Lady for a Day (1933)

Nominated for 4 Academy Awards:

Best Picture

Best Director: Frank Capra

Best Actress: May Robson

Best Writing, Adaptation

 

Lady for a Day was quite a nice surprise from Capra, as I hadn’t seen it before, neither this, nor the Bette Davis remake from 1961. It was a delightful movie, and sweet and even a bit emotional. May Robson received a much-deserved Oscar nomination for playing Apple Annie, and I guess she was the biggest surprise, because I didn’t expect the film, and also her performance, to start with such an emotional punch. She is superb, bringing a lot of vulnerability and heart to the film, and she basically owns the first half of it.

Credibility is unimportant with this film, you just need to go along with the story. Some of the supporting performances end up feeling unremarkable, but the movie still succeeds, also with the help of a strong screenplay, arguably worthy of an Oscar win.

 

I give it: 8.5/10

IMDB LINK