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Sadly Over-hyped

hyped garbage

The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

It's possible just to sit back and just enjoy the comedy. Actually more than a few shudders of drama are included as well, though the producer has tried to break this down by the casting of that ripe-old ham Donald MacBride as a particularly squally police inspector. Nonetheless Rita Johnson and John Emery are as cool and nasty a pair of schemers as ever deserved the hangman's noose. Don Costello's shifty manager is far from comic too. Aside from MacBride, it is largely left to Montgomery himself - with the admirable assistance of Edward Everett Horton and the less skillful but determinedly plugging-away James Gleason - to make with all the funny faces and can-this-really-be-me double takes. Midway between these two camps of farce and drama, Claude Rains plays Mr Jordan with such a suave, ironically smiling detachment that he succeeds in bringing yet a third acting force to bear on the script. Ironic detachment is a style of acting rarely used in the movies as it requires an actor with pres¬ence to bring it off - a gifted player like Claude Rains whose skilful performance is a double pleasure to see and hear. Another equally rare treat is provided by Lloyd Bridges who makes his two-line bit part memorable by mouthing his dia¬logue tongue-in-cheek. But whether played for laughs or thrills or fatal¬ism, the blending is almost always perfectly entertaining - thanks both to the collective skills of the actors and the stylish artistry of director Alexander Hall. (Two other troupers that deserve to be singled out for praise are Halliwell Hobbes as a delightfully stuffy old butler, and Evelyn Keyes who makes her heroine seem appropriately lovely and, vulnerable). Thirty years ago, Alexander Hall was a highly regarded director. He died in 1968 - too early for today's cult critics to get him down on tape - and his popularity has waned. Not all of Hall's movies are as enter¬taining or as well-served as Here Comes Mr Jordan, but there can be little doubt that Hall's was a superior talent in the fantasy field. Unlike most of the current crop of directors, Hall knew how to ration his special effects so that the movie wasn't swamped in a welter of dazzling but superfi¬cial visuals. Hall makes the effects reinforce the story - not today's way in which the story is merely an excuse for an endlessly juvenile display of cinema trickery. Hall has a real sense of timing and contrast. Admittedly, his touch is occasionally a little heavy-handed (especially in the Gleason-MacBride scenes) - but compared to the Steven Spielbergs of this world it's the excesses of a gavel to a jackhammer. He knows how to move the camera too and keep the plot moving along sharply. Of course he has a clever script to work from, ingenious not only in its princi¬pal idea but in the way it twists and turns until all the loose ends are neatly tied up at the conclusion. Perhaps it all comes out just a little too pat - but after all isn't that just what we'd expect from a Mr Jordan?Hall is also helped out by a fine array of a talent behind the camera. The sets are just right, neither calling a distracting attention to themselves by a tasteless if expensive gaudiness nor seeming on the other hand disappointingly cheap or sterile. The pho¬tography too has the perfect combination of atmosphere, realism and unobtrusive artistry. The music also contributes deftly but not egotistically to the entertainment whole.That old adage, "Many cooks spoil the broth," is usually untrue so far as films are concerned. Here is the proof. Here Comes Mr Jordan is a delectable feast. The Warren Beatty re-make is a burnt breakfast.

Harry Segall won an Academy Award on his only Oscar nomination for this original story, a fantasy romance comedy, that also earned screenwriters Sidney Buchman and Seton I. Miller their only Oscars. Director Alexander Hall received his only nomination as did Supporting Actor James Gleason. Lead actor Robert Montgomery, the film and it's B&W Cinematography were also nominated.Montgomery plays saxophone playing boxer Joe Pendleton who's accidentally taken to heaven by Edward Everett Horton's character. It seems Horton had 'saved' Joe from a plane crash prematurely, underestimating the athlete's ability to survive it. So, Joe finds himself in limbo years before his time.Never fear, the titled Mr. Jordan (Claude Rains) can 'fix' things, if only temporarily, by putting Joe (whose body had been cremated) in the body of a wealthy if wily businessman named Farnsworth, who's just been bumped off by his wife Julia (Rita Johnson) and secretary Tony Abbott (John Emery). Much to their surprise, and chagrin, Farnsworth is still alive and behaving strangely - Joe was/is a much different person.As Farnsworth, Joe decides he wants the title fight he was due before the accident and, despite his age, he hires his old trainer Max Corkle (Gleason) to get Farnsworth's old body in shape. By revealing some personal information known only between the two of them, Farnsworth convinces Max he is really Joe.Subsequently, the new Farnsworth falls in love with Bette Logan (Evelyn Keyes), whom he'd been helping to resolve a securities fraud issue involving her father, who the original Farnsworth had framed. Naturally, Julia still wants to kill him. Eventually, police Inspector Williams (Donald MacBride) is called in to investigate and Max has a hard time convincing him of the improbability of it all.Meanwhile, Mr. Jordan has found a more appropriate home for Joe's soul, a boxer who's about to be killed by gamblers, but Joe is worried that Bette won't recognize the new-new him. Halliwell Hobbes plays Farnsworth's butler Sisk.

one of films who you do not can ignore. or forgettable. or not see again. maybe, because it is expression of a comfortable drawing of comfortable and innocence explore of life.or because it gives all - romance, humor, tension, air of fairy tale, moral values in coherent lessons, the good guy in strange situations, crumbs of spirituality. so, one of the seductive films who remain, after few decades, fresh. and refreshing. and one of the most important pillars is the great performance of Robert Montgomery who reminds the unique flavor of old golds films from "30 - "40's who gives the irresistible mark to many films from the same period. in few words, a great show. that is all.

"Here Comes Mr. Jordan" is a near-perfect romantic-fantasy-comedy about boxer Joe Pendleton (Robert Montgomery) taken to heaven by mistake fifty years before his time and must return to earth in a different body to continue his boxing pursuits. When he returns in the body of a rich man, he falls in love with a troubled woman and desires to help her. The film was remade later as "Heaven Can Wait," which was definitely enjoyable but lacked the same emotion and brilliance of this film. Honestly, I was nearly in tears during parts of this film, because I found some beautiful pictures of my own Christian faith in the story, particularly Mr. Jordan's (Claude Rains) statement that all good things had been ordained for Joe, that no matter what, everything would turn out as had been perfectly planned for him (God is not mentioned, but I couldn't help seeing His hand in this story). The romance was much better in this film than the remake, and I actually cared whether or not the main characters ended up together. It's also entertaining and very funny, and I laughed more here than I did at the other film. Already on my list of favorite films, I cannot recommend this enough for it's humorous, romantic, and inspirational value. Great film! **** out of ****