O. Henry's Full House

1952

O. Henry's Full House (1952)

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Critic Consensus: No consensus yet.

AUDIENCE SCORE

62%

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Movie Info

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.

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Cast

Charles Laughton
as Soapy
Anne Baxter
as Joanna Goodwin
Jeanne Crain
as Della
David Wayne
as Horace
Richard Widmark
as Johnny Kernan
Farley Granger
as Jim
Marilyn Monroe
as Streetwalker
Dale Robertson
as Barney Woods
Jean Peters
as Susan Goodwin
Fred Allen
as Sam
Oscar Levant
as Bill
Sig Rumann
as Menkie
Harry Hayden
as Mr. Crump
Fred Kelsey
as Santa Claus
Richard Hylton
as Bill
Richard Allen
as Pete
Fritz Feld
as Maurice
Frank Jaquet
as Butcher
Gregory Ratoff
as Behrman
Richard Garrick
as Doctor
Steven Geray
as Radolf
Warren Stevens
as Druggist
Martha Wentworth
as Mrs. O'Brien
Ruth Warren
as Neighbor
Bert Hicks
as Sheldon Sidney
Beverly Thompson
as Girl
Hal Smith
as Dandy
Philip Tonge
as Man with Umbrella
Thomas Browne Henry
as Manager
Richard Karlan
as Headwaiter
Ernö Verebes
as Waiter
William Vedder
as Judge
Billy Wayne
as Bystander
Nico Lek
as Owner
Marjorie Holliday
as Cashier
James Flavin
as Cop
Joyce Mackenzie
as Hazel
Richard Rober
as Chief of Detectives
Will Wright
as Manager
House Peters
as Bascom
Tyler McVey
as O. Henry
Phil Tully
as Guard
Frank Cusack
as Waiter
Stuart Randall
as Detective
Abe Dinovitch
as Bartender
House Peters Jr.
as Bascom
Lee Aaker
as J.B.
Kathleen Freeman
as J.B.'s Mother
Alfred Mizner
as J.B.'s Father
Irving Bacon
as Mr. Dorset
Gloria Gordon
as Ellie Mae
Robert Easton
as Yokel
Robert Cherry
as Yokel
Norman Leavitt
as Yokel
John Steinbeck
as Narrator
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Critic Reviews for O. Henry's Full House

All Critics (3)

Henry Hathaway's segment is a fun mix of historical and crime film.

Sep 30, 2014 | Full Review…
Classic Film and Television

The unquestionable pinnacle is Howard Hawks' energetic "The Ransom of Red Chief."

Jan 3, 2008 | Full Review…
Combustible Celluloid

As with all such films, the interest level is entirely dependent on the individual stories -- and four of the five are very good indeed

Feb 7, 2007 | Rating: 4/5 | Full Review…
Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)
View All Critic Reviews (3)

Audience Reviews for O. Henry's Full House

Despite of being too dated, it fared relatively well. Maybe it didn't work for me that well because I watched it while I was home alone.

familiar stranger
familiar stranger

Super Reviewer

An Amazing cast and five very talented and legendary directors bring to life a series of short stories written by O. Henry. A really great film, combined with the timeless and memorable stories that inspired it. Makes O. HENRY'S FULL HOUSE, a very entertaining and moving motion picture experience.

Jason Reneau
Jason Reneau

Super Reviewer

½

Some wonderful short stories interlaced with a few duds, all introduced by John Steinbeck, the one that towers above the rest is "The Last Leaf" touching and beautiful with delicate lovely performances from all three actors.

jay nixon
jay nixon

Super Reviewer

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