One Foot in Heaven (Warner Bros.) (1941)

OPENING DAY PUBLICITY — “ONE FOOT IN HEAVEN” ‘One Foot In Heaven’ Today's Opening At Strand Theatre Entertainment in every sense cf the word is what Strand Theatre patrons will find today when they see the initial showing of Warner Bros.’ latest film, “One Foot In Heaven”. It tells the story of a parson and his typical American family. Typical, in that they laugh at the same things, share the same joys and sorrows, and have the same problems as any family, anywhere in the United States. It is a quaint, nostalgic tale containing much warm humor, with the average Midwestern small town for its background. It opens in those gay days just after the turn of the century and continues through the riotous days after the Armistice of World War I. “One Foot In Heaven” has a grand cast featuring Fredric March and Martha Scott in the starring roles with Beulah Bondi, Gene Lockhart, Elisabeth Fraser, Harry Davenport, Laura Hope Crews, Moroni Olsen, Frankie Thomas and a host of other fine players in the supporting parts. Fredric March, always one of the best of the screen’s dramatic actors, plays the role of Father, a benevolent tyrant whose outward discipline and inward sympathy makes him one of the screen’s most lovable characters. His constant struggle to keep both his family and his congregation in line proves a lifetime task, that is fraught with heartaches and happiness. Martha Scott, famous for her stage and screen performances in “Our Town”, is cast as the parson’s wife, a role for which she is perfectly suited. Martha’s continual problem is that of trying to strike a happy medium between Father’s discipline and the children’s human inclination to cut up once in'‘a while and forget that their father is a minister, and that they are supposed to provide an example of good conduct to the other children. Casey Robinson wrote the screen play which he adapted from Hartzell Spence’s famous book. Father, in “One Foot In Heaven” is drawn from Spence’s real father. Veteran Character Actress Kept Busy When it comes to working long hard hours, the veteran character star, Laura Hope Crews, can show the Hollywood youngsters a thing or two in the way of endurance. After putting in a full day on the “One Foot In Heaven” set at Warner Bros. recently. Miss Crews did a hasty wardrobe change, had a bite to eat, and went right over to the “The Man Who Came to Dinner” set, where she worked until 11:30 p.m. What the Warner Bros. production executives didn’t know when they asked her to do the double shift was that they were lucky in their choice of days. Thursday happens to be Miss Crews’ “lucky day.” She believes that very profoundly. So, no matter how late she worked Wednesday night, and how tired she became, she’d feel fine Thursday. Mat 105 — 15c Laura Hope Crews INTRODUCING THE FAMILY! right) Elisabeth Frankie Fraser, (Left to Thomas, Fredric March, Martha Scott and Casey Johnson as the family whose life and times are told with warmth, humor and charm in the Strand's new picture, ‘One Foot In Heaven". The film is based on the recent book by Hartzell Spence and is the story of his own family during the first quarter of the century. Mat 208 — 30c ‘One Foot In Heaven’ at the Strand Richly Entertaining Film Drama Fredric March and Martha Scott Splendid In Roles Combining Humor and Pathos As far out of the formula movie territory as the title implies, “One Foot in Heaven” which opened last night at the Strand presents a story that is as refreshingly different as it is richly entertaining. The country minister (preacher in rural Midwest parlance) and his faithful wife come into their own in this Warner Bros. picture starring Fredric March and Martha Scott. From their early trials, at times highly humorous, at others semi-tragic, to victory in a rousing struggle, and to final renunciation of material comforts for the sake of the Cause, they do themselves, and their calling, proud. The story is largely factual, being based on Hartzell Spence’s biography of his own minister father. Young Spence, a former newspaperman, sub-titled his book, ‘““One Foot in Heaven,” “the story of a practical parson.” From that sub-title, Warner Bros. evidently took their cue for the film. As Casey Robinson wrote the screen play, and as the players enacted it under the direction of Irving Rapper, “One Foot in Heaven” is a practical motion picture. While losing none of the spiritual uplift of characters and subject, it is first, last and all the time, entertainment. The story opens in 1904 with William H. Spence, brilliant young medical student at Toronto University, announcing to his fiancee and her astounded parents that he is giving up his studies to enter the Methodist ministry. The fledgling preacher and his pretty bride are next shown arriving at their first charge, in Lakewood, Iowa, to be (Prepared Review) greeted by a set of circumstances that might have caused the stoutest hearts to quail. The parsonage is a dismal wreck, furnished with hand-me-downs and discarded monstrosities of so-called art. The salary, $650 a year, is payable if and when the struggling congregation can raise it. But the people are warm-hearted, kindly. From one struggling charge and one dingy parsonage to another, the minister and his wife go their way of service, giving their all in strength and time, never thinking of themselves. Their family is growing, responsibilities multiplying. The saga of service, related in incidents replete with drama, humor and human interest, closes with an inspiring note. The Rev. Spence has built a new church. It offers everything he and his wife have ever dreamed of for themselves — a comfortable parsonage included. With his wife’s whole hearted approval, he leaves it to accept a. poor, struggling charge in a rural community. In keeping with the importance of the stellar assignments, as fine an array of supporting players as was ever assembled for a picture carry the subordinate roles. Such distinguished character stars as Beulah Bondi, Gene Lockhart, Harry Davenport, Laura Hope Crews, and Jerome Cowan play the mature characters. Elisabeth Fraser, a promising young actress from the New York stage, and Frankie Thomas, also a stage-trained youth, portray the two older Spence children. In bringing this story to the screen in the proper manner, Warner Bros. sought the aid and guid ance of the religious world. A committee of prominent Protestant clergymen representing many denominations met and selected the Rev. Dr. Norman Vincent Peale, pastor of the Marble Collegiate Church of New York City, to go to Hollywood and serve as technical advisor. It was probably a new type of service for him, but “One Foot in Heaven” is a new type of picture. The characters and the incidents it portrays will not, however, be new to average Americans. They’re as familiar as life itself. Martha Scott Has Pretty Legs, But Can't Show Them! It takes an actress who is really devoted to her art to play a period role in these defense-booming days of high prices and short skirts. There’s Martha Scott, for example. Miss Scott is playing a charactor role that is long on human interest drama in “One Foot in Heaven.” It is also long on skirts. As she walks about the Warner Bros. film, Miss Scott’s limbs are demurely concealed by the voluminous folds of period gowns. It is a distinction they have all to themselves. Ann Sheridan, it’s true, is affecting long skirts of the slinky, clinging type for her siren role in “The Man Who Came To Dinner.” But artful, and deep, slits in the skirt reveal enticing glimpses of the lovely Sheridan gams. Priscilla Lane and Betty Field have no immediate worries about the silk hosiery supply, judging by the expanse of it they display in their “Blues in the Night” roles. Even Bette Davis is tripping about the “Man Who Came to Dinner” stages in a fraction of an inch below knee-length creations that are the stylists gift to a care weary world. Miss Davis has very nice legs! Which brings us back to Miss Scott. There’s a very lovely figure and as neat a pair of legs as one is apt. to see outside of a bathing beauty parade beneath the gracefully trailing gowns she’s wearing. That’s not hearsay. Miss Scott, on occasion, has appeared on the sound stages in California play suits. But while she’s young, pretty, and as shapely as any girl has a right to be, Miss Scott does not bemoan her sad fate in having to hide, or at least cover, her curves beneath a gown screen. On the contrary, she thinks she’s lucky to be playing the minister’s wife in “One Foot in Heaven.” It’s the character that counts, Miss Scott staunchly avers, not the physical display. And she probably has something there. At least she’s done right handsomely on characters to date, what with “Our Town,” “The Howards of Virginia” and “Cheers for Miss Bishop.” She'll take her chances on the meaty character roles until the right modern part comes along to give her the chance to show she has nice legs. Meantime, she has the satisfaction of knowing she has them. Mat 209 — 30c MOTHER'S JOB on Sunday is keeping the children amused with quiet games suitable to the Sabbath, as Martha Scott demonstrates in this scene from "One Foot In Heaven", the tender, human story of a country minister's family.