Save your money for something good and enjoyable

Horrible, fascist and poorly acted

Brilliant and touching

A different way of telling a story

A very instructive film. It's no good, mind you, but it's certainly fascinating. In fact, so fascinating, it's hard to decide where to begin. So let's start with the photography. This is credited to little-known Lester White, who was one of Louis B. Mayer's favorite cameramen because he could both shoot fast and shoot artistically at the same time. White worked on most of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's Andy Hardy series, but he was also an expert on film noir – and this particular film certainly shows off his expertise in that domain. The movie was produced by none other than Lee Garmes, himself an expert cameraman who specialized in – you guessed it! – film noir! So this movie is nothing if not superbly photographed. Unfortunately, it's one of those movies that start off on a high note, but gradually lose the plot. The opening scenes are great. The characters are deftly introduced and the plot, although it seems pretty traditional, has room to expand – and this it does until about halfway through when it suddenly loses direction and seems at a loss what to do with the characters so artfully introduced in the opening scenes. So all it does is mark time until our 84 minutes are up and we can all go home. A pity! And a wonderful assemblage of players wasted too – including Harry Carey, C. Aubrey Smith (very unflatteringly photographed), Charles Winninger and Helen Vinson! Available on a very good Alpha DVD.

Modern audiences are used to horror films in which the dark side of the afterlife comes back to haunt houses and torment people. A few films deal with love and redemption, and some have been comedies. But, in the first three-fourths of the 20th century, films about the afterlife most often were stories with a deeper look at what happens after we die. These usually touched on Judeo-Christian beliefs in heaven and hell. Such is "Beyond Christmas" (aka, "Beyond Tomorrow"), a 1940 RKO movie that purposely did not have a cast with top stars. Indeed, the cast includes half a dozen actors who share the lead. Among them are some very new faces and some very old ones. The latter – including the three male leads by top supporting actors of Hollywood, are one very good reason to watch this movie. Charles Winninger as Michael O'Brien, C. Aubrey Smith as Allan Chadwik, and Harry Carey as George Melton give excellent performances. These three gents played some of the finest supporting roles in major films of the Hollywood golden years. Then, add Russian-born supporting actors Maria Ouspenskaya and Alex Melesh, and one has a film with real talent appeal. I agree with other reviewers about the poor quality of this film. However, I watched the colorized version and enjoyed it as well. I also watched the deleted scenes at the end, and agree with those who think the film was too choppy and loosely connected. Inclusion of a couple of those scenes would have helped greatly. I can't understand why they were cut in the first place. A quotation from Benjamin Franklin at the start of the film sets the stage for the audience to understand that the film would involve the afterlife, faith and belief in God. That quotation reads, "I believe … that the soul of man is immortal and will be treated with justice in another life, respecting its conduct in this." Indeed, that is an aspect of eternity that plays heavily in the film, especially with the character of George, who apparently killed a person in the past. A couple of very good lines stand out. At one point, George says, "To be born innocent is natural, but to die pure of heart – that's a gift." Michael says to James, "Sometimes we have to go through the darkness alone, before we can see the light." At times, Christian beliefs seem muddled. Michael says to George, "George, no matter what you did, if you're sorry for it, no power of darkness can touch you. If you'll only say you're sorry, George." George replies, "While I didn't mean to do it, I have no remorse. I never did have. And, I'd be a hypocrite to say I'm sorry now." In this scene, he goes off into the darkness. In the afterlife, Michael is called last to heaven. But he wants to remain and try to help reunite the young couple, James and Jean, played by Richard Carlson and Jean Parker. Christian belief from the earliest times is that the dead in purgatory and heaven can and do pray for those still on earth. Just as living people ask one another to pray for them in illness, or personal or family problems, Catholics and others pray to ask deceased parents, friends and other loved ones to pray for them. The Catholic belief on this, with Biblical sources, is referred to as the communion of saints. Toward the end of the film, Michael quotes scripture when he says, "There's more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner that repented …" (Luke 15: 7, 10). My DVD also has some bonus materials that I found interesting and enjoyed watching. One is a video of Bob Hope promoting the use of Christmas Seals. I remember very well that we used to buy these at Christmas time to help fight tuberculosis. Another is a video of Bette Davis urging people to buy war bonds as Christmas gifts for older children. In addition, last, there is a video segment with Christmas drawings and a band and chorus singing some religious Christmas carols.

Director A. Edward Sutherland's "Beyond Tomorrow" is a fantasy romance melodrama with a Christmas setting. This heavy-handed pabulum about second chances and voices from Heaven that can be influenced by grieving mothers is for folks who crave happy endings. Predictable, dull, and tear-stained with sketchy characters and contrived situations, this modest movie probably appealed to misty-eyed romantics during its initial release. Three eccentric business partners in their sixties who are idle widowers decide on a whim to enliven their lives with a bit of Christmas cheer. They slip $10 into separate wallets with their business cards and throw them out of their window of their New York City mansion into the street. The idea is that nobody is a stranger on Christmas Eve. The cynical member of the trio, George Melton (Harry Carey of "Angel and the Badman"), argues that nobody will return their wallets. The optimistic one, Michael O'Brien (Charles Winninger of "Destry Rides Again"), contends that someone will bring back the wallets. O'Brien challenges Melton to a wager with the loser buying dinner at their club if any of the wallets are returned. Meantime, the last member of the threesome, Allan Chadwick (C. Aubrey Smith of "Trader Horn"), watches his two companions with genuine amusement while he puffs on his pipe. They fling their wallets into the snow-swept evening on the sidewalk. One recipient gives her $10 to a chauffeur, while the remaining two show-up to return the loot. The first one is a woebegone Texan in a Stetson, James Houston (Richard Carlson of "The Howards of Virginia"), whose western drawl is as thick as his boots are threadbare, but he can warble his heart out given the chance. The second is a young lady, Jean Lawrence (Jean Parker of "Zenobia"), and she grills Chadwick about the contents of the wallet. You see, poor old Chadwick suffers from terrible vision, but O'Brien helps him out. These three old gents and the young couple are joined for supper by an expatriate Russian aristocratic dame, Madam Tanya (Maria Ouspenskaya of "The Wolf Man"), who is happy that she is no longer oppressed by her once abundant wealth. They have a blast, and later the trio of entrepreneurs catches a plane to attend to their business affairs. Madam Tanya senses that they won't get off the plane, and they don't, dying in a mountain crash. They show up at their old haunt, but now they are really haunting it as ghosts. None of them experiences any former pains and they can see through each other. The last to hear about their tragic disaster are the happy, carefree, young couple.Miraculously, Madam Tanya knows what she must do. She takes the young couple into the library and presents with an envelope containing bonds that the trio entrusted to them. While this is transpiring, a newspaperman interviews the couple about the three engineers and the story falls into the hands of a radio station whose manager invites the duo to their studios. Jean wants Jimmy to go to the interview because she is certain that his singing will land them in the big time. Madam Tanya asks them to stick around in the mansion so that the butler and she will have someone to take care of since the trio has died. Jimmy auditions at WRC Radio and they schedule him to sing that evening. While he is at WRC, he runs into a celebrity singer Arlene Terry (Helen Vinson of "Broadway Bill") who is a little older than he is. Naturally, impressionable Jimmy is impressed with the lady. Not only does she like what she sees when they meet but she also urges him to phone her when he sings on the air. Terry and her producer Phil Hubert (Rod La Rocque of "The Shadow Strikes") both approve of his warbling, and they sign him up to join their show. Jimmy reaps so much success that he no longer makes time to spend with Jean, and their romance grows languishes as they grow apart from each other. Melton moves on into thunder and lightning, and later Chadwick joins his son David (William Bakewell) in their dream of dreams India. This leaves the unhappy O'Brien behind. O'Brien is sad now because Jimmy has taken up with Terry and forgotten about Jean. Another vocalist, Jace Taylor (James Bush of "Hangmen Also Die!"), who once shared the spotlight with Terry before he turned into a drunken, struggles to patch up their relationship, but Terry wants nothing to do with him. Instead, she wants to spend some time relaxing with Jimmy. O'Brien's ghost tries to get Jimmy to reunite with Jean, but the grasping Terry sidetracks Jimmy and he drives off with her in a convertible into the country. O'Brien catches a ride in the backseat and then he notices headlights following them and whisks off to the other car. He discovers that Jace is steering the other car and has a revolver with him. While Jace has the attendant fuel up his jalopy at the gas station, he goes for a drink. Jimmy and Terry are dining in a restaurant when they are recognized by the band leader. About that time, Jace staggers in, brandishes his revolver, and shoots them both. Terry dies immediately while Jimmy makes it to the operating table at the hospital. Heaven shines down on O'Brien and summons him for the last time. O'Brien cannot stand the thought of leaving Jimmy behind until the young man joins him. Heaven comes back for O'Brien because his long-suffering mom intervened on his behalf. O'Brien entreats Heaven to give Jimmy another chance. Jean hears the good news that Jimmy survived surgery. O'Brien is further gladdened by the appearance of Melton who has repented and joins his old friend as they march toward the celestial lights."Beyond Tomorrow" would like us to believe that Jimmy and Jean got the chance to share their dreams.

RKO Pictures eschewed the use of stars in making this very charming fantasy about three business partners who have three very different personalities who help a pair of young lovers they meet in life and in death and Beyond Christmas.Harry Carey is the cynical one, all business and a potential Scrooge if he keeps going on. Charles Winninger and C. Aubrey Smith have more faith in human nature. In a friendly bet they turn out to be two thirds right. The trio is gathered at Maria Ouspenskaya's home for dinner and they decide to throw out wallets with a $10.00 bill and each one's business card inside. Sure enough two out of the three wallets are returned by Jean Parker and Richard Carlson and as everyone gathers for dinner, it's obvious that Carlson and Parker are smitten with each other.It might have been better if a real singer had been cast in Carlson's role, you can't miss the fact that Carlson is being dubbed. But he is an aspiring singer who gets a break on a radio program and becomes an overnight hit.After that Carey, Smith, and Winninger are all killed in a plane crash, but they linger on earth to help Carlson and Parker over the rough spots.The roughest spot is Helen Vinson who is playing one of her patented other woman roles. She's a Broadway actress with her eye on Carlson and he's taken with her, a fact upsetting to Parker.As you can see the plot has already taken a few interesting turns, but the end is quite beautiful, quite sentimental, and life affirming for those who believe we do have a purpose in our existence.When you've got three consummate professionals as the business partners who don't go out of business even in the next world, you can't help but have an enjoyable fantasy film without pretense. The kind they really don't make any more.