Beyond Tomorrow (1940)Three ghosts try to help two young lovers whom they knew when alive. Director:A. Edward Sutherland |
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Beyond Tomorrow (1940)Three ghosts try to help two young lovers whom they knew when alive. Director:A. Edward Sutherland |
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| Complete credited cast: | |||
| Harry Carey | ... |
George Melton
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| C. Aubrey Smith | ... |
Allan Chadwick
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Charles Winninger | ... |
Michael O'Brien
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Alex Melesh | ... |
Josef - Butler
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Maria Ouspenskaya | ... |
Madam Tanya
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Helen Vinson | ... |
Arlene Terry
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| Rod La Rocque | ... |
Phil Hubert
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| Richard Carlson | ... |
James Houston
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| Jean Parker | ... |
Jean Lawrence
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J. Anthony Hughes | ... |
Officer Johnson
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Robert Homans | ... |
Sergeant
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Virginia McMullen | ... |
Secretary
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James Bush | ... |
Jace Taylor
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| William Bakewell | ... |
David Chadwick
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Melton, Chadwick and O'Brien, rich but lonely heads of an engineering firm, invite three strangers to dinner on Christmas Eve. Only two show up, James and Jean, they fall in love and become friends with their three benefactors...until the latter are killed in a plane crash and come back to their old home as ghosts. In the coming months, true love encounters some rough spots; can ghostly O'Brien help the young folks? Written by Rod Crawford <puffinus@u.washington.edu>
Wonderful Christmastime fantasy about three old men getting young, handsome, hunky Richard Carlson to fall in love with sweet, young, beautiful Jean Parker. There's a lot more to it but I don't want to ruin it.
This is VERY low-budget and the story is overly sentimental and more than a little silly--but I have a soft spot in my heart for it. When I was young a local TV station showed this film around Christmastime for years. I haven't seen for almost 30 years but caught it on TCM. And i STILL love it!
Something about it has always captivated me. The whole movie was somewhat predictable but I kept watching enthralled. The acting was excellent by everybody (Carlson especially--and his singing is GREAT) and the story didn't get too goody-goody or syrupy. And it all ends on a very happy note. And damned if that ending didn't have me crying.
A wonderful Christmas movie--right up there with "A Christmas Story" and "It's a Wonderful Life". This film should really be rediscovered. Well worth seeing.
Unfortunately the print on TCM is in terrible condition. It's faded and jumpy but not unwatchable. Still worth seeing. I heard there's a COLORIZED print of this! Avoid that at all costs.