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‘It Happened on 5th Avenue’: A Zany Little Comedy

A 1947 film with plenty of zaniness and “instant” romance, It Happened on 5 th Avenue is one of those films I’d never seen prior to this year. Here’s how everything (from story to thoughts) shake out.

It Happened on 5 th Avenue (1947) Film Review

Each year, on November 3th, Aloysius T. McKeever (Victor Moore) arrives in New York where he takes shelter at the seasonally empty mansion of a wealthy industrialist. During his annual stay, Aloysius meets with the now homeless Jim Bullock (Don DeFore), a man made so by the very businessman whose home McKeever now resides in. Together, the pair lives in the home where Jim assumes his new friend is a houseguest. Soon they encounter a thief in the house. Trudy (Gale Storm) is a girl running away from her boarding school and her life, but what the house don’t know is that Trudy is the only one with a right to the house.

Through a series of events, their home triples in people, and through the ultimate surprise, the owner of the house, Michael O’Connor (Charlie Ruggles) also ends up as a resident.

Like I’ve said before, I’m not a classic movie-watcher. That said, I had an inkling to watch some classic Christmas-y films, and so I did. This is one I hadn’t yet seen, and its premise 100% reminds me of the Steward film You Can’t Take it With You . It’s like a silly little family that forms into an unexpected family over the Christmas season.

TV FILM REVIEW | ‘Cross Country Christmas’: One Adventure After the Next!

How everything comes together requires some suspension of belief, but again, this one is just fun , and that’s all that matters. The characters are fun, and the business subplot adds a little something to the comedy of the whole ordeal. Like usual, the I’m-in-love element is more of an instantaneous event (and there’s the usual “just leave!” dramatics) which never plays well to me, but this one is also dang entertaining and so, one has to give it some leeway. There’s a stunning Christmas tree and a way about the film that makes one smile. Plus, you have to admire Jim for what he’d like to do to better the lives of his servicemen.

If you’ve enjoyed other films like Christmas in Connecticut or Holiday Affair (which I also saw this year), then this is another charming way to spend an evening.

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Content: nothing to note save for some minor innuendo

Photos: Warner / Roy Del Ruth Productions

About Rissi JC

amateur graphic designer. confirmed bookaholic. bubbl’r enthusiast. critical thinker. miswesterner. social media coordinator. writer.

I’m so glad you are discovering some of these great Christmas classics! This is a more recent favorite of mine, because it is so much fun but also has a lovely message.

I did quite enjoy this one; it reminds me of the Jimmy Stewart film (not the story, but rather the “feel” of it) about the crazy family he plans to marry into. What other Christmas classics (apart from the popular ones) do you like? :)

You’ve seen some of the best ones, but I also really enjoy Never Say Goodbye with Errol Flynn, Remember the Night with Barbara Stanwyck (who also stars in Christmas in Connecticut). I also just discovered We’re No Angels, which is more of a dark Christmas comedy, but I really enjoyed it. Finally, I’m not generally a big fan of Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy’s films together, but I re-watched Desk Set recently and found it a lot more fun than I remember. It’s got a great mid-century look to it with beautiful color.

All good titles to note! I have seen “Remember the Night” and was surprised by how bittersweet the end is. I haven’t seen the others though “Desk Set” sounds as though it could be fun. :)

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It Happened on Fifth Avenue

Where to Watch

Don DeFore (Jim Bullock) Ann Harding (Mary O'Connor) Charles Ruggles (Michael J. O'Connor) Victor Moore (Aloysius T. McKeever) Gale Storm (Trudy O'Connor) Grant Mitchell (Farrow) Edward Brophy (Cecil Felton) Alan Hale Jr. (Whitey Temple) Dorothea Kent (Margie Temple) Edward Ryan (Hank)

Roy Del Ruth

Two homeless men move into a mansion while its owners are wintering in the South.

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IT HAPPENED ON 5TH AVENUE

• Post author: Dennis Schwartz
• Post published: December 24, 2021
• Post category: Uncategorized

(director: Roy Del Ruth; screenwriters: Herbert Clyde Lewis, Frederick Stephani, Everett Freeman; cinematographer: Henry Sharp; editor: Richard V. Heermance; music: Edward Ward; cast: Charles Ruggles(Mike O’Connor), Victor Moore (Aloysius “Mac” McKeever), Don DeFore (Jim), Gale Storm (Trudy), Ann Harding  (Mary O’Connor), Edward Brophy (Patrolman Cecil Felton), Edward Ryan (Hank) Alan Hale Jr. (Whitey Temple), Dorothea Kent (Margie Temple), Grant Mitchell (Farrow); Runtime: 115; MPAA Rating: NR; producer; Roy Del Ruth : Allied Artists/Monogram/Warner Bros.; 1947)

“L ightweight box office hit . ” 

Reviewed by Dennis Schwartz The humor connected with this feel good Capra humanistic comedy, a farce,  revolves around that the title refers to New York City’s Fifth Avenue as the “richest avenue in the world.”

The so-so veteran studio director Roy Del Ruth (“Red Light”/”The West Point Story”) dutifully directs this overlong pic that’s set during the Christmas season and meant to be a poignant humanist and humorous holiday film. It’s satisfactorily written by the team of writers Herbert Clyde Lewis, Frederick Stephani, and Everett Freeman. But the directing seems strained for this lightweight box office hit. As the plot goes, for the last three winters when millionaire businessman Michael J. O’Connor (Charles Ruggles), the second richest man in the country, leaves his Fifth Avenue mansion until springtime to go south, Aloysius “Mac” McKeever (Victor Moore), a harmless homeless man, moves in and lives like a king until O’Connor’s return. Things go differently this time when Mac shelters there a young down-on-his-luck free-loader named Jim (Don DeFore), whom he meets on a park bench after he was evicted from his apartment building that will no longer exist. O’Connor’s independent-minded daughter Trudy (Gale Storm) comes home unannounced after going truant from her finishing school and stays in the mansion without letting anyone know who she is, as Jim lets her stay because he thinks she’s also homeless. Later Jim invites his service buddies (Edward Ryan & Alan Hale Jr.) and their wives and children to stay, who because of the housing shortage are living in their cars.  Meanwhile Trudy falls in love with Jim and persuades her reluctant father to come to the house incognito as just another drifter and asks him to give her his honest opinion of the man she intends to marry (as she doesn’t want Jim to marry her just for her money). It’s an unfulfilling but genial comedy that offers no edge for its superficial dive into the ranks of society, whereby it safely suggests that someone from the lower classes could be good enough for one of the elites–especially if she’s rebellious.

REVIEWED ON 12/24/2021  GRADE: B-

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Produced by, released by, it happened on fifth avenue (1947), directed by roy del ruth.

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Review by Craig Butler

There are some viewers who rank It Happened on 5th Avenue right up there with It's a Wonderful Life in the Christmas film sweepstakes. Certainly, 5th Avenue is an appealingly sentimental, sweetly comic little film that has a very good deal of charm. However, as a film, Wonderful Life is simply much better done. There's a little bit of sloppiness in the writing of 5th Avenue, the premise -- because it is not an out-and-out fantasy as Wonderful Life is -- presents some credibility problems, and the dramatic stakes in 5th Avenue are nowhere near as high as in the Capra classic. All of that being said, it's hard to watch 5th Avenue without feeling quite touch and very well entertained. There's plenty of hokum in it, but it's so good natured and well intentioned that most people will give in to it. Plus, it boasts a really lovely performance from wonderful Victor Moore and a truly fine one from Charlie Ruggles. If Don DeFore and Gale Storm are only so-so, and if Ann Harding isn't given enough to do, these little flaws don't mar 5th Avenue's appeal. Viewers unfamiliar with the film should seek it out during the holiday season and see if they are susceptible to its charms.

• Contributors

It Happened on 5th Avenue Blu-ray Review: Thoroughly Charming Happenstance

You know how sometimes you stumble across a movie you had no intention of watching but end up really liking it? This is one of those. With no big stars or recognizable director, the film succeeds thanks to its amusing, uplifting script and solid performances from its B-list actors. Frank Capra was originally attached to direct, but opted to film It’s a Wonderful Life instead, so regrettably this little gem is comparatively unknown now. If it had Capra and Stewart, it would undoubtedly be a popular classic, but thankfully it survives as an under-the-radar treasure.

The film follows an old hobo named Aloysius who has perfected a scam of moving into mansions while their wealthy owners are away. His favorite winter haunt is the 5 th Avenue home of the second richest man in the world, Michael J. O’Connor, who reliably spends every winter at another home in Virginia. When he meets a young man named Jim who has been evicted from his apartment by the same rich man, he invites him to stay in the mansion. This leads to a string of other characters also moving in, including in disguise the actual owner, his ex-wife, and their daughter. Romance develops between Jim and O’Connor’s daughter, as well as between Mr. and Mrs. O’Connor, giving us a double romantic payoff along with lots of laughs. Director Roy Del Ruth plays up the class struggle and revels in Aloysius keeping the disguised rich folks in line and under his complete control. Mostly though, the story is sweet, heartwarming, and wholly enjoyable nearly 75 years later.

I didn’t recognize any members of this cast except for the main hobo played by Victor Moore, only because I saw him recently in one segment of another recent Warner Archive release, Ziegfeld Follies . He somehow manages to make the hobo character sweet and lovable, becoming a saintly father figure to the other characters. The rest of the cast do solid work with their characters, most notably Don DeFore as the goofily expressive romantic lead, Jim, but I couldn’t help wondering how huge this worthwhile film would have been if it had been stacked with top-tier talent instead.

The film was shot in black and white and formatted to 1.37:1 aspect ratio. It has been restored for this release, and it looks great, with crisply defined contrast and no dirt or scratches. Audio is presented in a clean DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 format.

The only bonus feature is a 1947 hour-long radio broadcast of the story starring almost all of the movie’s principal cast. It’s interesting as a curiosity to experience the tale in a different format, and the cast members prove to be adept at transitioning their roles to the radio.

It Happened on 5 th Avenue is now available for purchase. For more information, visit the Warner Archive website .

Steve Geise

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Holiday Classics: “It Happened on 5th Avenue” (1947)

Some movies just make you happy, and “ It Happened on 5 th Avenue ” is one of those. The comedy was the first film produced by Allied Artists Pictures, and was directed by Roy Del Ruth. Many viewers will likely notice, however, how Capra-esque the story is. Frank Capra actually did option the story to direct, but ended up directing another, more well-known Christmas classic—“It’s a Wonderful Life”—instead.

In fact, “It Happened on 5 th Avenue” seems to have been shoved behind numerous other Christmas films over the years. It was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Story, but lost to “Miracle on 34th Street”. But it’s a marvelous little movie that fortunately, thanks to avid fans demanding over many years that the movie be shown on TV and released on DVD, is finally reaching a larger audience. The film stars Victor Moore as Aloysius T. McKeever, a homeless man who shacks up in millionaire Michael J. O’Connor’s (Charles Ruggles) New York City mansion when he goes to his Southern home in the winter. McKeever ends up taking in more tenants at the mansion, including homeless ex-solider Jim (Don DeFore) and his war buddies (played by Edward Ryan and Alan Hale, Jr., later to play the Skipper on “Gilligan’s Island), and a young woman named Trudy (Gale Storm), who is actually O’Connor’s daughter. When Jim and Trudy fall in love, O’Connor decides to come back to New York and pretend to be a homeless man too, so he can take up residence at the mansion and observe Jim for himself. Naturally hilarity ensues, but so does a sweet bit of character development, as O’Connor learns to change his selfish ways.

“It Happened on 5 th Avenue” also has a lovely soundtrack. Among the songs written by Harry Revel is a holiday tune titled “That’s What Christmas Means to Me”. No, it’s not the Stevie Wonder song you all know; this song, rather, is difficult to find, and you’ll likely never hear it outside of this movie. With the film’s climax being set on Christmas Eve, “It Happened on 5 th Avenue” can certainly be considered a holiday movie, but its heart-warming story is fun to watch year-round.

“It Happened on 5 th Avenue” has been released on Blu-ray for the first time this holiday season by the Warner Archive , and it is available on DVD as well as for rental or purchase on all digital platforms. The film will also be airing on Turner Classic Movies on the following dates this holiday season:

Saturday, December 5 th at 5:45 PM EST

Sunday, December 20 th at 8 PM EST

Thursday, December 24 th at 11:45 AM EST

Runtime: 116 minutes.

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I only discovered this movie a year ago and I really liked it.

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It Happened on 5th Avenue (1947)

Genre: comedy, duration: 116 minuten, alternative title: als je lacht, dan ben je rijk, country: united states, directed by: roy del ruth, stars: don defore , ann harding and charles ruggles, imdb score: 7,6  (6.299), releasedate: 17 april 1947.

This movie is not available on UK streaming services.

It Happened on 5th Avenue plot

"It's 1947's Richest Comedy!" Aloysius T. McKeever is a bum who has an idea to get through the winter warm: to live in the house of a wealthy family who spend the winter in a warmer place. He squats the house of the millionaire O'Conner when he is out the door and also invites a newly met friend (a war veteran who has been kicked out of his house) to live there. Then the daughter of the house also joins them, as she has fled from school and, moreover, falls in love with the ex-soldier. What will happen when O'Conner comes home and finds all kinds of people in his house?

Actors and actresses

Jim Bullock

Mary O'Connor

Michael J. 'Mike' O'Connor

Aloysius T. McKeever

Trudy O'Connor

Gates Patrolman Cecil Felton

Whitey Temple

Margie Temple

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It Happened On The Fifth Avenue - Trailer

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Mckeever is een zwerver die elke winter het huis kraakt van de steenrijke O' Connor bij diens afwezigheid . Wanneer Mckeever jim leert kennen die zojuist uit zijn huis is gezet nodigt hij hem uit om bij hem in OÇonnors vila te komen logeren , de zaak word ingewikkelder wanneer O,Connors dochter onverwacht thuiskomt , ze zien haar aan voor een inbreekster en ze speelt het spel geamuseerd mee en word al snel verliefd op Jim . Omdat ze niet wil dat Jim weet dat ze de dochter van OÇonnor is uit angst dat hij op haar geld uit is houd ze dat geheim . Wanneer OÇonnor onverwacht eerder thuis komt , onderschept ze haar vader en weet hem te overtuigen het spel mee te spelen . Amusante en hartverwarmde komedie met de juiste acteurs die de wat ingetogen humor goed weten te brengen , de namen zijn niet erg bekend maar dat mag de pret niet drukken.

Mckeever is a drifter who squats in the house of the wealthy O'Connor every winter in his absence. When Mckeever meets Jim, who has just been evicted from his house, he invites him to come and stay with him in OÇonnor's villa, matters become more complicated when O'Connor's daughter comes home unexpectedly, they mistake her for a burglar and she plays along with amusement and soon falls in love with Jim. Because she does not want Jim to know that she is OÇonnor's daughter for fear that he is after her money, she keeps it a secret. When OÇonnor unexpectedly comes home early, she intercepts her father and convinces him to play the game. Amusing and heart-warming comedy with the right actors who know how to bring the somewhat subdued humor well, the names are not very well known, but that should not spoil the fun.

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It Happened on Fifth Avenue Reviews

• 66   Metascore
• 1 hr 55 mins
• Music, Comedy
• Watchlist Where to Watch

A vagabond moves into a New York City mansion while the owner is wintering down South and opens the doors to a number of unfortunates, including the vacationer's daughter, whom the squatter mistakes for a down-on-her-luck runaway from an abusive father.

Ruggles is a millionaire who allows Moore, a local vagabond, to live in his Fifth Avenue mansion every winter, while he vacations in South Carolina. Leading a life of luxury, Moore befriends DeFore, an ex-GI, and takes him in. Before long he has a houseful of visitors, including the millionaire and his daughter, both in disguise. Fun at times, but somewhat long. Songs include: "Speak My Heart," "That's What Christmas Means to Me," "It's a Wonderful, Wonderful Feeling" (Harry Revel), "You're Everywhere" (Revel, Paul Francis Webster).

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Review by sakana1 Patron

It happened on fifth avenue 1947 ★★★.

Watched Jan 04 , 2022

sakana1’s review published on Letterboxd:

Man, this movie is all over the place. Overall, it's sweet and wholesome, with messages about patriotism, commitment and, of course, how poor people shouldn't sweat not having money as long as they're rich with love (I'm sure audiences found that terribly reassuring), but there are also jarring moments of both speechify and bafflingly loud, aggressive comedy that undermine its effectiveness and tone. In addition, the behavior of characters — particularly those with whom we're supposed to sympathize — changes on a dime, with both Victor Moore's and Don DeFore's characters just being straight-up assholes half the time, in between episodes of kindness and warmth. Those things, combined with the fact that the film runs nearly two hours, make it hard not to imagine how great it might have been with the wonky bits cut out, running a tight 80-odd minutes or so.

Nitpicking aside, though, it's charming more often than it's not. Moore is Moore, an appropriately weird patriarch for the the film's found family, and DeFore and Gale Storm (A+ Bond girl name right there) have cute chemistry, as do Ann Harding and Charlie Ruggles, as the divorced parents of Storm's unhappy heiress.

In fact, beneath its hokum-laden, feel-good surface, It Happened on Fifth Avenue  functions as a showcase for Ruggles, and the truly brilliant actor hidden behind all of those comic drunks. The look on his face when his character sees his ex-wife for the first time in four years is astonishing, a subtle combination of disbelief and utter adoration, one which, over the next five seconds, shifts into hardness and frustration, as their old disagreements immediately resurface. And he brings the same depth and grace to the later scenes with Harding (who is also wonderful), too, carefully opening up his face to reveal everything inside of a rigid man who has loved one person for his entire life. The quiet way Ruggles does all of this stands in stark contrast to what was asked of him in the great majority of his roles — as well as most of the other acting in the movie — and it's immensely moving.

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It Happened on Fifth Avenue (1947) Stream and Watch Online

Watch 'It Happened on Fifth Avenue' Online

Want to watch ' It Happened on Fifth Avenue ' in the comfort of your own home? Discovering a streaming service to buy, rent, download, or watch the Roy Del Ruth-directed movie via subscription can be difficult, so we here at Moviefone want to do the heavy lifting. Read on for a listing of streaming and cable services - including rental, purchase, and subscription choices - along with the availability of 'It Happened on Fifth Avenue' on each platform when they are available. Now, before we get into the various whats and wheres of how you can watch 'It Happened on Fifth Avenue' right now, here are some particulars about the Roy Del Ruth Productions comedy flick. Released April 5th, 1947, 'It Happened on Fifth Avenue' stars Don DeFore , Ann Harding , Charles Ruggles , Victor Moore The NR movie has a runtime of about 1 hr 56 min, and received a user score of 70 (out of 100) on TMDb, which compiled reviews from 63 knowledgeable users. You probably already know what the movie's about, but just in case... Here's the plot: "A New Yorker hobo moves into a mansion and along the way he gathers friends to live in the house with him Before he knows it he is living with the actual home owners" 'It Happened on Fifth Avenue' is currently available to rent, purchase, or stream via subscription on Apple iTunes, Google Play Movies, Vudu, Amazon Video, Microsoft Store, YouTube, Tubi TV, and Plex .

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It Happened on Fifth Avenue (1947)

Movie summary.

A New Yorker hobo moves into a mansion and along the way he gathers friends to live in the house with him. Before he knows it, he is living with the actual homeowners.

It Happened on Fifth Avenue was originally released in theaters April 19, 1947. The production schedule and Christmastime climax of the story suggest the studio planned a Christmas release, but for an unknown reason, the movie’s release was delayed until Easter 1947.

Where can I watch It Happened on Fifth Avenue online?

It Happened on Fifth Avenue is available to stream from the following providers:

Is It Happened on Fifth Avenue available to buy on DVD?

It Happened on 5th Avenue (HDY/DVD)

When will It Happened on Fifth Avenue air on TV in 2024?

Not airing this week

This movie normally airs throughout the holiday season on Turner Classic Movies (TCM) . For a complete schedule of dates and times, view the TCM Christmas Classics schedule .

Year Released

Cast includes.

Charles Ruggles (Michael J. O’Conner), Ann Harding (Mary O’Conner), Victor Moore (Aloysius T. McKeever), Don DeFore (Jim Bullock), Gale Storm (Trudy O’Conner), Grant Mitchell (Farrow), Edward Brophy (Cecil Felton), Alan Hale Jr. (Whitey Temple), Dorothea Kent (Margie Temple), Cathy Carter (Alice)

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It happened on fifth avenue movie trailer.

Other movies you might be interested in:

• A Princess for Christmas (2011)
• It Came Upon the Midnight Clear (1984)
• Mistletoe & Molly (2021)
• The Bears Who Saved Christmas (1994)
• The Case for Christmas (2011)
• ← The Shop Around the Corner (1940)
• In the Nick of Time (1991) →

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2 thoughts on “ it happened on fifth avenue (1947) ”.

I love this movie and watch it every year like It’s a wonderful life, I wish when people review they would have watched instead of getting it wrong like I’ve read different sites. It’s a sweet, wonderful movie, heartwarming and sweet. I love each actor in it.

This is the best christmas movie ever. Also the bishops wife is close

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It Happened on 5th Avenue (DVD)

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Product Description

As he does every winter, hobo Aloysius T. McKeever (Victor Moore) moves in to a mansion on New York City's 5th Avenue while its owners are away for the winter and invites all his hobo friends in from the cold. But this Christmas, Mary O'Connor (Ann Harding) comes home unexpectedly after a quarrel with her boyfriend to find her house occupied by jovial street dwellers. To make matters even worse, her father (Charles Ruggles) disguises himself as a hobo to get an invitation to stay in his own home -- and keeps his identity secret in this perennial Christmas favorite about rediscovering family and the joy of being together.

Product details

• Aspect Ratio ‏ : ‎ 1.33:1
• Is Discontinued By Manufacturer ‏ : ‎ No
• MPAA rating ‏ : ‎ NR (Not Rated)
• Product Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7.5 x 5.5 x 0.5 inches; 1.6 ounces
• Item model number ‏ : ‎ D009828D
• Director ‏ : ‎ Roy Del Ruth
• Media Format ‏ : ‎ Multiple Formats, NTSC, Original recording remastered, Black & White, Subtitled
• Run time ‏ : ‎ 1 hour and 56 minutes
• Release date ‏ : ‎ November 11, 2008
• Actors ‏ : ‎ Don DeFore, Ann Harding, Charles Ruggles, Victor Moore, Gale Storm
• Subtitles: ‏ : ‎ English
• Producers ‏ : ‎ Roy Del Ruth
• Studio ‏ : ‎ Studio Distribution Services
• ASIN ‏ : ‎ B001CW7ZZI
• Writers ‏ : ‎ Everett Freeman, Herbert Clyde Lewis, Frederick Stephani, Vick Knight
• Country of Origin ‏ : ‎ USA
• Number of discs ‏ : ‎ 1
• #157 in Musicals (Movies & TV)
• #1,127 in Kids & Family DVDs
• #1,522 in Comedy (Movies & TV)

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It Happened on Fifth Avenue

• DVDTalk.com David Cornelius Ruggles and Moore steal the show with their buoyant performances.
• Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews Dennis Schwartz Lightweight box office hit.
• TIME Magazine James Agee In the long run the sour millionaire is sweetened up, all disguises are cast off, and everybody is happy, including the audience.
• Esquire Magazine Jack Moffitt There's nothing very original about either the theme or the plot. The idea of a poor man being rich in all-that-matters is as old as is the notion that rich men can be spiritually poor. Yet Del Ruth blends these clichés into a minor masterpiece.

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It Happened on 5th Avenue

1 HOUR 55 MINS

A hobo shares a New York mansion with an unemployed veteran and others in winter.

Movie Trailer

Cast & Crew

Don DeFore Jim Bullock

Ann Harding Mary O'Connor

Victor Moore Aloysius T. McKeever

Charles Ruggles Mike O'Connor

Gale Storm Trudy O'Connor

Alan Hale Whitey Temple

Where to Stream

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