O. Henry's Full House

1952
Approved
1h 57m

IMDb RATING

7.2/10

3.1K

YOUR RATING

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)

Watch O. Henry's Full House Official Trailer

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Comedy Drama Holiday

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.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

7.2/10

3.1K

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

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Storyline

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Did you know

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Trivia
John 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.

Goofs
In 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 versions
The "Ransom of Red Chief" segment was deleted after the film's initial engagements, then restored in the television prints.

Connections
Featured in Marilyn (1963)

Soundtracks
Bringing in the Sheaves
(1880) (uncredited)
Music by George A. Minor
Lyrics by Knowles Shaw
Played and sung by The Bowery Mission Band

User reviews48

Review

Featured review

7/10

A little uneven, but entertaining

An homage to O. Henry, featuring five of his short stories, an interesting collection of actors and directors, and narrated by John Steinbeck. It starts strong, with the first story featuring Charles Laughton in the role of an erudite tramp and a brief appearance from Marilyn Monroe, the second with a fantastic performance from Richard Widmark, and some nice visuals in the third, which was directed by Jean Negulesco. O. Henry's stories have bits of irony, humor, and little twists at the end, and are entertaining in a gentle, quaint kind of way. There is an unevenness to how well they translated to the screen, especially in the fourth story, directed by Howard Hawks, but I was entertained, and touched by O. Henry's humanism. I also loved seeing Steinbeck in his only film appearance.