This is one of Margaret O'Brien's weaker films. She's the little girl that played in Meet Me In St. Louis, but although her character here is not as annoying as the precocious girl in Meet Me In St. Louis, she's still cloying and appears to have been surrounded by a wise family.Margaret O'Brien was 9-10 years old here, this movie had had production problems which kind of ruined the film for her because at times, she doesn't look much like an 8-year-old. Though, I still loved her marvelous performance and the expressions and emotions she conveys are real.This just strikes me as something that they have wasted Margaret's talent on, the director didn't seem to get her to perform her scenes as well as she did in other movies. And the script could've been rewritten in order for the movie to be a great one.

Of course, times have changed. And this felt very 1930-ish (the story takes place in the late 1930s)...which of course, it was supposed to. Today, it's a little too sweet for my palate.And Margaret O'Brien. There's no question that she was an exceptional child actress, but I always felt that a little Margaret O'Brien went a long ways. Okay for a child's role in an adult-oriented picture, but a bit too much for me in terms of being the star of the film. Nevertheless, she does well here.It's interesting to see Angela Lansbury here. I found it an oddly minor role considering her performance in "State Of The Union" (with Tracy and Hepburn) the same year, though this was filmed after that classic. George Murphy. I must admit, I've never understood the attraction to George Murphy as a movie star. But, he's pleasant enough, if a bit bland. Phyllis Thaxter is fine as the mother of O'Brien. Interesting to note that Thaxter became a polio victim four years after this film was made. A supporting actor that is notable here is Rhys Williams as a blind news stand owner. And, a very young Barry Nelson is here, as well.As to the plot, it's fairly decent, with a couple of reservations. The biggest being that for such a long period of time it could be kept from O'Brien that Murphy had been in prison. A smaller point -- just how many different kids knew of the secret hiding place...guess it wasn't much of a secret. And third, just how naive was O'Brien's character, considering how otherwise worldly she seemed to be? And finally, the ending is just too sickeningly sweet -- let's see, a new baby, a kneeling cow for Christmas, Murphy goes straight, and Murphy gets engaged. I'm feeling queasy.I have two suggestions for O'Brien's spoiled attitude toward the end of the picture. 1.) Slap her! (Only kidding). 2.) She desperately needs some counseling! (Not kidding).I sat through it once and it was "okay", but never again.

Warm film with the usual top MGM production values, strong cast.When I finally saw this film I was surprised it was described as a "bomb" by Leonard Maltin. While it's not the greatest movie ever made, it's hardly a bomb, despite the problematic production history. Because retakes took so long, Margaret O'Brien is noticeably taller and older in some scenes than in others. The character's belief in fairy tales strains credulity in the scenes where little Margaret seems to be aging rapidly.One could argue, as well, that, despite the hardships supposedly being endured by the characters in their poor New York neighborhood, at the height of the Great Depression, they seem reasonably well fed, dressed, and housed. The apartment where Flavia (O'Brien) lives is quite large, for example.But there are some very true things in the film, the experience of being an only child, living among adults; the realities of readjustment for an ex-con (George Murphy). Many of the realities are not in the scenes or the lines, but in Margaret's and George Murphy's faces.The cast is great and there's a nice Christmas atmosphere in the scenes that wrap up the story.

This is definitely not the sort of film they make any more. Margaret O'Brien plays an amazingly cute and sweet kid--the sort of role she was known for but that today seems a bit cloying...at times. Here she lives in a Hollywood version of poverty in New York City--one that, despite being told they're dirt-poor, just looks like a safe and clean place. Despite the poverty, she is a very chipper and optimistic girl. She sees the world as a magical and wonderful place and doesn't see the realities of life--such as what's really happened to her friend (George Murphy). There's more to the story than all this--including a plot involving her mother and some mice (don't ask--you just have to see it to understand).Overall, it's a decent film but not at all my cup of tea. While I loved O'Brien in "Journey for Margaret" and "Meet Me in St. Louis", here the plot seems fair at best. If you do see the film, look for an uncredited Elinor Donahue who plays O'Brien's friend about mid-way through the movie. However, apart from that, this one is pretty easy to skip.