Lady for a Day

film by Capra [1933]

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July 20, 2026

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Lady for a Day is a 1933 American comedy-drama film produced and directed by Frank Capra. The film is based on Damon Runyon's short story "Madame La Gimp" and was adapted for the screen by Robert Riskin.

The story centers on Apple Annie (May Robson), a destitute woman who sells apples on the street. When her estranged daughter, Louise (Jean Parker), announces a visit from Europe with her fiancé and his parents, Annie enlists the help of a sympathetic gangster, Dave the Dude (Warren William), to transform herself into a society matron. This transformation allows her to meet her daughter without revealing her impoverished circumstances. The film was nominated for an Academy Award for best picture, and Capra received a nomination for best director. Capra later remade the story as Pocketful of Miracles in 1961.1

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Frank Capra
The early 1930s
…Capra’s next film, the sentimental Lady for a Day (1933), was. Capra both produced and directed Riskin’s adaptation of Damon Runyon’s short story “Madame La Gimp.” It concerned a decrepit peddler, Apple Annie (May Robson), who enlists a sympathetic gangster (Warren William) to transform her into a society matron so…
Read More
…Capra’s next film, the sentimental Lady for a Day (1933), was. Capra both produced and directed Riskin’s adaptation of Damon Runyon’s short story “Madame La Gimp.” It concerned a decrepit peddler, Apple Annie (May Robson), who enlists a sympathetic gangster (Warren William) to transform her into a society matron so…
Read More