Review of Lady for a Day (1933) by Brian H — 23 Feb 2008

A charming and sweet early film from Frank Capra - and a foreshadowing of stuff to come. The plot gets a little shaky towards the middle. I was surprised they focused in on the police and gangster hostilities rather than the farcical aspects of the scheme.

But ultimately both storylines played out fully and came together. May Robson is delightful and precious as Apple Annie, who is so likable that all her friends (and ultimately the entire city of New York) come to her rescue to save her daughter from knowing the truth.

There were some genuine laugh out loud moments and lots of interesting character acting. I highly recommend this little gem of a classic.