Kay Medford

The life of Fanny Brice, famed comedienne and entertainer of the early 1900s: her rise to fame as a Ziegfeld Girl, her subsequent career, and her personal life, particularly her relationship with Nick Arnstein. In early-20th-century New York, Fanny Brice knows that she is a talented comedienne and singer. She also knows that she is not the beauty typical of the stage performers of the day, with her skinny legs and crooked nose and other physical issues. So she knows that she must use other means to get her break in show business, so that she can at least display her talents. With help from Eddie Ryan, who becomes her friend, Fanny is able to get a part in a novelty act in a vaudeville show, the renown from which eventually comes to the attention of famed impresario Florenz Ziegfeld Jr. Fanny becomes one of the Ziegfeld Follies' most popular acts, despite almost getting fired after her first performance by defying Flo's artistic vision for her closing number. Beyond stage success, Fanny also wants a happy personal life, most specifically with suave Nicky Arnstein, a gambler in every respect of the word. Fanny loves him and loves that he loves her despite her lack of traditional beauty, but she does not love that he comes in and goes out of her life based on his financial standing at any given time and his need to earn that quick buck by the next poker game or high-stakes business deal as he feels he needs to play the traditional role of moneymaker in their relationship on his own terms. —Huggo Vibrant young Fanny Brice starts out as a bit player on the New York City vaudeville stage and works her way up to stardom on Broadway. Valued for her vocal and comedic talents by renowned theater impresario Florenz Ziegfeld Jr., Fanny thrives, but her relationship with her suave, imprisoned businessman husband Nick Arnstein is another story. —Jwelch5742

Sid Caesar stars as the bumbling right-hand man of mob boss Robert Ryan, who is sent to find a corpse buried in a suit lined with stolen mob money. Sid Caesar plays a bumbling gopher to mob boss Robert Ryan, who discovers a large theft of mob money. His bookkeeper is killed shortly before he can reveal the thief. When the discovery is made, Ryan suspects Caesar as the culprit and probable murderer of the bookkeeper. Caesar spends the rest of the movie trying to find the real killer and a corpse buried in a suit lined with the stolen money. —alfiehitchie

An aspiring musician arrives in New York in search of fame and fortune. He soon meets a taxi dancer / call girl and moves in with her. Before long, a romance develops. Tender romantic comedy about an aspiring musician who arrives in New York in search of fame & fortune. He soon meets a taxi dancer, moves in with her, and before too long a romance develops. —alfiehitchie A romantic comedy about a dancer who lives in New York and a would-be musician who arrives in town to make his fame & fortune, and platonically share an apartment. It's not too long before sparks fly as they struggle to make it in the city's 'rat race'. —Huggo

In New York City, Max Thursday (Zachary Scott) , an alcoholic and down-and-out former police officer, works as a house detective in the run-down residence hotel of Smitty (Mary Boland). One day, Georgia Thursday (Faye Emerson), Max's ex-wife, arrives at the hotel and tells him that their son Jeff has been kidnapped. She also tells him that Jeff was last seen with her brother, Fred Mace (Dennis Patrick), who has also disappeared. When Max asks her why she has not yet notified the police, she tells him that she has been threatened with harm by Dr. Elder (Jed Prouty), her brother's disreputable associate, if she reports the crime. Max quickly sobers up and pays a visit to Elder, who greets him at gunpoint. After drugging Max, Elder knocks him unconscious and throws him into the street. Max regains consciousness in a jail cell, where he learns that Elder has been murdered and that he is being held as a suspect in the crime. Captain Tonetti (Sam Levene), head of the homicide bureau and an old friend of Max's, releases Max when Georgia provides an alibi for her ex-husband. Max's investigation into Elder soon reveals that the doctor was involved in a diamond smuggling operation headed by Otto Varkas (J. Edward Bromberg). Max finds Varkas at his warehouse and threatens to tell the police that Elder was one of Varkas' men unless Varkas tells him where he can find Fred. Varkas refuses to help Max, but on his way out, Max meets Angel (Kay Medford), a Varkas moll, who inadvertently reveals that Fred is being held captive by Varkas' men. Angel also tells Max that Elder was the pick-up man for a mysterious figure named St. Paul. While on his way to Varkas' hiding place, Max is shot in the arm - he sustaining a flesh wound - by two of Varkas' men. Despite his crippling injury which Georgia mends, Max manages to return to Varkas' warehouse, where he finds Varkas dead. A pack of cigarettes belonging to one of Varkas' men provides the clue that leads Max back to Smitty's hotel, where he discovers that St. Paul is none other than Smitty, who used the kidnapping of Jeff to force Fred to give her the jewels he got from Varkas. Smitty tells Max where to find Fred, who quietly tells Max what's going on including where to find a safe Jeff. Smitty tries to involve Max in her scheme after Max shoots her thug Stitch Olivera (Elliott Sullivan) dead, but realizes this is the end of the road for her in that he has gone straight. As an epilogue, Max, Georgia, and Jeff are seen reunited as a happy family.