bronty Review of Beyond Tomorrow

Beyond Tomorrow (1940)

Sentimental, hokey, corny - and entirely charming

[8/10 · 25 December 2004]

"Beyond Tomorrow" is most definitely a child of its time: as one user has already commented, most definitely because of its theme it would be a lovely combo with "The Wizard Of Oz", released the year before, though it hasn't a tenth of the budget of the latter and isn't at all a musical (despite 2 or 3 songs performed). I believe a comment was made regarding its almost film noir look and that's spot-on, though, of course, the idea isn't to display shadows for the sake of creating drama as much as it is for helping to hide a small budget. I've no idea if this was a popular film in its day (I've the feeling it may not have been, due perhaps to that aforementioned budget) but one can easily imagine it deeply affecting a nation torn by war and loss of loved ones, with its images of Christmas, selfless love, death, rebirth, and those who've died being called to heaven. The tale, as already told by some, is about three moneyed gentlemen in New York City who decide, on a whim, to test how true of heart their fellow denizens are by impetuously tossing their wallets out onto the sidewalk, then waiting to see who brings them back. One fails to be returned, picked up as it is by a slick, round-heeled woman, a radio performer, who takes the money inside and tosses the wallet over her shoulder with nary a second thought; the other two are quickly brought back fully intact to their owners by a tall, handsome crooner, Jimmy, and a quiet young woman, Jean, respectively. Upon seeing one another, it's love at first sight, a fact that doesn't go unnoticed by the three older men and their devoted maid and butler, refugees from Europe. Soon, they decide to do what they can to encourage this romance between these two good souls, who are quickly engaged. Then, despite a warning from their maid, they take a plane for business purposes...which crashes. The young couple and the two devoted servants are devastated, but three old men return as ghosts (despite limited funds, the special effects are entirely successful), not realizing at first that they've died, though the maid senses their presence (the only one who does, as a matter of fact). They soon decide to continue doing what they can to help guide the young lovers (who cannot hear or see them but who react to their suggestions, similar in style to the gimmicks in "A Guy Named Joe" and its remake, "Always") but Jimmy is soon 'discovered' by the scheming woman who had found the first wallet (and taken its contents) and falls under her spell, deserting his bride-to-be. Alas, in the midst of helping their two protégés, one by one the old men are 'called'; the first, a lifelong cynic, to a dark, dark place; the other, to heaven, when his long-dead son comes to take him home. The third, Mike, however, refuses to go until he can fully restore the union of the couple whom he knows should be together. No sooner does this occur when the radio performer's ex-husband follows his former wife and the Jimmy to a lounge, where he shoots and kills them both. Soon, Jimmy joins Mike as a ghost, distraught at both the pain he's caused Jean by leaving her and by dying so suddenly, but Mike offers a word of wisdom and almost instantly he is called home again; this time he doesn't refuse - he only asks that Jimmy be returned to the land of the living, a request that is granted, and as the film closes, Mike is joined by the friend who had originally gone to a very dark place and together they climb, literally, the stairway to heaven. Corny? Oh, yes. Hokey? Sure. Sentimental as all get-out. But the film is unbelievably charming and so openly wears its pure, little heart on its sleeve, that you can't help but be carried away by it. At fade-out, I couldn't help but imagine how the last few minutes (those images of death and rebirth and the belief that the dead might be safe and at peace) must have touched audiences living through that time of war, especially at Christmastime, when the absence and loss of fathers, husbands, sons, and lovers had to have been more painful than it already was. As the trio of helpful old men, harry Carey, C. Aubrey Smith, and especially Charles Winninger (as Mike), are exactly the kind of men you'd love to have as either a grandfather or mentor: warm, loving, wealthy (in all manners of speaking), and as kind as can be. As the young couple they look out for, Richard Carlson and Jean Parker are sweetness and light personified; sure, they may be somewhat TOO good but you just can't help but root for them. (And was New York City EVER this populated by such honest, good-hearted people?) I found my DVD copy, believe it or not, in a dollar store; apparently, a number of older films and TV shows of varying quality are being processed to DVD especially for dollar stores, so, as you can imagine, picture & sound quality - though surprisingly OK - are average, and with neither chapter stops or extras. Still, in whatever form you can find this lovely little fantasy-romance, please take advantage of it. You'll be rewarded with a film that just might become a perennial Christmas favorite for the entire family.