Set in the mid-20th century, "Anything Can Happen" is a wonderful story about immigrants to the U.S. from the Soviet Union. It's based on a 1945 book of the same title by George and Helen Papashvily. But, George's immigration actually occurred in the early 1920s. Papashvily had served in the Russian Army during World War I and then fought against the invading Red Army in his native Georgia. He then fled the Soviet Union and stayed two years in Turkey before emigrating to the States.
Papashvily became a renowned sculptor and, with his wife, he wrote half a dozen books. This is a story, with facts and fiction, about his coming to the United States, meeting Helen, and then marrying her. It's a good picture of a common aspect of the populating of America with immigrants, where relatives and friends would tend to immigrate at different times but live in the same cities and neighborhoods.
Unlike many stories of immigration that show dire hardships, this one looks with humor, warmth and sentimentality at one man's story, with many friends and his meeting and marrying his wife. The film won a Golden Globe in 1953 as the best film promoting international understanding. All of the cast are very good. Jose Ferrer and others in roles as Georgians have accents that make the story and characters seem all the more real.
When Ferrer's Giorgi (George) Papashvily and Kurt Kasznar's Nuri Bey arrive in New York, they first stay at the Hotel New Cosmopolitan. A sign in the hotel lobby describes it as a "Residence of Discriminating World Travelers." Another sign warns residents that there is "Positively No Cooking in Rooms - a lunch counter is in the lobby for your convenience." And, at an immigration center, a school advertisement sign greeted new arrivals - one that many ancestors of most American today must have seen at one time. It reads, all in capital letters, "THE ONLY WAY TO LEARN ENGLISH IS TO SPEAK ENGLISH AND ONLY ENGLISH."
Nuri Bey is very funny teaching Giorgi the opposite pronunciations of the letters V and W from the Georgian language to English. The sentence he has Georgi continue repeating is, "I wish I were a witch with violet velvet works." A very hilarious scene is Nuri Bey telling Giorgi that bread dough is pronounced "duff." He gives examples of tough meat (pronounced "tuff") and the rough seas. It's a riot.
This is a wonderful film, perhaps a little slow at times for modern audiences, but with a warmly humorous and down to earth story about immigrants settling in America in the early to mid-20th century.
Here are some favorite lines.
Nuri Bey, "Georgi, there is one rule for Georgians, Turks, Armenians, when learning English. Whenever you think you should say V, say W. When you think it should be W, say V. That way it can' go wrong."
Giorgi Papashvily, "Nuri Bey, where you learn to cook?" Nuri Bey, "In Turkish army."
Nuri Bey, "You haven't got a dozen eggplants?" Helen Watson shakes her head, holding back a smile. Nuri, "Should always have eggplant. Important, like salt and pepper."
Giorgi Papashvily, "No man who has cooked for army is gonna cook for me - unless I am in army."
Nuri Bey, "All right, we'll make dalma instead. You have grape leaves?" Helen shakes her head. Nuri Bey, "No grapes?" Helen, "I know it's careless of me, but, no."
Nuri Bey, "No garlic? Cannot have meal without garlic. It's like fire without flame."
Giorgi Papashvily, "And Nuri Bey." Nuri Bey, "Yes." Giorgi, "Will you do me one more favor, please?" Nuri, "Of course." Giorgi, "Start tomorrow, don't do me no more favor."
Nuri Bey, "In USA, what's everyone doing all the time, huh? Eating. If not eating, chewing gum to fool themselves they are eating. So, we go in business making gum."
Giorgi Papashvily, " I see also here Greek, and Georgian, Syrian, and sitting in the same room and eating the same food is even Turk and Armenian. And I say to myself, if in USA, such a thing can happen, then here, anything can happen."
Uncle John, when two Native Americans come on horses with ropes to pull their car out of the mud, "You must treat them with great respect. They are first citizens of USA."
Anna, "They're going to kill us." Tariel, "Don't be afraid, Anna. Don't be afraid. I will not let them touch you. I have a knife. Before I die, I kill you and Luba."
Uncle John, "We've decided you should engage yourself to Helen quick, tonight." Giorgi, "Uncle John, I would like very much to engage myself, but I think is too fast." Nuri Bey, "Giorgi, in USA everything is fast. Lady and gentleman meet on Saturday, date on Sunday, marry Monday."
Giorgi Papashvily, writing to Helen, "Yesterday Uncle John does not like his job so he quit and decide to go to California. I come with him. Also coming Anna, Luba, Tariel, Chancho."
Nuri Bey, "Here is address. By the time you get there, duff will be ready in package waiting for you." Giorgi Papashvily, "Duff?" Nuri Bey, "Is flour and yeast for khinkali." Giorgi, "Thought it was called 'doe.'" Nuri, "Is pronounced 'duff'." Giorgi, "Uncle John say 'doe.'" Nuri, "Giorgi, I know he's great friend of yours. But Uncle John don't speak English so good. Better you learn from me - is 'duff.' Show you why. When meat is hard to eat is called 'tuff.' How you spell?" Giorgi, "T-O-U-G-H". Nuri, "Right! When ocean's up and down, is called 'ruff.' How you spell?" Giorgi, "R-O-U-G-H." Nuri, "Right. And flour and yeast for khinkali is spelled D-O-U-G-H. So, is 'duff.'" Giorgi, "Duff!" Nuri, ":...Ah, is amazing how easy language for me."
