Russian immigrant Jose Ferrer (from the state of Georgia) arrives in New York and makes the acquaintance of fellow countrymen and welcoming Americans, and becomes more of an American in 100 minutes than most native born Americans do in a lifetime. At Ellis Island, a customs agent welcomes him with the charming reminder that America is made up of foreigners, some of whom had the good luck to get there earlier. He's arrested for picking flowers in Central Park and makes an impression on the judge, refreshed by his honesty for not just pleading guilty so he can forget about it and move on. Court clerk Kim Hunter catches his eye and invites him over for an opportunity to record him singing Georgian folk music. Of course he falls in love with her, and with a group of fellow Georgians, he drives to California where she is taking care of an elderly relative. When dying friend Oscar Beregi Sr. makes his last wish the opportunity to become a citizen, it becomes a touching reminder of the determination of our own ancestors to do the same thing.
This is a sweet, well written comedy/drama that doesn't use the old cliche of showing naive foreigners being taken advantage of, just good friends sharing experiences and making it as best as they can. There's an interesting mixture of comedy and sentiment, funny as it shows Ferrer transporting rising dough on an overly heated bus, especially with Minerva Urecal's overly dramatic reaction. The script and direction by George Seaton crosses all sorts of emotions, making this a unique film with a touching plotline rarely handled with reality. Ferrer is very convincing, keeping the laughter going as he does his best to alter to another life, and is ably helped by the lovely Hunter and the gregarious Kurt Kasznar.
This is a sweet, well written comedy/drama that doesn't use the old cliche of showing naive foreigners being taken advantage of, just good friends sharing experiences and making it as best as they can. There's an interesting mixture of comedy and sentiment, funny as it shows Ferrer transporting rising dough on an overly heated bus, especially with Minerva Urecal's overly dramatic reaction. The script and direction by George Seaton crosses all sorts of emotions, making this a unique film with a touching plotline rarely handled with reality. Ferrer is very convincing, keeping the laughter going as he does his best to alter to another life, and is ably helped by the lovely Hunter and the gregarious Kurt Kasznar.