Customer Reviews

Good Sam [VHS]

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

The humor in this movie still holds up today. There was a very loose remake of this movie as Good Neighbor Sam with Jack Lemon, but it wasn't even in the same ballpark as the original. I saw it one Christmas on TV but never saw it again so I had to order it. Gary Cooper is wonderful as the good guy, great neighbor etc.,who everyone takes advantage of. But Ann Sheridan steals the show as his long-suffering wife. From the half-blind neighbor who borrows his car, the brother-in-law that moves in and causes Gary and Ann to have to sleep in separate rooms, the impatient boss who just can't understand why Coop has to talk to every customer who comes into the store, to the wonderfully awful people he sends to his wife for help she really doesn't want to give, it gets funnier and funnier. This is one of my favorite movies.

Good Sam is a charming Capra-esque Christmas classic directed by Leo McCarey (The Bells of St. Mary's, Going My Way). It's about a family man whose generosity to friends, relatives, neighbors, and strangers exceeds all normal expectations, apparently at the expense of his own immediate family, reaching a crisis at Christmas. See the movie to find out if what goes around comes around and it all works out. Gary Cooper is always fun to watch in this type of comedy drama, as he was in Capra's Mr. Deeds Goes To Town and Meet John Doe, and Howard Hawke's Ball of Fire.

"Good Sam" is a really greatmovie to watch because of themoral lesson that one can learn when you are a "good sam(aritan)" like Gary Cooperin the movie. It's a must see!

A wonderful movie, Christmastime or not. My copy is all fuzzy & wobbly from repeated viewings. I just wish this were available on DVD. Gary Cooper, as the "Good Sam" of the title, is one of those sweet guys who's an easy mark for a sob story. His wife, played by Ann Sheridan, manages their household through a number of misfortunes (some as a direct result of Sam's kindness to others) with brisk humor. A lot of wonderfully funny dialogue (particularly Sheridan's part.) For those comparing this with "It's a Wonderful Life," I'd say this stands proudly alongside it right down to the inclusion of Todd Karns (who played Jimmy Stewart's brother in IAWL) in the cast as a delightful dreamer who gets Sam to back his attempt to own a gas station.

I suppose you could compare this movie to "It's a Wonderful Life" but I don't see the point. Both are wonderful movies, but as a huge fan of 'old' that is, black & white films of all genres, I have to say that this is one of the funniest movies I have ever seen. Ann Sheridan deserves an Academy Award. Her portrayal is flawless, her timing- perfect, her wit -razor sharp. I agree she is cast as the bad guy & guess what, when living with a "good sam" somebody has got to be the bad guy or the family will end up living on the street. Sheridans lines are the best. Coop is good. The kids are hilarious as well. If you haven't seen it, your missing a classic comedy. I have been looking for this on DVD & am sad to say it doesn't seem to be available as yet. You may not love the movie as I do, but you won't be sorry you watched. I highly recommmend it. One more point, the Jack Lemmon movie, is unrecognizable as a remake of this film. If you've seen that movie don't assume any resemblance to this film. See this one.

I once heard that common courtesy is the greatest investment; it costs nothing, but it pays great dividends. In this movie, Cooper's unbiased, unconditional sympathy for any and all supplicants takes that concept to the next level.

What has been reviled by some reviewers as the good Samaritan taken to extremes, is in fact a paean for benevolence in its purest form. The man who brought his wife, children, and even his church pastor to disbelief proved that when it comes to philanthropy, it pays to be nice every time. The burden -- of occasional parasites who can't resist taking advantage of a man who can't say no -- shrinks miraculously thanks to Hollywood's accelerated, though still plausible vindication.

Over the objections of his boss, Sam takes the time to give directions to an old lady. Suddenly, before you know it, she has decided to buy thousands of dollars worth of furniture at his store. Sam gambles the down payment for his wife's dream home on some friends, saving both their unborn baby and their livelihood. Then, at just the right moment, those same friends return to share remarkable windfall profits. Granted, such made-for-Hollywood moments aren't entirely realistic. But if you imagine a longer time scale, and assume that most people will express their gratitude eventually, you can suspend disbelief.

Good Sam's good fortune is a testament to the virtues of local philanthropy. In the distant prehistory of human evolution, beneficence was an advantageous trait. People who behaved altruistically were rewarded by their neighbors for fostering civilization. One might say it's better to have many friends than many assets. Regretfully, the avaricious parasites among us suggest that deceit and exploitation were also viable evolutionary strategies.

I absolutley loved this movie. It is so true even today. There are many people married to a Good Sam. I have known a few. They will take food out of their family's mouth and give it away. I had a friend that loaned her car out to a no-good cousin and she wrecked it and my friend got sued by the people that the cousin hit AND on top of it all, the cousin's family refused to pay for the damage because they said that it was broken to start with!!!!!! This movie needs to be watched by everyone who has a Good Sam in their family.

A poor sitcom of the period, Gary Cooper miscast. Totally implausible, looks like it cost 50 cents to make. Not worth the time.

This blatant rip-off of IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE lacks the heart and substance of its predecessor. Cooper is woefully miscast as the Jimmy-Stewart-aw-shucks-nice-guy who would give the shirt off his back (AND the backs of his wife and 2 small children) to help out anyone with a sob story. The humor is NOT, and the cliches are tedious. Sheridan is wasted as the wisecracking wife who laughs too much and too loudly. Her long-suffering character unfairly ends up being depicted as the "bad guy" in order to color Cooper's selfish irresponsibility "charity." All in all, a poor movie.