Chance at Heaven

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Chance at Heaven (27-Oct-1933)

Writers: Julian Josephson; Sarah Y. Mason; Viña Delmar

Music Director: Max Steiner

Keywords: Drama

Name Occupation Birth Death Known for

Andy Devine Actor 7-Oct-1905 18-Feb-1977 Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok

Virginia Hammond Actor 20-Aug-1893 6-Apr-1972 Romeo and Juliet

Lucien Littlefield Actor 16-Aug-1895 4-Jun-1960 American character actor

Joel McCrea Actor 5-Nov-1905 20-Oct-1990 Ride the High Country

George Meeker Actor 5-Mar-1904 19-Aug-1984 History Is Made at Night

Marian Nixon Actor 20-Oct-1904 13-Feb-1983 The Sweetest Girl In Hollywood

Ginger Rogers Dancer 16-Jul-1911 25-Apr-1995 The Gay Divorcee

CAST

with
Ginger Rogers ... Marjorie Harris
Joel McCrea ... Blacky Gorman
Marian Nixon ... Glory Franklyn
Andy Devine ... Al
Lucien Littlefield ... Mr. Harris
Virginia Hammond ... Mrs. Franklyn
George Meeker ... Sid Larrick
Ann Shoemaker ... Mrs. Harris

REVIEWS

Review by Dave Patterson (posted on 30-Sep-2010)

This film was a huge surprise, and introduced me to the early Ginger Rogers films, before the Astaire connection. This film is a melodrama, which by today's standards would be called a "chic flick", but partly because it was made before the Haye's Code took full affect, it had an edge and some naughty humor. Marian Nixon (as Glory Franklyn), an almost unknown actress, was brilliant as the manipulative, silly and saucy foil to Ginger Roger and her romantic interest. Joel McCrae (Blackie Gorman) plays his role very smoothly, as the auto mechanic with dreams of his own service station, and as his romantic situation becomes complicated, he shows the strain with a subtle but frustrated expressiveness. The romantic-comedy takes twists that are not as predictable as is commonplace. Blackie becomes unbearably selfish and is naively smitten with Glory the debutante. The characters are flawed without the usual limitations. Ginger Rogers ("Mug" Harris) goes along with McCrae's philandering, and shows a strange combination of iron will and unbending patience as the ultimate girl next door. Instead of being portrayed as a fool, she is a heroine. Her patience with Blackie is somehow believable, which can only be projected by Rogers passionate performance. Entertaining, but not your typical Hollywood fluff. Great cinematography helps creates an effective polarization between Glory Franklyn's glamorous world (which though just outside of town, could be a million miles away) and Blackie's simple life at the quaint little gas station.

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