Beyond Tomorrow (film)

Last updated
Beyond Tomorrow
Beyond Tomorrow poster.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by A. Edward Sutherland
Written byScreenplay by
Adele Comandini
(associate producer)
Original story by Mildred Cram and Adele Comandini
Produced by Lee Garmes
Starring Charles Winninger
Richard Carlson
Maria Ouspenskaya
Jean Parker
Helen Vinson
C. Aubrey Smith
Harry Carey
Cinematography Lester White, A.S.C.
Edited by Otto Ludwig
Music by Frank Tours
Distributed by RKO Radio Pictures
Release date
  • May 10, 1940 (1940-05-10)
Running time
84 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Beyond Tomorrow (also known as And So Goodbye and Beyond Christmas) is a 1940 American fantasy film directed by A. Edward Sutherland and produced by noted cinematographer Lee Garmes; Garmes was one of a handful of cinematographers who became film producers. [1]

Contents

Structured as a B film, the production did not engage any stars who would receive billing above the title, relying instead on a quartet of veteran character actors, Charles Winninger, Maria Ouspenskaya, C. Aubrey Smith and Harry Carey, second-tier young leads Richard Carlson and Jean Parker as well as "other woman" Helen Vinson, a minor lead/second lead actress during the early- and mid-1930s, here approaching the end of her career. All seven actors received a "Featuring" billing after the title. The remaining supporting cast included Rod La Rocque, a top leading man of the silent era, now reduced to playing minor supporting roles.

Because the events of the plot take place during the Christmas season, it is a contemporary, but little-remembered example of the Christmas film. [2] The original print has been digitally remastered and preserved by the National Film Museum, Incorporated.

Plot

Engineers George Melton and Allan Chadwick work furiously to complete a design on time, even though it is Christmas Eve. Michael O'Brien, the third partner in the firm, arrives with presents for all and kindly lets their employees leave. [3] The three old men then go home to the mansion they share with Madame Tanya, an elderly countess dispossessed by the Russian Revolution, for a dinner with prestigious guests.

When the guests cancel at the last minute, George is convinced it is because of his dark past. To relieve George's black mood, Michael comes up with an idea to obtain new guests for dinner. Each man throws out a wallet containing $10 and his business card into the street. George's is found by Arlene Terry, who merely gives the money to her driver and discards the wallet. However, the other two are returned by more considerate people: Texas cowboy James Houston and teacher Jean Lawrence. They stay for dinner and soon become good friends with the three men and Madame Tanya. James and Jean also fall in love with each other, delighting the three men.

When the engineers have to travel to another city on business, Madame Tanya begs Michael to take the train rather than fly. He assures her it is perfectly safe, but Madame Tanya's premonition proves tragically correct when their aircraft crashes in a storm, killing all three. When James and Jean come to announce that they are engaged, they receive the bad news. The ghosts of the three men return home, where they are dimly sensed by Madame Tanya.

It turns out that Michael had bequeathed some bonds to the young couple so they could afford to marry. The story is picked up by the press, and as a result, James is invited to be a guest on a radio show. This is the opportunity he has been waiting for to showcase his wonderful singing voice. At the studio, James bumps into Arlene Terry, an established singing star. She wishes him well and is impressed by his performance. She had been wanting to replace her aging partner; she and her manager, Phil Hubert, offer James a starring role in her new show. He accepts.

As James spends time with Arlene rehearsing, he becomes infatuated with her and neglects Jean, much to the distress of the ghosts, who are powerless to do anything. When Arlene's ex-husband bangs on her door, she has James leave by the back door, but not before persuading him to take a three-day break from work with her in the country.

George is summoned to leave the world. Michael begs him to repent before it is too late, but George refuses to be a hypocrite and walks away amid thunder and lightning into the darkness. Soon it is Allan's turn. His son David comes to take him to Heaven to be reunited with his wife. When Michael is called, he refuses to leave James, although a voice tells him each person is summoned only once and that he will be doomed to roam the Earth forever if he turns it down.

When Arlene leaves her apartment to meet James, her ex-husband is waiting. He needs her help to get back on his feet. However, she coldly brushes him off. When Arlene and James drive away, the jealous, estranged husband follows and shoots them when they stop for dinner. James dies on the operating table with his spirit greeted by Michael who then intercedes on his behalf, pleading with a "voice from above," for a second chance for the young man. [N 1] His wish is granted and James returns to life. Michael is reunited with a now-repentant George, and both are admitted into Heaven.

Cast

In order of their appearance

Production

Principal photography for Beyond Tomorrow began in late November 1939 at the General Service Studios. [4]

Song

The song "It's Raining Dreams" was written by Harold Spina and Charles Newman.

Reception

Although Beyond Tomorrow was considered a "Christmas Carol" and had some redeeming features including its talented cast of character actors, reviewer Bosley Crowther of The New York Times felt that the plot let the film down. "For its first half it is a latter-day Christmas carol, told with a gamin tenderness and warming as a hot toddy. But when its three elderly good Samaritans return from a plane crash as celluloid chimeras, its mystical peregrinations are more preposterous than moving." [5]

Home media colorized version

In 2004, a colorized version of the black-and-white film was produced by Legend Films and released by 20th Century Fox under the title Beyond Christmas. [6] [7] [8] [9] [10]

In other media

Bridget Nelson and Mary Jo Pehl from the cult science fiction series Mystery Science Theater 3000 spoofed the film on RiffTrax December 15, 2017. [11] [12]

See also

Related Research Articles

<i>Love Affair</i> (1939 film) 1939 American romance film directed by Leo McCarey

Love Affair is a 1939 American romance film, co-starring Charles Boyer and Irene Dunne, and featuring Maria Ouspenskaya. It was directed by Leo McCarey and written by Delmer Daves and Donald Ogden Stewart, based on a story by McCarey and Mildred Cram. Controversial on concept, the official screenplay was re-tooled and rewritten to appease Hollywood censorship and relied on actor input and improvisation, causing long delays and budget extensions.

<i>House on Haunted Hill</i> 1959 horror film directed by William Castle

House on Haunted Hill is a 1959 American horror film produced and directed by William Castle, written by Robb White and starring Vincent Price, Carol Ohmart, Richard Long, Alan Marshal, Carolyn Craig, and Elisha Cook Jr. Price plays an eccentric millionaire, Frederick Loren, who, along with his wife Annabelle, has invited five people to the house for a "haunted house" party. Whoever stays in the house for one night will earn $10,000. As the night progresses, the guests are trapped within the house with an assortment of terrors. This film is perhaps best known for its promotional gimmick Emergo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maria Ouspenskaya</span> Russian actress (1876–1949)

Maria Alekseyevna Ouspenskaya was a Russian actress and acting teacher. She achieved success as a stage actress as a young woman in Russia, and as an older woman in Hollywood films. She was twice nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for Dodsworth (1936) and Love Affair (1939).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kevin Murphy (actor)</span> American actor and writer

Kevin Wagner Murphy is an American actor and writer best known as the voice and puppeteer of Tom Servo on the Peabody Award-winning comedy series Mystery Science Theater 3000. Murphy also records audio commentary tracks with Michael J. Nelson and Bill Corbett for Nelson's RiffTrax website.

<i>Santa and the Three Bears</i> 1970 American TV series or program

Santa and the Three Bears is a 1970 animated feature film, which aired in syndication on television regularly during the holiday season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rod La Rocque</span> American actor (1898–1969)

Roderick Ross La Rocque was an American actor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bill Corbett</span> American actor

William DanielCorbett is an American writer and performer for television, film and theatre. He was a writer and performer on the cult television show Mystery Science Theater 3000 (MST3K), for which he voiced Crow T. Robot during the show's later seasons on the Sci Fi Channel. During that time, he also played the character Observer, along with other minor roles.

<i>Slightly Scarlet</i> (1956 film) 1956 film by Allan Dwan

Slightly Scarlet is a 1956 American crime film starring John Payne, Rhonda Fleming and Arlene Dahl. The film was directed by Allan Dwan, and its cinematographer was John Alton. The script was based on James M. Cain's novel Love's Lovely Counterfeit.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lee Garmes</span> American cinematographer (1898–1978)

Lee Garmes, A.S.C. was an American cinematographer. During his career, he worked with directors Howard Hawks, Max Ophüls, Josef von Sternberg, Alfred Hitchcock, King Vidor, Nicholas Ray and Henry Hathaway, whom he had met as a young man when the two first came to Hollywood in the silent era. He also co-directed two films with legendary screenwriter Ben Hecht: Angels Over Broadway and Actors and Sin.

<i>Breaker! Breaker!</i> 1977 film by Don Hulette

Breaker! Breaker! is a 1977 American action film directed by Don Hulette and starring Chuck Norris in his first lead role. The co-stars include George Murdock, Don Gentry and Michael Augenstein.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">RiffTrax</span> American audio company

RiffTrax is an American company that produces scripted humorous commentary tracks which are synced to feature films, education shorts, and television episodes. With the talents of former Mystery Science Theater 3000 (MST3K) cast members and writers, RiffTrax also produces several live shows each year which are broadcast to movie theaters. The style of commentating originated from MST3K, their earlier television series, in which they would similarly mock films aloud while watching them. As of September 2024, RiffTrax has riffed 554 feature films, 488 short films, and 16 TV episodes.

<i>Hillbillys in a Haunted House</i> 1967 film by Jean Yarbrough

Hillbillys in a Haunted House is a 1967 American musical horror comedy film starring Ferlin Husky and Joi Lansing, and directed by Jean Yarbrough. The film is a sequel to The Las Vegas Hillbillys (1966), with Joi Lansing replacing Mamie Van Doren in the role of "Boots Malone".

<i>Dance, Girl, Dance</i> 1940 film by Dorothy Arzner

Dance, Girl, Dance is a 1940 American comedy-drama film directed by Dorothy Arzner and starring Maureen O'Hara, Louis Hayward, Lucille Ball, and Ralph Bellamy. The film follows two dancers who strive to preserve their own integrity while fighting for their place in the spotlight and for the affections of a wealthy young suitor.

<i>Theres Always Tomorrow</i> (1956 film) 1956 film by Douglas Sirk

There's Always Tomorrow is a 1956 American romantic melodrama film directed by Douglas Sirk and starring Barbara Stanwyck, Fred MacMurray and Joan Bennett. The screenplay by Bernard C. Schoenfeld was adapted from the novel of the same name by Ursula Parrott. The plot concerns a man's unhappiness with his domestic life and romantic relationship with a former employee. The film was produced by Ross Hunter for Universal Pictures, which had also produced the 1934 adaptation of Parrott's novel. It was released in the United States on January 8, 1956.

<i>Frankenstein Island</i> 1981 American film

Frankenstein Island is a 1981 science fiction horror film produced, written, composed, edited and directed by Jerry Warren and starring John Carradine and Cameron Mitchell. The plot concerns a group of balloonists stranded on an island where they are captured by Dr. Frankenstein's female descendant, Sheila Frankenstein, who has been kidnapping shipwrecked sailors for years and turning them into zombies.

<i>A Kiss in the Dark</i> (1949 film) 1949 film by Delmer Daves

A Kiss in the Dark is a 1949 American comedy film directed by Delmer Daves and starring David Niven, Jane Wyman, Victor Moore, Wayne Morris and Broderick Crawford. The plot involves a pianist who purchases an apartment house full of eccentric tenants.

Les Bons Vivants also known as Un grand seigneur or How to Keep the Red Lamp Burning is a French comedy film from 1965, directed by Gilles Grangier and Georges Lautner, that was written by Albert Simonin and Michel Audiard. It stars Bernard Blier, Mireille Darc, Andréa Parisy, Bernadette Lafont, and Louis de Funès.

<i>Santa and the Ice Cream Bunny</i> 1972 American film

Santa and the Ice Cream Bunny is a 1972 American musical fantasy film written, composed, shot, edited and directed by Richard Winer to frame Barry Mahon's Childhood Productions films for a Christmas release. The plot concerns Santa Claus' attempts to free his sleigh from the sands of a Florida beach, assisted by local children.

<i>The Magic Christmas Tree</i> 1964 American film

The Magic Christmas Tree is a 1964 American Christmas-themed fantasy-adventure film about a boy who uses a magic ring to bring a Christmas tree to life. The tree then grants the boy three wishes.

<i>Lovers of Paris</i> 1957 film

Lovers of Paris is a 1957 French film directed by Julien Duvivier and starring Gérard Philipe. It is based on the 1882 novel Pot-Bouille by Émile Zola.

References

  1. ↑ The voice explains that Michael's mother gave them no rest.

Citations

  1. ↑ "Hecht May Make Pix on Coast, Not in N. Y.; Lee Garmes mentioned as producer of Beyond Tomorrow". Film Daily, April 25, 1940, p. 2.
  2. ↑ Walt. " Review: 'Beyond Tomorrow' ." Variety, April 3, 1940, p. 14.
  3. ↑ Nixon, Rob. "Articles: Beyond Tomorrow." Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved: December 20, 2023.
  4. ↑ "Original Print Information: Beyond Tomorrow." Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved: December 20, 2023.
  5. ↑ Crowther, Bosley. "Beyond Tomorrow (1940);'Beyond Tomorrow' at Palace." The New York Times , September 27, 1940.
  6. ↑ "Credits: Beyond Christmas." IMDb. Retrieved: December 31, 2013.
  7. ↑ "Beyond Christmas." Archived June 28, 2011, at the Wayback Machine Yahoo! Movies. Retrieved: December 31, 2013.
  8. ↑ "Beyond Tomorrow" Milwaukee Sentinel, May 17, 1940, p. 24.
  9. ↑ "The Mark of Zorro Coming to Alhambra." The Kentucky New Era, November 29, 1940, p. 8.
  10. ↑ "Search Copyright Records: Beyond Christmas (2004)." U.S. Copyright Office. Retrieved: October 22, 2007.
  11. ↑ RiffTrax
  12. ↑ RiffTrax: A Guide to Christmas and Holiday Episodes|Den of Geek

Bibliography

  • Jewell, Richard B. The RKO Story. New Rochelle, New York: Arlington House, 1982. ISBN   0-517-54656-6.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.