Back Door to Heaven

This is a very, very sentimental B-movie--one that tries hard to tug at the heart. It begins many years earlier. There is a beloved school teacher (Aline MacMahon) and her class. One of the boys is a nice kid, but also has had numerous run-ins with the law--and as a result, he's sent to reform school. Years pass and the boy gets in trouble again and again. Now an adult with an extensive criminal history (Wallace Ford), he's been released from prison. While a criminal at heart, he still has a soft spot for this teacher and it's hard to see whether he'll go straight or return to a life of evil.

The film features a few other well-known actors in addition to those I already mentioned. Stu Erwin, oddly, is cast as a criminal associate of Ford--and it's odd, as neither seems cast well in the film since they both tended to play nice, easy-going sorts of guy in their other films. Additionally, Van Heflin plays a defense attorney in one of his earliest roles--and boy does he look young! Overall, the film is enjoyable but very high on schmaltz--a little too much if you ask me. It tries very, very hard by laying on a lot of sentiment and this will probably rub some wrong. But, despite this, the actors seem to try their best and the film is a decent time-passer. Not bad, but certainly not great. Dbburroughs certainly seemed to hate it and I can see why, though perhaps I am a tad more charitably disposed to this sort of overt sentimentality.

But, Stephen Sondheim in "West Side Story" said it better:

Dear kindly Sergeant Krupke Ya gotta understand It's just our bringin' upke That gets us outta hand Our mothers all are junkies Our fathers all are drunks Golly Moses natcherly we're punks

Gee, Officer Krupke, we're very upset; We never had the love that every Child oughta get We ain't no delinquents We're misunderstood Deep down inside us there is good!

My Daddy beats my Mommy My Mommy clobbers me My Grandpa is a Commie My Grandma pushes tea My sister wears a mustache My brother wears a dress Goodness Gracious, that's why I'm a mess!

Officer Krupke, he shouldn't be here This boy don't need a couch, he needs A useful career Society's played him a terrible trick And sociologically he's sick!

A film that was created as a second-feature became a small jewel by means of an honest script and sincere performances by little-known actors. (Van Heflin appears in a very early performance.)

James Lydon appears as Frankie, a small boy living a desperate existence in a slum area, who steals a harmonica in order to fit in with his classmates. Lydon's performance is heartbreaking, and you know that his character is lost forever under the weight of despair. Then we see Frankie grown, in prison. (Wallace Ford) A parole sets the story in motion, and we see how tragic circumstances can indeed forever destroy a life. Aline MacMahon as Frankie's teacher gives her usual sterling performance. Don't miss this one.

Aline McMahon as Miss Williams : few other American actresses expressed compassion as she did : from Wellman's "heroes for sale " to Zinnemann 's "the search " , she would bring sympathy ,tenderness and emotion to any movie she was in ."Back door to Heaven " is also one of Van Heflin 's first part ,an actor on the theshold of a brilliant career.

The beginning of "Back door to heaven " reminds of that of Wellman "s"wild boys of the road" : the graduation is cause for celebration ; in "wild boys" ,the young hero and his pal cannot afford a ticket to the ball;he's forced to sell his old car .In "back door" , Mom has bought a hat "which almost fits" ;but alcoholic dad does not agree and the boy reluctantly brings back the gift to the store.

The garduation fete is revealing as the former students perform a little act before their beloved teacher and the man from the board of education ; the future banker ,smug and haughty , shows off his total mastery of arithmetic ;some declaim poetry,some sing ,some play the piano or the violin ; but the young hero picks up a modest harmonica (he's just stolen)and he runs through a shortened version of a folk song . Since this scene, the die is cast : the writing's on the wall ;some boys are born to endless night ; had he come from a decent background (one sees him caress the dog,and rejoice when he puts his hat on) ,he would have had a decent life .

His wild years ,with his pals ,are a little derivative and the script is not always satisfying ,with plot holes all through the film .

But the movie regains its strength as soon as the action takes us back to the native town :Miss Williams receiving cards from her former students , the banker trying to "help" his former schoolmate who got a raw deal , the deeply moving plea of the lawyer ( it does not cut ,though, the young hero of "wild boys of the road" 's own plea when he tells the judge about the trials he's been through) .

The final echoes to the beginning:it was the first time since graduation that they'd return to the old school: equal opportunities are a myth , and some will go the Heaven through the back door.

There is a lot of honesty here. Never boring and explores in depth the life of a kid from leaving school to juvenile delinquency. Circumstances took him to a very unpleasant end. What makes it so compelling is that he was a really good kid. And he does a lot of kind things trying to regain his humanity. There are very fine respected actors. The script understand about realistic and human motivations. In two scenes, songs are used that heighten the moods. Lots of creativity with an unfortunately weak ending. Patricia Ellis is a true beauty and makes a rather strange compliment to Wallace Ford but there is something particularly. Real about how we often find ourselves attached to someone who though is perfect for us, does not look quite right. Thrilling.