Mister 880 (1950)

An elderly gentleman (Edmund Gwenn in an Oscar nominated performance) lives in near poverty. So he counterfeits dollar bills as he needs them to survive while eluding the authorities for ten years. A secret service man (Burt Lancaster) assigned to the case becomes romantically involved with a young woman (Dorothy McGuire), who is a friend of the counterfeiter. Inspired by a true story (which was published in the New Yorker magazine) and directed by Edmund Goulding (NIGHTMARE ALLEY). This is a charming human interest story, the kind of movie that makes you feel good when it's over even if you know it's fluff. Lancaster is somewhat overqualified for something like this and the intensity he usually brings to his roles is missing. It's a conventional leading man role that someone like Dana Andrews could have easily handled. McGuire is likable and Gwenn is wonderful. It's a sweet little movie which sounds like faint praise but it's an achievement of sorts nevertheless. With Millard Mitchell and Larry Keating.