Chance at Heaven

CHANCE AT HEAVEN is a fairly low-key soaper even though near the end it makes some rather startling precode plot turns. Ginger Rogers stars as Marge, a small-town girl who has been a quasi-fiancée to gas station owner Blacky Gorman (Joel McCrea) for two years but he takes her so much for granted you would think they'd been married for decades. Although set in a small town, both of them are quite comfortable financially (Marge's dad owns a store we never see). "Practical" Blacky wants to wait however until he gets a chain of gas stations going before he takes a wife though one has to wonder how much of their engagement is merely Marge's presumption given his rather non-romantic friendship with her. Suddenly another woman enters the picture when New York heiress "Glory" Franklyn (Marian Nixon) and her socialite mother purchase a large estate in the area apparently as a summer home. Blacky is immediately bewitched by this new scenery despite his denials to Marge although this new face is a blatantly shallow and frivolous coquette. Glory awakens a passion in Blacky that true-hearted, sensible Marge really hasn't done and they quickly become an item, with Marge good-naturedly (if incredibly) pulling herself out of the race and wishing them the best.

The couple elopes and Mrs. Franklyn reaches for the smelling salts, horrified that her daughter has married down. Glory attempts to step into the new role as small town wife of a small business owner but she is as dependent on new friend Marge (still hanging in there as a buddy) now as much as she was on her mother in her past life. Eventually Glory becomes pregnant and the news is not especially welcomed by this little shallow flirt who knows Mother will be an even harder role than Wife. Mrs. Franklyn takes her back to New York supposedly for a short rest but as the months past, Blacky begins to wonder just when she is going to return.

Ginger Rogers and Joel McCrea are two very appealing players and do what they can with this story although it's hard to have much sympathy for "nice guy" Blacky when he's been so inconsiderate throughout the picture to Marge, who despite being his "girl" for the first part of the film he treats with little more passion than a buddy. Marge, on the other hand, seems to be a male fantasy of the era, perfect, devoted, and always there no matter what kind of crud you throw at her and it is a bit disheartening to see the delicious spitfire that is Ginger Rogers restrained to this level. Marian Nixon was a fairly popular starlet/second tier star of the era, a minor rival to Janet Gaynor at Fox Films, but here she is miscast as a flighty flirt although she is quite credible in capturing her character's shallowness. Acting honors that are here may belong to character actress Virginia Hammond as Nixon's control freak of a mother.

Neither Joel McCrea or Ginger Rogers was particularly fond of Chance At Heaven where nobility borders on the idiotic. They would have to wait until Primrose Path to get a decent film together.

Good natured Joel is a garage mechanic and even in the Depression folks have to get their cars repaired. So he's making a good living and he and Ginger Rogers are planning to marry. But along comes heiress Marian Nixon and she sees sweaty Joel repair her car, she eyes him like a slab of beefcake.

Before you know it they're married and the heiress who tries everything for a lark, decides to settle down and be a simple domestic housewife.

Meanwhile Ginger who should have whacked Marian upside the head with a two by four is positively saintly in her approach. Positively saintly and positively ridiculous.

Everybody involved has certainly done better. Make sure to see Primrose Path for a good film with the leads.

Chance at Heaven is a 71 minute shortie from RKO with Marge ( Ginger Rogers) and Blacky (Joel McCrae), as the young locals in love. Rogers made all those dance flicks with Fred Astaire, while McCrae is mostly known for his Westerns. These two would also make Primrose Path together in 1940. Blacky runs a gas station, and flirts with Marge, planning the future, at least until Glory (Marian Nixon)comes along, then the showdown begins.....Look for Andy Devine and his raspy voice as the slightly slow but love-able co-worker. He's along for the comedy. Too bad they didn't give him a few more lines - he could have zinged things up a little more. The girls are remarkably cordial to each other, in light of the situation. They sure cram a lot into 71 minutes, dealing with some heavy issues for 1933. The Hays film code would start being enforced the next year, 1934. Fun film, with a serious plot of love between the classes, plus some comedy on the side for seasoning.

Well, this little Pre-Code Soaper without the sobbing builds around a triangular romance plot involving the lovely, cheerful, eager-to-please girl next door, Marjorie "Marje" Harris (Ginger Rogers), her fiancée, the clean-cut All-American Blackstone "Blacky" Gorman (Joel McCrea) in his starchy white service station uniform, and the irresponsible, spoiled, wealthy, but perky Glory Franklyn (Marian Nixon), who arrives on the cape (Cape Cod?) in search for fun.

Mrs. Harris (Ann Shoemaker) and Mr. Fred Harris (Lucien Littlefield), of modest means, rear their daughter to appreciate life's simple, everyday pleasures with a sense of responsibility, which Marjorie gleefully accepts, as she plans her forthcoming marriage with Blacky, content with the notion of creating with him domestic happiness.

Mrs. S.T. Franklyn (Virginia Hammond), on the other hand, oversees the maintenance of her summer residence, on the cape, along with a staff of "accents," or foreign-born servants, as she plans her daughter's, Glory, engagement to suitor Sid Larrick (George Meeker), whom Glory deems as somewhat stuffy.

Al (Andy Devine) attempts to support his employer and friend, by attempting to offer unheeded advice, but Blacky somehow suddenly becomes smitten with the tempting Glory, who cares little, if anything of the feelings of others, such as Blacky's fiancée or the suitor whom her mother has selected for her.

But when Marjorie discovers that Blacky considers jilting her for a position of wealth and society with another, she stands beside him, by pointing out that marrying Glory could represent Blacky's one "Chance at Heaven." Marjorie then encourages Glory to concentrate upon domestic tranquility to please Blacky, instead of painting stenciled floral patterns upon the woodwork of Blacky's bungalow.

Marjorie's role, thus, shifts from romantic interest to trustworthy, encouraging neighbor, as Glory defies her mother and social circle to pursue Blacky, who, along with Glory, needs Marjorie more than anyone realizes, for much encouragement behind the white Pickett fence.

So, the moral of the story would have to surround the decision regarding which path could offer the gentleman the greater "Chance at Heaven?" -- the carefree life of wealth even if Glory may find herself disowned by her mother for associating with a lowly mechanic, or the stable life of virtue and sincerity with the innocent one who would feel honored to cater to the every need of a handsome and capable mechanic?

Small-town mechanic Joel McCrea keeps putting off marrying his sweetheart Ginger Rogers. Then flighty rich girl Marian Nixon shows up at Joel's gas station and he drops Ginger for her. Disappointing drama about how the grass looks greener on the other side or some such. The characters are poorly written, especially McCrea's. Ginger isn't the right fit for her role. Yes she could play wholesome girl next door types but here she's a doormat. Also, it's hard for me to buy any guy who has Ginger Rogers looking for someone else. On the plus side, one of the little things I love about watching older movies is soaking up all the pieces of history on display. The clothes, the cars, the architecture -- it's all pretty fascinating to me. In this movie, for example, I really enjoyed seeing the old gas station with the pumps and stuff. This isn't a very good movie but it's watchable due to the actors' personalities transcending their crappy parts.