One Foot in Heaven

With one foot in heaven is an American feature film from 1941 by the biographical novel One Foot in Heaven - The Life of a Practical Parson by Hartzell Spence, who appeared 1940.

Action

William Spence lives in 1904 in the Canadian Stratford. After hearing an evangelical preacher, he changes his plans for the near future. Instead of a medical school to visit, he will turn to the priesthood. Williams first item is a priest of a Methodist church in a small town in the U.S. state of Iowa. With his wife Hope he manages to put the dilapidated rectory repaired.

The Spences pull in the sequence from community to community. The couple had two children, Eileen and Hartzell. During the war years, William can supplement the family income by organizing wedding ceremonies. Hope is pregnant a third time, bringing to a baby boy. The couple can not agree on a name for the young first. Hope wants the boy William junior call, but William proposes to give him the middle name Frazer. Hartzell can not deal with the idea that a priest 's son should set a good example for other boys. William explains that a pastor's family go for a walk on a tightrope, always with one foot on earth and the other in the sky.

William is told that they had seen his son Hartzell in a movie, something that was forbidden at the time for Methodists. William accompanied Hartzell to the cinema and wants to show him why movies are bad for people. In the film shown William S. Hart plays the main role. The film impressed the priest, who in his sermon the parishioners suggests the following Sunday that young people can teach older people something.

The 1920 does not prove to be economically successful, but for the Spences whose parsonage is quite run down in Denver. William wants to build a new church and a new parsonage, but power struggles and intrigues within the community derail the plans. When he refuses, not to visit the chauffeur of wealthy Lydia Sandow, Mrs. Sandow leave the church. William resolves the bad church choir and replaces it with a children's choir. The choir director Mrs. Thurston also leave the church. Hartzell is dismissed out of school because he allegedly impregnated a girl.

William goes on a search for the girl's family, who lives in California now. There, William recognizes that the rumors is nothing to it. Back in Denver, he confronts the Thurston who have put the rumor of pregnancy in circulation, with its findings. He presents the choice to have to answer for it before the congregation or to pay a certain sum to the church fund. A year later, the new church was built and the Spences can use the new parsonage relate. They are aware that they will be staying only a short time here, because William already has a prospective job. But William also knows that he leaves behind a back -blown community.

Reviews

"The film is in the optimistic Hollywood style insights into the practice of the American Methodist movement, its renewal efforts, the worries of a pastor's family and the seriousness of their Christian faith. Thanks to the humorous representation of a credible witness. "

" [ ... ] More cheerful and compassionate film, an excellent character study. "

" A warm and human morality preaching for fear of God. [ ... ] The only fault of the film lie in the prolixity of the first half and in the tendency of the director Irving Rapper, skip the hectic years of depression after the war. "

Awards

In 1942 the production of the Warner Bros. in the category was nominated for the Oscar for Best Picture, but lost the drama How Green Was My Valley by John Ford

Background

The film was on October 2, 1941 in Washington, DC premiered. In Germany, he first appeared in January 1947. On German television, it was also broadcast under the title step into the sky.

William S. Hart, whose Western The Silent Man is the movie from 1917, the watch William and Hartzell Spence in the cinema, was guest of honor at the Hollywood premiere of the film.

Hard Zell's Spence 's biography, was the basis of the screenplay, based on the life of his father, William Spence, who worked as a Methodist pastor in Iowa and Colorado from 1904 to the 1920s into it.

Small supporting roles played Chester Conklin and Gig Young.

For lead actor Fredric March, the film was a kind of luck. Not only was he a challenge for him, since the story spanned over 20 years. March was at the time a group of actors to ( among them Franchot Tone and James Cagney ), which should be heard by the Committee on Un-American Activities because of their support of liberal projects. Although all actors accused were acquitted, but their reputation was damaged.

Irving Rapper worked here only the second time as a director. It replaced the original Anatole Litvak committed, for which he worked as a dialogue director before. Was supported by rapper Methodist pastor and author Norman Vincent Peale, the rapper and actor, particularly March and Scott advised.

1941 in film Casey Robinson Film score Charles Rosher Warren Low Harry Davenport (actor) Moroni Olsen Stratford (Ontario) Bosley Crowther 14th Academy Awards Academy Award for Best Picture
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