Pleasantly eschewing the logical in favor of the sentimental
In this elaborately scripted fantasy, when three aging businessmen are unexpectedly left without guests on Christmas Eve, each tosses a wallet including a ten dollar bill from a window in hopes that someone honest will return one, and be asked to dinner, to make their holiday less lonely. Two of the three billfolds are returned, by a young man (Richard Carlson) and a young woman (Jean Parker) whose lives are acutely changed as they are welcomed not only to the table of the three gentlemen but also into their hearts and those of their two retainers (Maria Ouspenskaya and Alex Melesh). The young pair quite appropriately fall in love, only to have their beatitude marred when their sage benefactors die in a plane crash, but when the three promptly return to their town manse as apparitions, a bittersweet tale unfolds when Jimmy, the young man, falls prey to a siren (Helen Vinson) and the trio (C. Aubrey Smith, Charles Winninger, Harry Carey) in their belief that they will not be received in Heaven until they assist the lad in untangling himself from the vixen, set out to do so. After two of the spirits wend their way to Elysium, the last (Winninger) decides to remain within the shadow of Earth, swooping about while attempting to assist his young former charges with their romantic travails. All boils down to an eminently satisfactory ending, with fine work by those involved, including splendid editing by Otto Ludwig and top-drawer art direction by Stephen Goosson, while cast member Ouspenskaya, as a noble émigré from Russia, is especially effective in this amiable film.
Ghost Story...
Jean Lawrence (Jean Parker of Little Women) and Jimmy Houston (Richard Carlson) are two young lovers who meet and are helped along by three older gentlemen. When the three gents are killed in a plane crash, they return to their home in order to fulfill their unearthly destinies. Jimmy drifts away from Jean after becoming the latest singing sensation. He goes off with a young starlet whose jealous, gun-toting ex-husband is hot on their trail! Can the trio of ghostly friends intervene before it's too late? To complicate matters, two of the three are called to their final rewards, leaving only one spirit to assist the young couple! BEYOND TOMORROW also stars Maria Ouspenskaya (The Wolfman) as a russian woman with a heart of gold. A good old-fashioned story from a far less cynical time. Well worth owning...
...but one star for the format
I think this movie (story wise) is worth watching. However, I wish I had purchased a version with all scenes intact. This version is 79 minutes and the deleted scenes only about 5 minutes. I can't imagine why they felt it necessary to take out 5 minutes, especially because as I watched, it was obvious that scenes were being skipped. After watching the deleted scenes, things made more sense and I felt the movie would have flowed better had they been left in.
If you are prone to cry at sad movies this one will probably get to you. It's about three older well-to-do gentlemen that toss 3 wallets out their window on Christmas Eve to see if anyone is honest enough to bring them back. Two come back, one via a young woman; the other a young man and romance ensues. Sadly the trio that brought them together meet with a tragic death. However, they then become guardian angels of sorts to the young couple. I recommend this to those who like vintage movies but do also recommend watching the black and white version before the colorized. I found myself distracted by the added fake color. Make sure you get the 84 minute version though.
One of the truly great Christmas films at long last comes to DVD. Ed Asner, Fred Gwynne, Rene Auberjenois, and writer/director Alan Shapiro and his talented crew make this Dickens-esque family perennial a must-see. Do yourself a favor and get a copy. More Info about this DVD Director(s): Alan Shapiro DVD Release Date: Released the 07 September 2004 Usually ships in 24 hours
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Although it's now more of a curiosity and a quaint reminder of a time when movies possessed a quality of innocence that has long since vanished, The Great Rupert was something of a marvel when it was released in 1950. Produced by special-effects pioneer George Pal, who had delighted audiences of the 1940s with his innovative series of Puppetoon shorts, this charming comedy employs Pal's technique of animated puppetry to bring life to the title character--a lovable trained squirrel that comes to the rescue of a down-and-out family of vaudeville performers in the depths of the Great Depression.
Jimmy Durante leads the struggling clan, barely able to pay rent in a converted garage adjoining the home of a man who's been stockpiling lucrative investment dividends in the floorboard... More Info about this DVD Director(s): Irving Pichel DVD Release Date: Released the 04 November 2003 Usually ships in 24 hours
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We bought ANGEL DOLL after reading about it in a piece for the St. Jude's Children's Hospital in Memphis (the film has a connection to this facility). Our expectations were not high, but the film was quite a pleasant surprise. There are no big stars in the movie, but the performances are solid and believable. I've seen my share of similar plot-lines (i.e., poor kid or family overcomes hardships to appreciate the true meaning of Christmas or friendship or loyalty or whatever. But Angel Doll does not cross into hokeyville. It manages to remain true to its themes and entertaining to the viewer. For the price, it's a wonderful value for any video collection. More Info about this DVD Director(s): Alexander Johnston DVD Release Date: Released the 11 November 2003 Usually ships in 24 hours
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Excellent product and very prompt delivery. Very happy with the transaction. More Info about this DVD Director(s): Rodney Gibbons DVD Release Date: Released the 23 September 2003 Usually ships in 24 hours
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I saw this video surfing through Amazon, and decided to buy it. I am a big fan of Christmas in general and especially the movies. I read other reviews about Jack being a jerk and this a dull movie. I thought completly otherwise. For someone who has ever lost a family member would know what this character is feeling. He is having a difficult time dealing with the passing of his adopted father. He seeks answers from his home town. He is a typical man that does not want to speak about his feelings with his wife and is why he kind of closes off to her. Both my two children are adopted and I often wonder if they will have the same feelings as Jack did. I knew he would eventually seek the comfort from his wife, but it was in his time to do so. The ending was very emotional for me when... More Info about this DVD DVD Release Date: Released the 09 November 2004 Usually ships in 6 to 8 days
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