In 1933, Frank Capra directed the movie "Lady for a Day", adapted by Robert Riskin from a Damon Runyan story "Madame La Gimp". The film starred May Robson as Apple Annie, for which she was nominated for an Oscar as Best Actress. "Lady for a Day" is a terrific comedy about a poor apple vendor (May Robson) and a racketeer (Warren William) who believes that she is his good-luck charm. When her daughter, who lives abroad and believes that her mother has been living in elegant style, comes home with her fiance and his wealthy parents, the gangster volunteers to help Apple Annie pose as a society lady. As the tangled web of deception begins to unravel, the characters become more desperate and frantic. In 1989, Jackie Chan made "Mr. Canton & Lady Rose". Though it presents a slightly altered introduction, as Jackie Chan's character is developed from poor country boy to sucessful racketeer, the film is an unmistakable remake of "Lady for a Day", with a flower vendor substituted for Apple Annie. Once the plot develops, the film settles down to become a nearly shot-for-shot remake of the original, but with an unmistakable Hong Kong twist. Hong Kong remakes of American blockbuster movies are fairly common; still, it is unusual to see a remake of a reasonably obscure relic of classic film comedy. "Mr. Canton and Lady Rose" is an obvious tribute to Frank Capra and the influence that his comedic genius, sentimentality, and unflagging optimism has had on Jackie's film career. Unfortunately, since Jackie Chan's reputation has been built upon his martial arts prowess and non-stop action sequences, this movie will probably be a disappointment to most kung-fu fans. Taken at face value as a period comedy-drama, however, it holds it own quite well. As cinematic evidence of the widespread influence of one of America's most original filmmakers, it is both interesting and entertaining. (--- contributed by dss@opcode.com)

[Reviewed by Daniel]