Merry Christmas! I hope you are all having a wonderful Christmas day. I am having a chance to get some rest and feel rejuvenated after a very stressful last 3 months. Covering all the Christmas movies for Hallmarkies Podcast and getting Oscar screeners watched was a daunting task combined with everything I have to do to make a living and be a theatre critic. Anyway, I’m glad to have a quiet Christmas and some time to think about the wonderful year of 2024.
One of my favorite parts of 2024 is beginning a podcast arm to this monthly Blind Spot series with my friend Manda. Not only do I get to check movies off my list but I get to talk about them with one of my best friends. It has truly been a joy. Our final film for the year is the 1947 classic It Happened on 5th Ave.
It’s interesting because it seems like this film has quite a following from folks who love classic films, particularly TCM buffs. On one hand I can see why because it can be quite charming and speaks to themes of equity and friendship that still ring true today. However, it’s also a little surprising because it lacks huge star power and doesn’t have the emotional punch of many films of its era. It particularly reminded me of a Frank Capra film like Meet John Doe or Mr Deeds Goes to Town. In fact, as I was researching for the podcast I learned this film was at first planned for Capra but he ended up doing It’s a Wonderful Life instead.
I’m a sucker for a friendship story and that was my favorite aspect of It Happened on 5th Ave. I love the idea of these interlopers all becoming friends through sharing this mansion together- even the actual owner in disguise becomes friends with this group of people. That’s a lovely concept. I just wanted the filmmakers to do more with it. It all felt relatively sitcom-like failing to get the emotional intensity to make it truly memorable.
Still It Happened on 5th Ave was pleasant enough and I think you will enjoy Manda and my discussion in the video above. Let me know what you think of this classic and what are some of your favorite Capra-esque Hollywood films?
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