In 1946 Monogram Pictures decided to upgrade their image by creating a new bigger budget style of film and presenting them by new in-house section ALLIED ARTISTS..... and this delicious humane film was their second big budget outing. IT HAPPENED ON 5TH AVENUE has been mostly lost to TV and cinema goers for over 40 years and now it is available on WB label DVD.... The first Allied Artisis film was BLACK GOLD which also wonderfully humane and kind shows what a focus on viable films they embarked upon. IT HAPPENED ON 5TH AVENUE is a very funny and witty and ultimately wise family comedy about how a group of genuinely homeless people (in every sense of the word) re discover their home and family. As a Christmas movie it is terrific...and there are some hilarious sequences, notably an old tailor who delivers an uproarious monologue about moths and a waiter in a restaurant trying to set a table from wobbling (while Ted FioRito plays the violin). With a perfect cast for each role and the $1.4m budget resulting spectacularly well decorated and very elaborate sets, this Monogram-Allied Artists film must have been a box office bonanza. Other films they made in this period that reflected their new image are THE GANGSTER and SUSPENSE both equally compelling, well made and worth a DVD release soon.... what a find IT HAPPENED ON 5TH AVENUE is and presented in a spotless gleaming DVD. I really applaud WB for releasing this charming humane and delicious film. Nominated for an Oscar for script, it should have also been nominated for Victor Moore's wry turn as the hilarious hobo who secretly babysits mansions while their owners go to another house for their holiday. Gale Storm is gorgeous and her clothes - as are all the qualities of this well made film - peppered with Blake Edwards' added sight gags - are A grade.

This is a very sweet and funny movie. It gently pokes fun at class and social differences. It has a liberal romantic view of homelessness that is similar to the romantic view of poverty that Charles Dickens presents. It is close to "Sullivan's Travels" in its humor.

I watched the movie for Gale Storm who became a big television star in the 1950's on "My Little Margie" and "the Gale Storm Show". She is fine, even more natural, relaxed and open in her performance than on the later television shows.

The big surprise for me was Dom Defore as the romantic lead. He played a best friend on Ozzie and Harriet for five years and was the lead on a dismal 60's television comedy called Hazel for five more years. He's actually quite good here.

Victor Moore as the Hobo and Charlie Ruggles as the rich man are delicious. The scenes where they trade places are hilarious. There's a nice chemistry between these two old pros who actually starred in silent movies.

The director, Roy Del Ruth, also started out in silent films as a gag-man and writer for the great Mack Sennett (who discovered Charlie Chaplin). His silent film background contributes to the many delightful visual gags in the film. The first ten minutes could almost be a silent film.

It is a nice family movie, well worth seeing. While times were never as sweet as this movie portrays them, the movie does suggest that a more humane ethic existed at this time than we generally see around us today.

Michael O'Connor is the second richest man in the world. He always vacates his 5th Avenue mansion every winter for his other home. Hobo Aloysius T. McKeever takes advantage every year by sneaking in and squatting in the empty home. McKeever invites Jim Bullock who had just been evicted by O'Connor. O'Connor's daughter Mary runs away from the boarding school and returns home to find the two strange men. More and more people start staying in the mansion.

This is a fun premise. There is a nice sweetness to the web of screwball lies and misunderstandings. The characters are nice. There are a few fun actors while it would be nice to have even better ones for the young couple. All in all, it's a sweet morality tale and harmless fun.