Good Sam
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| Good Sam | |
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| Directed by | Leo McCarey |
| Produced by | Leo McCarey |
| Written by | Leo McCarey (story) John D. Klorer (story) Ken Englund |
| Starring | Gary Cooper Ann Sheridan |
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Release dates
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Running time
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128 minutes (original release)[1] 114 minutes (reissue) |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Good Sam is a 1948 American romantic comedy-drama film starring Gary Cooper as a Good Samaritan who is helpful to others at the expense of his own family. The film was directed by Leo McCarey and produced by McCarey's production company, Rainbow Productions.
Plot
Sam Clayton is too good for his own good. A sermon by Rev. Daniels persuades him to help others in every way he can, including his wife Lu's good-for-nothing brother, Claude, who's been living with them rent-free for six months, and their neighbors the Butlers, who need a car for a vacation when theirs breaks down.
Sam is a department store manager whose boss, H.C. Borden, wants him to sell more and socialize less. Sam's a shoulder for clerk Shirley Mae to cry on when her romance breaks up. He also gives a $5,000 loan, without his wife's knowledge, to Mr. and Mrs. Adams, who need it to save a gas station they bought.
Lu is fed up with Sam's generosity, particularly when he ends up paying for the Butlers' car repairs, then letting the mechanic come over for home-cooked meals. The last straw for Lu comes when she learns they have a chance to put a down payment on a new house, except Sam has lent their nest egg to the Adamses.
Sam is unhappy, too. He's annoyed with the Butlers, who have crashed his car and can't pay to fix it. He also wants Claude to move out. Shirley Mae's troubles come to his door after she takes too many pills. Sam even gets robbed, and the bank refuses to make him a loan.
He is at his wit's end when the Adamses surprise him with a check for $6,000. They also give Claude a job, and Shirley Mae suddenly thinks she and Claude could have a future together. Sam and Lu feel better about life, particularly when Borden surprises him with a promotion at work.
Cast
- Gary Cooper as Samuel R. Clayton
- Ann Sheridan as Lucille Clayton
- Ray Collins as Reverend Daniels
- Edmund Lowe as H.C. Borden
- Joan Lorring as Shirley Mae
- Clinton Sundberg as Mr. Nelson
- Minerva Urecal as Mrs. Nelson
- Louise Beavers as Chloe, the Claytons' maid
- Ruth Roman as Ruthie
- Dick Ross as Claude
- Lora Lee Michel as Lulu Clayton
- Bobby Dolan Jr. as Butch Clayton
Radio adaptation
Good Sam was presented on Stars in the Air March 13, 1952. The 30-minute episode starred Ann Sheridan and David Wayne.[2]
