While not technically a Thanksgiving movie, “It Happened on 5th Avenue” (1947) does take place during the holidays and embraces a bounty of seasonal warmth and feel-good sentiments — minus football games and mad dashes to the airport.

This one, which I usually watch the day after Thanksgiving, has become my first choice to kick off the holidays.

At the heart of the story is a bum — Aloysius T. McKeever (Victor Moore). He and his canine pal Sam make themselves at home every November (with a little breaking and entering) in a seasonally vacated Fifth Avenue mansion, while its wealthy owner, ambitious businessman Michael J. O’Connor (Charles Ruggles), winters at his Virginia home.

McKeever is an upbeat and likeable guy who has “solved his residential problem” with this lavish, carefree lifestyle. He doesn’t see himself as a trespasser at all, but rather a caretaker for the empty property.

Meanwhile, Army veteran Jim Bullock (Don DeFore) has recently been evicted from his apartment building, which was bought for development by none other than O’Connor. With housing scarce, Bullock has made himself at home on a park bench, where McKeever encounters him, takes pity on the hardluck story and reluctantly welcomes him under his borrowed roof.

O’Connor’s runaway daughter, Trudy (Gale Storm), shows up that night to retrieve a few of her things. Bullock and McKeever assume she’s breaking in and she thinks likewise of them, until she eavesdrops on a conversation and learns the truth. She tosses out a sad story and they begrudgingly allow her to stay — unaware it’s her own home.

A couple of Bullock’s war buddies, who also have housing woes, move in as well — with families in tow. The guys have a plan to convert unused military barracks into much needed housing, and of course, O’Connor also has eyes on the property. A bidding war ensues, with neither knowing who the opposing party is.

And in the midst of the mayhem, a romance buds between Jim and Trudy.

O’Connor tracks down his runaway daughter, who confesses the romance and the happenings back at the house. She wants her father to meet Jim, but doesn’t want Jim to know her real name and wealthy status — yet. Besides, Jim is still fuming about his eviction by O’Connor. So, her father goes “undercover” as a bum, “Mike,” in his own house.

He soon gets fed up with all the freeloaders and threatens to call the cops. So, Trudy makes a call — to her mother, Mary (Ann Harding), who’s divorced from her father and living in Florida. She rushes to the rescue, joining the group as “Mary,” the household cook. What will “Mike” think of that? Now that’s what I call a crazy mix of holiday guests!

So many secrets and so many questions. Will the guys get their barracks deal? Will Jim and Trudy’s romance last, and will Mike and Mary rekindle theirs? Will McKeever and Sam have to find a new winter home? And will the food in the mansion’s pantry hold out through the holidays?

Don DeFore appeared in many movies and TV shows, most notably “Hazel” and “The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet.” Gale Storm likewise had a lengthy movie, TV and recording repertoire. Viewers might recognize one of Bullock’s buddies, played by Alan Hale, Jr., whose credits later included “The Skipper” in TV’s “Gilligan’s Island.”

“It Happened on 5th Avenue,” directed by Roy Del Ruth, was nominated for one Academy Award, for best story, but lost out to another holiday film at another New York address — “Miracle on 34th Street.”

For many years, I had a hard time believing it was NOT directed by Frank Capra; it just seems to hold so many Capra-esque qualities: ruthless mogul vs. the common man, fast-paced dialogue, likeable characters, all sprinkled with humor and quirkiness. Only recently did I learn that Capra was indeed supposed to direct it, but decided instead to do another movie called “It’s a Wonderful Life.”

Well, that turned out pretty good for him, too.