It can be categorized within many film genres - it functions as a horror film, a war film, a science fiction film, a black comedy, a suspense-thriller, and a political melodrama (with additional segments of romance and action).Now don""t forget it."Up on his rooftop at daybreak the next day, Terry ells a fourteen-year old neighborhood boy named Tommy (Thomas Handley) hat he thinks his pigeons have the life:Boy, they sure got it made, huh? Eatin"".It tells the story of a turn-of-the-century family in suburban, midwestern St.Louis of 1903, who live in a stylish Edwardian home at 5135 Kensington Avenue.The city, and he well-to-do Smith family (with four beautiful daughters), is on the verge of hosting (and celebrating) the arrival of the spectacular 1904 World""s Fair.Whatever they are, they breathe air." The wind was being sucked into a white-tiled, circular hole high up on a wall - and as he grasped the ladder to climb up to the vent, the humming stopped.The film is remarkably faithful to the incredible true-life, autobiographical misfortunes and experiences of Burns:In mid-1919 after returning from the warfront, an idealistic, down-on-his-luck WWI veteran (Burns) found only low-paying jobs, and his previous job (paying $50/week) had been filled.