Expert: Mel - 9/3/2008

Question
I believe all these movies were in the 50s.  
1st Movie:  It was an old Christmas movie they used to show every year where the mother's dying and the eldest son looks for suitable parents for his siblings to care for them when she's gone. He finds homes for all of them. I remember near the end he is pulling his youngest sister in a sleigh in the snow to find her a home.

2nd Movie:  I'm not sure but I think it may be called "Apple Annie".  And it is about an old poor bag lady who sells apples in the street. The whole town love her. She receives word that her daughter is coming to visit and bringing her wealthy fiance with her. The whole town help her.  A wealthy family lend her their mansion, and her street people friends act as her servants.  When the daughter comes the town pretends her mother is wealthy.  At the end the daughter and her fiance leaves very content on a steamboat and the mother goes back to selling her apples on the street.

Movie 3: A homely young girl who lives in an apartment complex, I think in New York.  She wears her hair in a bun and thick glasses and dresses in an old fashion.  When she walks down the street she notices how all the other girls get a lot of attention, but she gets none or make fun of.  One day an older woman sees her with her hair down and notices how attractive she is.  She fixes her hair, dresses her in younger stylish clothes and removes her glasses. This time when she walks the streets she gets all this attention.

Last Movie:  I believe this movie was based on a true story.  It is of a father who loses his wife and has 4 or 5 sons to raise on his own.  I think he goes to get assistance and they tell him he needs have someone take care of them.  He gets a baby sitter but he catches her with her boyfriend so he fires her.  Out of spite she reports him as a bad father and they remove the children from the home.  The whole movie show all that his sons go through while he desperately tries to regain custody.  The oldest is placed in a mental institution and the younger children go through so much.  Finally the father remarry to a wonderful wife who helps him regain this family.  His sons are so damaged by the experiences that has to gradually help them regain their confidence and trust.

Answer
Hello Til,

I can help you with the titles of the first two.....

#1  "All Mine To Give" (1957). In the UK it was known as "The Day They Gave Babies Away". It starred Cameron Mitchell and Glynis Johns.

http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title.jsp?stid=67069


#2  "Pocketful Of Miracles" (1961). It starred Bette Davis as Apple Annie, with Glenn Ford, Hope Lange and Ann-Margret.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pocketful_of_Miracles


I'll have to dig a bit deeper for the other two and I will get back to you if I can locate the titles.


Glad to be of help. Cheers.........Mel.