Christmas Ghosts

 

 

 

 

Yes, folks! I'm back to my old Christmas in November tricks. Although, really, Christmas only figures in to about the first 15 minutes or so of this film, so it might be more of just a sentimental romance than anything. But, if you know me, you KNOW there has to be more than just that angle or it wouldn't be showing at The Midnite Drive-In... The ghost angle, of course, is what attracted me, even though the ghost angle was essentially played for laughs and sentimentality... 

Between the start of the cinema age and, roughly. the mid-50's the "ghost" theme seemed to crop up more for laughs and romance than actual "scare the pants off" trope. After all, one of the first films that portrayed a ghost, the 1898 The Haunted Castle, used the the ghost for "amusement, rather than fear". And over the years well into the 50's, comedy and romance were more central to ghost movies. Witness such films as Topper (1937), The Ghost Breakers (1940), Hold That Ghost (1941),   The Canterville Ghost (1944) or The Ghost and Mrs. Muir (1947).

To be sure, there WERE a smattering of seriously horror entries during that period. The Uninvited (1944) and Dead of Night (1945) are two examples of English language films that were released. But many of the more eerie films involving ghosts were usually of foreign (non-English) variety. The Phantom Carriage (1921; Sweden), La Llorona (1933; Mexico)  and Ghosts of Yotsuya (1949; Japan) were some of the creepier ones.

OK, so this film falls firmly into the category of "ghosts that aren't scary" line of movies. But even that is not what attracted me to this film. No, one of the draws for me was to see an early role by Richard Carlson, an actor who was in a few of my favorite science fiction films such as Creature from the Black Lagoon, The Magnetic Monster and It Came from Outer Space.

The rest of the cast consists mainly of character actors. The more well-known of these would probably have been Harry Carey, who had been a regular in many of the Poverty Row westerns of the silent and early sound westerns, as well as a frequent co-star with John Wayne. Also on that familiar name list would be Maria Ouspenskaya, who often played women of foreign nationalities, including a couple of times as a Gypsy woman Maleva in the Universal horror films, The Wolf Man and Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man. Prior to this film she had been nominated for Oscars.

Rounding out the character actor troupe were Charles Winninger and C. Aubrey Smith. As well, Jean Parker and Helen Vinson both had significant female roles. Neither of those names were familiar to me, nor were they familiar to my sister, who has watched many more of those old mainsteam movies than I have.

 

 

 

Beyond Tomorrow (1940):

The film opens on Christmas Eve as three old bachelor entrepreneurs work on a project for the coming year. At least, two of them are anyway.  George Melton (Harry Carey) and Allen Chadwick (C. Aubrey Smith) have the bottom line foremost in their mind. Their third partner, Michael O'Brien (Charles Winninger) is much more of a free spirit, arriving with presents for everyone, and chides his partners for making everyone work through Christmas Eve.

 

When a telegram arrives that gives some bad news, that some expected guests for dinner will not be showing, both George and Allen become even more down on the holiday and the good will spirit of humanity, but Michael, ever the optimist, thinks they are both wrong. To prove his point he suggests that each of them throw out of the window a wallet with $10 and their cards and sees who will return the wallets. Both George and Allen are absolutely sure none of the wallets will be returned, but Michael insists they will, and that those good souls who return the wallets can be invited to Christmas Eve dinner to replace the missing guests.

 

One of the wallets is indeed kept by the person finding it, but two of them are returned. One is returned by a Texan who stayed after his rodeo left town, James Houston (Richard Carlson) and another is returned by a local schoolteacher, Jean Lawrence (Jean Parker). The two are invited to stay, and as could be expected in such fantasy worlds as movies like this, the two hit it off. Over the course of a few weeks, a love blossoms and there is talk of even marriage.

 

It turns out that James can sing. (and it also turns out, to my surprise, that it really is Carlson who is singing in those musical numbers...) He plans to get work as a singer, the better to help him make enough to be a good and productive husband. 

 

The three benefactors make plans to fly to Philadelphia. Their housekeeper, Madame Tanya (Maria Ouspenskaya), begs them to take the train instead but they insist she is overreacting. But as often is the case, these Eastern European women seem to have a sixth sense about the future, because the three do end up dying, and returning to the mansion where they had lived. Thus we get our three ghosts.

 

The three men, while still living, had bequeathed a series of bonds to the couple so they could afford to get married. This sets off a sequence of events where the story is picked up by the newspapers and James is offered a tryout for a radio program. At the tryout he meets Arlene Terry (Helen Vinson) an established singer who invites him to meet her manager. (BTW, I found out later that the woman in the beginning of the film who keeps the money and ditches the wallet instead of returning it was this same woman... Sort of hints at just what kind of woman she is, given that.)

 

The three ghosts watch on in dismay as it looks like James might be going down the wrong path. He becomes more involved with trying to advance his career (and in the process alienating Jean). He also seems to be developing an infatuation for his singing partner. Arlene, however, has her own past to deal with, including an alcoholic ex-husband who is unwilling to let bygones be bygones.   

You can see it coming from a mile away. As James and Arlene's relationship advances Jean becomes more and more convinced she is losing him. And the ex-husband is determined that if he can't have Arlene, by gum, no one can. 

In between all this the archangels in Heaven keep returning for the lost souls of the three men. Ultimately both Charles and Allen are taken, but when the Heavenly hosts finally return for Michael, he insists that he can't go until the situation between James and Jean is resolved. And things look bleak for that when the ex-husband shows up where James and Arlene are meeting and shoots them both.

But remember, folks, this is not only 1940, but it's also supposed to be a feel good movie. So don't start crying yet.

Beyond Tomorrow has it's flaws. For one thing, James is a rather shallow character, played rather shallowly by Carlson. Just when you start to feel good about a guy who seems to really want to find his place in life, complete with the requisite girl of his dreams, he goes off on a jaunt to find fame and fortune, neglecting said girl of his dreams. He is easily distracted by cute girl of the moment. It appears at the outset that this might be just a part of the part she can play in helping his career, but then the character of James is tarnished by the fact that he can't seem to differentiate between what is good for his career and what is good for his home life. Although he initially still has his devotion to Jean, he seems to be unable to resist the wiles of the bad girl, Arlene.

One can easily see why Arlene's first marriage did not work out. I'm not entirely sure that her ex-husband didn't become an alcoholic after the fact, rather than, as she says, the alcoholism was part and parcel of what led her down the road to divorce. In that instance, even though she is a cardboard cutout character of a "bad woman" I think that Helen Vinson imbues her with just enough subtlety to give her some dimension. 

The three main characters of the men/ghosts are much better. Especially Winninger has the ever optimistic Michael.  The sad part is that they don't seem to have much to do in the story after the transformation from living to deceased. Mostly they seem to just stand around and shake their heads in despair at how James is ruining his chances for true love. But Ouspenskaya has some bright spots as the intuitive Madame Terry, and even though she can't see he ghosts, she knows they are there and has a rapport with them.

Calling this a Christmas movie is not quite right, but the feelings and it's overall message is something akin to A Christmas Carol, because the character of Allen does eventually transition from the curmudgeonly Scrooge-like man while still alive to a change of heart at the end. And the final realization of James that the life he really wants is the one he already has can be something like Jimmy Stewart's George Bailey's transformation in It's A Wonderful Life. 

 So, is this a good movie? Overall, I would say yes. 

Good tidings for the coming season.

Quiggy