Big City, 1948

If you’ve seen (and liked) the 1987 film 3 Men and a Baby, which starred Tom Selleck, Steve Guttenberg, and Ted Danson, then you’ll like the 1948 version of men taking care of a helpless baby. Big City shows the men have a lot of heart and want what’s best for the little girl.

Two of the three stars in Big City were familiar to me right away. Danny Thomas was a big star before he had a daughter named Marlo Thomas, who starred in the TV series That Girl. Thomas, who played Cantor David Irwin Feldman in Big City, was a television and movie producer in the 1960s and 1970s. He also founded St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

The other star I recognized in Big City was Robert Preston, who played Rev. Philip Y. Andrews. I had already seen him in The Music Man, Mame, and Victor Victoria, all of which were memorable performances.

The little girl, Midge, grows up enough in Big City to be played by eleven-year-old Margaret O’Brien. She was already a veteran actress by then, having appeared in 16 films, including Meet Me in St. Louis.

The film is heartwarming and sweet. Just the kind of movie to watch at Christmastime.