Sally and Saint Anne

Ann Blyth ages from 12 years old to eighteen in Sally and Saint Anne (1952), but she was really 23 at the time.  A charming and funny coming of age story where a spunky young Catholic school student first picks a fight with a statue of St. Anne, and then develops a warm and chummy relationship with her saintly patroness, the movie is filled with daffy characters and nutty shenanigans.  One particularly absurd scene I like: when their house is being moved across town to a new location, the family innocently stays inside it as it's rolling along.  Ann, coming home from a late-night date, has to run to catch up with it.

Pictured along with Ann in the photo above are Kathleen Hughes as the senior class snob, and Gregg Palmer (aka Palmer Lee) as the local heartthrob.  Edmund Gwenn plays her irascible grandpa, patriarch of her crazy family.  From my book Ann Blyth: Actress. Singer. Star.:

Especially endearing is the exchange between Ann and Mr. Shapiro, the local grocer, played by Joe Mell.  His wife’s expecting and he desperately wants a boy this time because he’s already got three daughters.  Ann writes down his wish in her notebook.  “One boy.  Mr. Shapiro.”  He’s officially on her list of petitions to St. Anne.

He’s a jovial guy who shakes his head at her innocence.  “Why would an Irish saint go out of her way for a guy like me?” 

“Mr. Shapiro, Saint Anne was the grandmother of Jesus.”

He shrugs, “So?”

“So she isn’t Irish at all.  She’s Jewish.”

Mr. Shapiro gives her fond grins and free pickles.