This is an improbable but touching film in which a man who would otherwise be homeless lives the life of a millionaire by infiltrating the boarded up Fifth Avenue, New York, mansion of the second richest man in the world. We see the man, his bowler hat, heavy coat, and cane, as he walks down the street, lifts up a man hole cover, and lets himself into a shut down but extremely livable mansion. It's a squatter's dream with a stocked pantry and apparently a stocked cigar closet too. This squatter knows well how to live the high life. He is a highly principled person. We never ask while watching "What did he do to deserve this? When spring comes he has somewhere else to squat. (He's nice enough to leave the place as he found it. But in fiction we are always asked to suspend disbelief.)
Soon the rich man's daughter leaves finishing school on a whim to be a singer in New York and comes to live in the mansion as her bolt hole. Then other people who have no homes - a couple with children, a single man down on his luck - come to live there. These well dressed homeless are World War II veterans and mom's who wear their millinery and high heels while living in vehicles.
After the second richest man in the world - an Irishman! - has his detectives locate his wayward daughter, he and his ex wife come to visit and influence their daughter to get back to her education and privilege. Of course, stereotypically mom is sympathetic to her daughter because she has fallen in love with a man down on his luck. Once upon a time she and her husband lived in a lousy apartment when they were first starting out. You have to start somewhere.
But by the end of the film you know it; the rich man's heart softens to approve his daughter's less than greedy and materialistic romance and eventual marriage to that man.
The World War II veterans with no jobs and no homes decide to pool their money and get investors so they can establish a kind of shelter town in an abandoned army base. Eventually the rich man gives in and supports their efforts, even though when he got word of their idea he bought it all up for himself.
Review: While watching I was thinking how heartless people have become in the last 60 years. Old films with heart create a kind of happiness in one's own. I was also thinking about the screenwriters of that era who were pitching their ideas to movie makers. This film, posted as "an original story by Herbert Clyde Lewis and Frederick Stephani," was meant to be watched by hopeful Irish (20 years before we had out first and only Irish Catholic in the White House), by hopeful World War II Veterans (soon women who had worked in Industry would be encouraged by the government through well placed magazine articles and such to get married and be stay at home moms. They were no longer supposed to take a job away from a man!), and by those who hoped that class differences could be melted (but seems to me we are nowhere near that yet.)
To have a heart, to have hope, you must also have believe that people are essentially good.
That notion that people are essentially good, is what made this film one of four in a series called FILM FAVORITES, Classic Holiday Collection Vol 2.
C 2013 Christine Trzyna All Rights Reserved
