It Happened on Fifth Avenue (1947) A lovely holiday story to help one and all!

It Happened on Fifth Avenue (1947) / Allied Artists Pics

Directed By: Roy Del Ruth  
Starring: Don DeForce, Ann Harding, Charles Ruggles, Gale Storm & Victor Moore

~ Nominated for Academy Award in 1948 for Best Writing.

Tagline: It's Happer Than Heaven ... the Hit of '47!

Plot:

It is New York City in the 1940's where a homeless man in rough time see a beautiful boarded-up mansion in no other than on Fifth Avenue. This down on his luck man, Aloyisius T. McKeever (Moore) decides to set his sights on this empty place that he would love to call him since not having a roof over his head.

The home has not gone abandoned it is just empty during the winter since the homeowner being millionaire Michael J. O'Connor's (Ruggles) is in the south enjoying the warmth.

McKeever moves into the residence and loves the new home and decides to take in a homeless ex-GI named Jim Bullock (DeForce). Jim just has been evicted from his apartment that actually the real homeowner is tearing down to build a skyscraper. Trudy "Smith" (Storm) now is in the picture who is a 18 year old run away and no one except herself know that her actual father is the millionaire O'Connor. There seems to be a very short degree of seperation between each person.

Hank (Edward Ryan & Whitey (Alan Hale Jr.) are Jim's war buddies who also move into the mansion that has plenty of space to accomodate everyone. During this time Trudy falls in love with Jim and she convinces her father to move into the house as a panhandler "Mike" to make sure that there is no love for wealth going on. Then Trudy asks her mother to fly back from Florida to play a part in this. Her mother Mary (Harding) does accept and takes on the role of a servant a cook in the mansion. Mike is furious and wants to arrest these people that are tresspassing but now his wife is now in the thick of it.

Mike decides to end all of this by getting his construction company to offer a wonderful job to Jim in Bolivia. To Mike's surprise Jim turns it down to follow his dream. The ex-GIs staying in the mansion have a grand idea of purchasing a former Army camp and make it into affordable housing. Mike and Jim with no idea are actually bidding against one another for the land.

It is now Chrsitmas Eve and all are celebrating it together. The patrolmen that now see the lights inside go in and see all these families staying and agree to be kind and allow them to stay there until the New Year. Which makes everyone celebrates and then Jim has big news that he lost the bid for the camp to Mike. Jim is now shattered and now accepts the job in Bolivia and breaks things off with Trudy since it is not worth chasing his dreams. Mary and Trudy are angry about what horrible things Mike has done to Jim and will leave the next day to Florida. McKeever is now sad and no longer wants to call this mansion a home. After a big meeting the men find out that Mike is actually O'Connor and will give the camp to them with the condition that they never reveal who he is to McKeever. That night there is a lot to celebrate and they do with a wonderful meal and then put the house the way they got it. To top it all off McKeever is now heading to the family's mansion in Virginia to stay as family!!!