Many of the classic Christmas movies still beloved today were released in the late 1940s. World War II was over, and in the new peacetime, people were glad to celebrate the peace on earth of Christmastime. Three movies released around the same time are “It’s a Wonderful Life” (1946), “Miracle on 34th Street” (1947), and “It Happened on 5th Avenue” (1947). All these films showed some aspect of post-war life, including the struggles as well as the joys.
The Film
“It Happened on 5th Avenue” is about a group of people who find a creative, if not legal, solution to the postwar housing shortage. Young veteran Jim Bullock (Don DeFore) is evicted because his apartment building is being torn down to make way for a new O’Connor construction. He ends up shivering on a park bench until a well-dressed stranger invites him to spend the night at his mansion. Jim is shocked when he realizes that the mansion belongs to his nemesis, O’Connor. His host is forced to admit that he is not O’Connor; he is Aloysius T. McKeever, a transient who has spent years living in different millionaire’s empty mansions while they stay in their other residences.That night, a young lady (Gale Storm) unexpectedly comes into the house and tries to take a mink coat that belongs to O’Connor’s daughter. When Jim and McKeever catch her, she says that she’s one of fourteen children who is running away from her drunken father. They agree to give her shelter and let her borrow a cheaper coat, since she plans to look for a job the next day. Little do they know that Trudy is O’Connor’s daughter, running away from finishing school. Before long, Trudy falls for Jim, so she wants her parents to meet him without his realizing she’s an heiress. She persuades her father to come live in the house as a panhandler, where he sees his ex-wife Mary (Ann Harding), Trudy’s mother, for the first time in years. The house is full between the O’Connors, Jim’s army buddies, and their families.
The Scene
Mary O’Connor joins the growing guest list at the mansion, which is becoming a veritable boarding house, as a cook. One evening at dinner, when everyone is enjoying Mary’s excellent cooking at the huge dining room table, one of the veterans wonders whether the O’Connors were as happy in the house as they are. McKeever says there isn’t a chance, since O’Connor is “a sourpuss with a sour stomach.” He then goes on to discuss the O’Connors’ failed marriage. Mary and Mike are uncomfortable hearing themselves being discussed so plainly, but they also enjoy getting in jabs at each other.Its Significance
At first, Mike is extremely disagreeable about living in his own house as a veritable servant to a bunch of transients. You can hardly blame him, since it is a very bizarre situation. However, he’s become a disagreeable fellow all the time, caring more about making money than being with his wife and daughter. That’s why his marriage broke up and his daughter has been stuck in boarding schools. Although he fights the arrangement every step of the way, Mike benefits greatly from the experience. He gets to know some average people, shovels snow to earn some money for groceries, does dishes, and completes other household chores, and begins eating hearty food again. Best of all, he gets to be around his wife again, realizing how much he loves and misses her.We can’t entirely justify the behavior on which this movie’s whole premise is based. It certainly is not right, either legally or morally, to stay in someone else’s house without his permission or knowledge. The young veterans are hardworking men who just want to provide for their family and give their children food or shelter. McKeever, on the other hand, freely admits that he enjoys the benefits of wealth earned by others. He doesn’t damage anything; in fact, he insists that he helps the houses by giving them a little care and use. He is a lovable scoundrel, but we have to respect his wisdom. All the other characters learn a lot about generosity, ingenuity, and kindness from Aloysius T. McKeever, as can we.
Almost Famous
This movie was almost directed by Frank Capra, and it’s easy to see why he liked the story. It certainly has the warmhearted spirit and message about poor people teaching millionaires how to live which he loved. He gave up the project to make “It’s a Wonderful Life” instead, which would go on to become one of his most famous movies and a beloved Christmas classic. Monogram Pictures then acquired the production from Republic Pictures, using another famous director, Roy Del Ruth. It was a very successful movie, earning a good profit at the box office and receiving an Academy Award nomination for Best Story. Ironically, it lost to a more famous Christmas film, “Miracle on 34th Street.”This may not be the most well-known Christmas movie made during the late 1940s, but it’s a little gem which deserves to be rediscovered. It’s full of wisdom about the important things in life and what truly makes a man rich.
