. Deeds Goes To Town (1936)). [In fact, the film project by Columbia was first announced as Mr. Deeds Goes to Washington starring Gary Cooper, in a role similar to his previous Longfellow Deeds character.]Read More »

Synopsis:
The American missionary Megan Davis arrives in Shanghai during the Chinese Civil War to marry the missionary Dr. Robert Strife. However, Robert postpones their wedding to rescue some orphans in an orphanage in Chapei section that is burning in the middle of a battlefield. While returning to Shanghai with the children, they are separated in the crowd, Megan is hit in the head and knocked out, but is saved by General Yen and brought by train to his palace. As the days go by, the General’s mistress Mah-Li becomes close to Megan and when she is accused of betrayal for giving classified information to the enemies, Megan asks for her life.Read More »

Synopsis:
Longfellow Deeds lives in a small town, leading a small town kind of life – including playing the tuba in the town band. When a relative dies and leaves Deeds a fortune, Longfellow picks up his tuba and moves to the big city where he becomes an instant target for everyone from the greedy opera committee to the sensationist daily newspaper. Deeds outwits them all until Babe Bennett comes along. Babe is a hot-shot reporter who figures the best way to get close to Deeds is to pose as a damsel in distress. When small-town boy meets big-city girl anything can, and does, happen.Read More »

Quote:
It Happened One Night (1934) is one of the greatest romantic comedies in film history, and a film that has endured in popularity. It is considered one of the pioneering “screwball” romantic comedies of its time, setting the pattern for many years afterwards along with another contemporary film, The Thin Man (1934).Read More »

Synopsis:
Apple Annie is an indigent woman who has always written to her daughter in Spain that she is a member of New York’s high society. With her daughter suddenly en route to America with her new fiancé and his father, a member of Spain’s aristocracy, Annie must continue her pretense of wealth or the count will not give his blessing. She gets unexpected help from Dave the Dude, a well-known figure in underground circles who considers Annie his good luck charm, and who obtains for her a luxury apartment to entertain the visitors – but this uncharacteristic act of kindness from a man with a disreputable reputation arouses suspicions, leading to complications which further cause things to not always go quite as planned. Read More »