O. Henry's Full House (1952)
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54% of users liked it
(337 ratings)
This anthology film assembles five respected directors and a top-notch cast to bring a handful of stories by the great American author O. Henry to the screen. In The Cop and the Anthem, a tramp named Soapy (Charles Laughton) tries to get arrested so that he can spend the winter in jail, only to find… More This anthology film assembles five respected directors and a top-notch cast to bring a handful of stories by the great American author O. Henry to the screen. In The Cop and the Anthem, a tramp named Soapy (Charles Laughton) tries to get arrested so that he can spend the winter in jail, only to find that is not as easy as it used to be. Marilyn Monroe appears in this episode as a streetwalker. The Clarion Call features Dale Robertson as Barney, a cop forced to arrest an old friend, Johnny (Richard Widmark). Anne Baxter stars in The Last Leaf as Joanna, an elderly woman who sees her own illness reflected in the fall of the autumn leaves; she's convinced that when the last leaf drops from the tree outside her window, her life will go with it. The Ransom of Red Chief concerns Sam (Fred Allen) and Bill (Oscar Levant), two novice kidnappers who kidnap a child, only to discover that his parents don't want him back -- and after a few hours with the brat, they find out why. And The Gift of the Magi tells the story of a pair of cash-strapped newlyweds, Della (Jeanne Craine) and Jim (Farley Granger), who struggle to get each other the perfect Christmas gift, with unexpected results. John Steinbeck narrates. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Directed By
- Henry Hathaway, Howard Hawks
- Written By
- Richard L. Breen, Walter Bullock
- Genres
- Drama, Musical & Performing Arts, Classics, Comedy
- In Theaters
- Oct 16, 1952 Wide
Critic Reviews
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Jeffrey M. Anderson, Combustible Celluloid
The unquestionable pinnacle is Howard Hawks' energetic "The Ransom of Red Chief."
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Ken Hanke, Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)
As with all such films, the interest level is entirely dependent on the individual stories -- and four of the five are very good indeed
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Cast
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Charles Laughton
as Soapy The Cop and the Anthem
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Marilyn Monroe
as Streetwalker The Cop and the Anthem
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David Wayne
as Horace The Cop and the Anthem
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Richard Widmark
as Johnny Kernan The Clarion Call
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Anne Baxter
as Joanna The Last Leaf
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Dale Robertson
as Barney Woods The Clarion Call
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Fred Allen
as Sam The Ransom of the Red Chief
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Joyce Mackenzie
as Hazel
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Jeanne Crain
as Della The Gift of the Magi
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Richard Rober
as Chief of Detectives The Clarion Call
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Jean Peters
as Susan The Last Leaf
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Gregory Ratoff
as Behrman The Last Leaf
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Richard Garrick
as Doctor The Last Leaf
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Oscar Levant
as Bill The Ransom of the Red Chief
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Lee Aaker
as J.B.
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Farley Granger
as Jim The Gift of the Magi
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Fred Kelsey
as Santa Claus The Gift of the Magi
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Irving Bacon
as Mr. Dorset
- Robert Cherry
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Frank Cusack
as Waiter
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Abe Dinovitch
as Bartender
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Robert Easton
as Yokel
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Fritz Feld
as Maurice
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James Flavin
as Cop
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Kathleen Freeman
as Mrs. Dorset (uncredited)
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Steven Geray
as Radolf
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Gloria Gordon
as Ellie Mae
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Harry Hayden
as Mr. Crump
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Bert Hicks
as Sheldon Sidney
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Marjorie Holliday
as Cashier
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Richard Hylton
as Bill
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Frank Jaquet
as Butcher
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Richard Karlan
as Headwaiter
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Norman Leavitt
as Yokel
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Nico Lek
as Owner
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Tyler McVey
as O. Henry
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Alfred Mizner
as Storekeeper (uncredited)
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House Peters Jr.
as Bascom
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Stuart Randall
as Detective
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Sig Rumann
as Menkie
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John Steinbeck
as Narrator
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Beverly Thompson
as Girl
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Philip Tonge
as Man with Umbrella
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Phil Tully
as Guard
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William Vedder
as Judge
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Ernö Verebes
as Waiter
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Ruth Warren
as Neighbor
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Billy Wayne
as Bystander
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Martha Wentworth
as Mrs. O'Brien
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Will Wright
as Manager
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Hal Smith
as Dandy
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Warren Stevens
as Druggist
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Tom Browne Henry
as Manager
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Richard Allen
as Pete [uncredited]
- Alan Bangs
- Steven Van Zandt