I noticed that one reviewer said this film is not on DVD. Perhaps that was true back in 2002, but it is available now and that's how I saw it. The film is an anthology piece of short stories written by O. Henry (the pen name for William Sidney Porter) and it seems like an American answer to the popular British films based on Somerset Maugham stories--such as "Quartet" (1948). Interestingly, the film is introduced by John Steinbeck! They consist of the following stories--each directed by a famous director:
THE COP AND THE ANTHEM--Charles Laughton plays a man without money--though he's dressed and behaves like a very successful man. Again and again, however, he tries to get himself arrested because he is without means--and again and again, things happen and the cops don't arrest him. It is a bit funny seeing just how hard it is to get pinched! I don't want to say what's coming next--but it's the sort of irony for which O. Henry was famous for in his stories. Marilyn Monroe appears for about one minute and utters a line or two--so naturally, 20th Century-Fox marketed it as a Monroe film! Despite this dishonestly, it's clever and worth seeing. I'd give this one a 7.
THE CLARION CALL--Dale Robertson and Richard Widmark star in this one. Robertson is a cop and Widmark is an old associate--a VERY obnoxious and nasty one. They meet in a bar after many years and soon Robertson realizes the man wanted for a murder is his old 'friend'. He's about to arrest him and bring him in, but there is a twist. As far as Widmark goes, his character is a lot like the one that made him famous in "Kiss of Death"--all laughs and a heart as black as coal. Why he kept calling people 'Clam Head' was beyond me! Not a great segment, but the ending was satisfying. I'd give this one a 6.
THE LAST LEAF--Anne Baxter and Jean Peters star in this one. Baxter has a broken heart and pneumonia. Despite her sister's best efforts, she keeps slipping away. She also has this weird obsession with a vine growing outside the window--counting all the leaves as they fall and she believes she'll die when the last leaf hits the ground. How does a failed artist save the day? Tune in. I'd give this one a 5. It's pretty predictable.
THE RANSOM OF RED CHIEF--This is one of O. Henry's most famous stories and one that the filmmakers removed from the original release--as they saw it as pretty weak. It has a great cast--with two amazingly funny 1950s raconteurs in the leads--Oscar Levant and Fred Allen. While pretty much forgotten today, these men were both brilliant conversationalists--guys who had a gift with the English language. These two knuckleheads are ex-cons who need money, so they kidnap a completely obnoxious monster of a child. The boy is like an evil version of Dennis the Menace and after a while you feel sorry for the two guys--he's THAT bad! And, although the two men are technically the stars, young Lee Aaker steals the show as the little maniac! All in all, enjoyable--mostly because even though this is a somewhat pedestrian version, it's still a great story. This one gets an 8.
THE GIFT OF THE MAGI--Like RED CHIEF, among O. Henry's most famous stories and one frequently read around Christmas each year. This one stars Farley Granger and Jeanne Crain as a very, very poor young couple. They are desperately in love but have no money for Christmas presents. Where this all goes next you probably know, but in case you don't I will end it here. Unlike the others, which are mostly comedies, this one is an ironic and touching love story. Sweet and probably the best of the lot--even if the tale is familiar today. This one gets a 10--and they saved the best for last.
Overall, while not all the segments are great, the overall film is quite enjoyable and worth seeing. Very good acting, production values and stories make this one worth seeing.
THE COP AND THE ANTHEM--Charles Laughton plays a man without money--though he's dressed and behaves like a very successful man. Again and again, however, he tries to get himself arrested because he is without means--and again and again, things happen and the cops don't arrest him. It is a bit funny seeing just how hard it is to get pinched! I don't want to say what's coming next--but it's the sort of irony for which O. Henry was famous for in his stories. Marilyn Monroe appears for about one minute and utters a line or two--so naturally, 20th Century-Fox marketed it as a Monroe film! Despite this dishonestly, it's clever and worth seeing. I'd give this one a 7.
THE CLARION CALL--Dale Robertson and Richard Widmark star in this one. Robertson is a cop and Widmark is an old associate--a VERY obnoxious and nasty one. They meet in a bar after many years and soon Robertson realizes the man wanted for a murder is his old 'friend'. He's about to arrest him and bring him in, but there is a twist. As far as Widmark goes, his character is a lot like the one that made him famous in "Kiss of Death"--all laughs and a heart as black as coal. Why he kept calling people 'Clam Head' was beyond me! Not a great segment, but the ending was satisfying. I'd give this one a 6.
THE LAST LEAF--Anne Baxter and Jean Peters star in this one. Baxter has a broken heart and pneumonia. Despite her sister's best efforts, she keeps slipping away. She also has this weird obsession with a vine growing outside the window--counting all the leaves as they fall and she believes she'll die when the last leaf hits the ground. How does a failed artist save the day? Tune in. I'd give this one a 5. It's pretty predictable.
THE RANSOM OF RED CHIEF--This is one of O. Henry's most famous stories and one that the filmmakers removed from the original release--as they saw it as pretty weak. It has a great cast--with two amazingly funny 1950s raconteurs in the leads--Oscar Levant and Fred Allen. While pretty much forgotten today, these men were both brilliant conversationalists--guys who had a gift with the English language. These two knuckleheads are ex-cons who need money, so they kidnap a completely obnoxious monster of a child. The boy is like an evil version of Dennis the Menace and after a while you feel sorry for the two guys--he's THAT bad! And, although the two men are technically the stars, young Lee Aaker steals the show as the little maniac! All in all, enjoyable--mostly because even though this is a somewhat pedestrian version, it's still a great story. This one gets an 8.
THE GIFT OF THE MAGI--Like RED CHIEF, among O. Henry's most famous stories and one frequently read around Christmas each year. This one stars Farley Granger and Jeanne Crain as a very, very poor young couple. They are desperately in love but have no money for Christmas presents. Where this all goes next you probably know, but in case you don't I will end it here. Unlike the others, which are mostly comedies, this one is an ironic and touching love story. Sweet and probably the best of the lot--even if the tale is familiar today. This one gets a 10--and they saved the best for last.
Overall, while not all the segments are great, the overall film is quite enjoyable and worth seeing. Very good acting, production values and stories make this one worth seeing.