IMDb RATING
7.2/10
3.1K
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John Steinbeck introduces a quintet of five of O. Henry's most celebrated stories from his New York Period (1902-1910) in this anthology film.John Steinbeck introduces a quintet of five of O. Henry's most celebrated stories from his New York Period (1902-1910) in this anthology film.John Steinbeck introduces a quintet of five of O. Henry's most celebrated stories from his New York Period (1902-1910) in this anthology film.
Joyce Mackenzie
- Hazel Woods (segment "The Clarion Call")
- (scenes deleted)
- (as Joyce MacKenzie)
- Directors
- Henry Hathaway(segment The Clarion Call)
- Howard Hawks(segment The Ransom of Red Chief)
- Henry King(segment The Gift of the Magi)
- Writers
- Lamar Trotti(segment The Cop and the Anthem)
- Richard L. Breen(segment The Clarion Call)
- Ivan Goff(segment The Last Leaf)
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaJohn Steinbeck opens an O. Henry volume at the start of each segment, and the viewers are shown the first one or two paragraphs of the upcoming story's first page. However, only the introductions to "The Ransom of Red Chief" and "The Gift of the Magi" show exactly what O. Henry wrote at the start of that tale. What is shown prior to the other three yarns is similar to, but not exactly, O. Henry's actual opening words.
- GoofsIn the first segment, as the man who had the umbrella runs off, a shadow of the camera can be seen on Horace's back.
- Quotes
Soapy (segment "The Cop and the Anthem"): It may interest to you to know, my good man, that I and the minutest coin of the realm are total strangers.
Waiter (segment "The Cop and the Anthem"): How's that?
Soapy (segment "The Cop and the Anthem"): I said I was broke!
- Alternate versionsThe "Ransom of Red Chief" segment was deleted after the film's initial engagements, then restored in the television prints.
- ConnectionsFeatured in Marilyn (1963)
- SoundtracksBringing in the Sheaves
(1880) (uncredited)
Music by George A. Minor
Lyrics by Knowles Shaw
Played and sung by The Bowery Mission Band
Featured review
Five Wonderful Tales in the Beginning of the Twentieth Century
"O. Henry's Full House" is a film divided in five segments telling five wonderful tales in the beginning of the Twentieth Century.
1) "The Cop and the Anthem": the winter is coming and the homeless drifter Soapy (Charles Laughton) wants to go to jail for three months to get shelter and food. His partner Horace (David Wayne) suggests they look for shelter with the Salvation Army, but Soapy refuses. He forces many situations to be arrested but he is always forgiven. When he goes to the church, there is a miracle and Soapy decides to seek a job position. Will he succeed?
Directed by Henry Koster, this segment tells an ironic story of a bum with top-notch performance of Charles Laughton and a cameo of Marilyn Monroe.
2) "The Clarion Call": when a thief kills a man, the police investigators do not have any lead to follow. Police Sergeant Barney Woods (Dale Robertson) sees a pen that was found in the crime scene and he seeks out a man called Johnny Kernan (Richard Widmark). He finds Johnny that invites Barney to drink with him and they go to his hotel room. Johnny recalls their youth, when they were friends but Barney tells that he must arrest him since he recognized the pen that belonged to Johnny. However the criminal recalls that Barney owes him $ 1,000 that Barney lost in a card game. Barney unsuccessfully tries to raise the money to quit the debt. He decides to tell to the Chief of Police but out of the blue, he sees the spotlight on "The Clarion Call" and and runs to the newspaper. What did he see?
Directed by Henry Hathaway, this segment tells the story of an honest policeman that has a debt with a criminal that is wanted by the police. Richard Widmark is excellent in the usual role of a felon.
3) "The Last Leaf": When the lover of the twenty-one year-old Joanna Goodwin (Anne Baxter) breaks up with her, she wanders on the snow and gets pneumonia. Her older sister Susan Goodwin (Jean Peters) finds that Joanna does not want to live anymore and is following the leaves that keep falling from a tree. Their upstairs neighbor, the painter Behrman (Gregory Ratoff), tries to help the girls the best he can. Will he be able to save Joanna?
Directed by Jean Negulesco, this is the most sensitive and touching segment, with a heartbreaking conclusion. Anne Baxter is very beautiful in the role of a young woman with broken heart.
4) "The Ransom of Red Chief": the con men Sam 'Slick' Brown (Fred Allen) and Bill Peoria (Oscar Levant) flee to the countryside in their car and plot to kidnap the boy J.B. Dorset (Lee Aaker) to ask for ransom to his parents. But soon they find that the boy is a little devil.
Directed by Howarks, the segment is a funny comedy about two confidence men that make a wrong move kidnapping an evil boy. Lee Aaker's character seems to be Dennis, the Menace, created in 1951.
5) "The Gift of the Magi": In Christmas Eve, Della (Jeanne Crain) and her beloved husband Jim (Farley Granger) are penniless and in love with each other. Jim dreams on giving a tiara to Della since she has a wonderful hair and Della wants to give a chain to the pocket watch of Jim. On the Christmas night, they find a way to buy the gifts.
Directed by Henry King, this segment is a delightful love story with an ironic and funny conclusion.
My vote is eight.
Title (Brazil): "Páginas da Vida" ("Pages of the Life")
1) "The Cop and the Anthem": the winter is coming and the homeless drifter Soapy (Charles Laughton) wants to go to jail for three months to get shelter and food. His partner Horace (David Wayne) suggests they look for shelter with the Salvation Army, but Soapy refuses. He forces many situations to be arrested but he is always forgiven. When he goes to the church, there is a miracle and Soapy decides to seek a job position. Will he succeed?
Directed by Henry Koster, this segment tells an ironic story of a bum with top-notch performance of Charles Laughton and a cameo of Marilyn Monroe.
2) "The Clarion Call": when a thief kills a man, the police investigators do not have any lead to follow. Police Sergeant Barney Woods (Dale Robertson) sees a pen that was found in the crime scene and he seeks out a man called Johnny Kernan (Richard Widmark). He finds Johnny that invites Barney to drink with him and they go to his hotel room. Johnny recalls their youth, when they were friends but Barney tells that he must arrest him since he recognized the pen that belonged to Johnny. However the criminal recalls that Barney owes him $ 1,000 that Barney lost in a card game. Barney unsuccessfully tries to raise the money to quit the debt. He decides to tell to the Chief of Police but out of the blue, he sees the spotlight on "The Clarion Call" and and runs to the newspaper. What did he see?
Directed by Henry Hathaway, this segment tells the story of an honest policeman that has a debt with a criminal that is wanted by the police. Richard Widmark is excellent in the usual role of a felon.
3) "The Last Leaf": When the lover of the twenty-one year-old Joanna Goodwin (Anne Baxter) breaks up with her, she wanders on the snow and gets pneumonia. Her older sister Susan Goodwin (Jean Peters) finds that Joanna does not want to live anymore and is following the leaves that keep falling from a tree. Their upstairs neighbor, the painter Behrman (Gregory Ratoff), tries to help the girls the best he can. Will he be able to save Joanna?
Directed by Jean Negulesco, this is the most sensitive and touching segment, with a heartbreaking conclusion. Anne Baxter is very beautiful in the role of a young woman with broken heart.
4) "The Ransom of Red Chief": the con men Sam 'Slick' Brown (Fred Allen) and Bill Peoria (Oscar Levant) flee to the countryside in their car and plot to kidnap the boy J.B. Dorset (Lee Aaker) to ask for ransom to his parents. But soon they find that the boy is a little devil.
Directed by Howarks, the segment is a funny comedy about two confidence men that make a wrong move kidnapping an evil boy. Lee Aaker's character seems to be Dennis, the Menace, created in 1951.
5) "The Gift of the Magi": In Christmas Eve, Della (Jeanne Crain) and her beloved husband Jim (Farley Granger) are penniless and in love with each other. Jim dreams on giving a tiara to Della since she has a wonderful hair and Della wants to give a chain to the pocket watch of Jim. On the Christmas night, they find a way to buy the gifts.
Directed by Henry King, this segment is a delightful love story with an ironic and funny conclusion.
My vote is eight.
Title (Brazil): "Páginas da Vida" ("Pages of the Life")
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- claudio_carvalho
- Sep 28, 2016
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Language
- Also known as
- Baghdad on the Subway
- Filming locations
- Production company
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
- Runtime1 hour 57 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.37 : 1
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![Marilyn Monroe, Anne Baxter, Charles Laughton, Richard Widmark, Jeanne Crain, Fred Allen, Farley Granger, Oscar Levant, Jean Peters, Gregory Ratoff, Dale Robertson, and David Wayne in O. Henry's Full House (1952)](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BYWMxM2UyZjYtZTU0OS00Njc2LTkzZTYtZWQ0MTZjYTljODRlXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNjc1NTYyMjg@._V1_QL75_UX90_CR0,2,90,133_.jpg)