This collection brings together five stories by a well-regarded American writer, and they’re all pretty enjoyable. The first one introduces "Soapy," a clever homeless man who figures out that getting himself deliberately sent to jail is the best way to stay warm during winter. It's hard to imagine anyone but Charles Laughton bringing this character to life with his friendly charm and playful nature, especially when he encounters a woman down on her luck (Marilyn Monroe). However, it seems he wasn’t alone in Hollywood; even Sam Goldwyn had trouble finding success. Then comes "Clarion Call," where a detective (Dale Robertson) tries to determine if his childhood friend (Richard Widmark) is responsible for a death during a robbery. “The Last Leaf” deals with a melancholy situation, as a young woman (Anne Baxter) feels devastated by a breakup and ventures out into the snow, quickly developing pneumonia. Despite her sister’s (Jean Peters) best efforts, it appears her life force is tied to the leaves on a tree that are being blown away in a strong storm. Could the painter who lives upstairs (Gregory Ratoff), scraping by with modest painting sales, possibly offer some assistance? The fourth story was my favorite. Two con men – Oscar Levant and Peter Allan – attempt to sell fake goldmine shares but realize they need actual gold to make their scheme believable. They decide to kidnap a ten-year-old boy (Lee Aaker) and demand a ransom from his parents. What they don’t expect is that this kid is more than capable of outsmarting them, quickly reversing the situation. The final story has a holiday feel as a young couple, expecting a baby, struggles with finances and finding gifts for each other at Christmas. Jeanne Crain and Farley Granger sensitively portray their willingness to make sacrifices so they can bring a little extra happiness to one another, anticipating a simple dinner of meatloaf and milk kept cool on the windowsill. Each story has an underlying moral, but it’s presented in a way that lets the characters tell the tale without being overly preachy. Laughton is perfectly suited for his role, as is the restrained Ratoff, and there's plenty of amusement thanks to the young Aaker. It’s a touch of humanity, belief, and foolishness that I found quite pleasing.

Source on TMDB