Heaven with a Barbed Wire Fence

It was bad enough the young actor in his first feature film to have a case of the jitters when he initially reported to the studio's morning shoot. But then he had to face an abusive director hurling insults at him. Such demeaning put-downs nearly unnerved Glenn Ford, 23, in his major film role debut in November 1939's "Heaven With A Barbed Wire Fence." Ford became one of cinema's biggest box office draws of the 1940s and 1950s. He had previously appeared in only a 1937 short credited under his real name, Gwyllyn Ford, when he appeared at the 20th Century Fox studio that morning. Ricardo Cortez, an actor-turned-director, sauntered in front of the movie's actors and film crew and said, "I want you all to know they stuck me with this guy in the lead," according to Ford's son Peter in his father's biography. Cortez continued, "I didn't want him. I wanted a real actor for the thing and not some unknown amateur. I'm disgusted, but there's nothing I can do, so I ask you for your patience as we put up with him."

Cortez, going through his own personal problems, continued riding Ford throughout the shoot, telling him he had a stupid expression, exclaiming "What did I do to deserve a no-talent like you on this film." Glenn later told his son, "Every time I looked up, I saw pity in the eyes of the other people on set." He recalled cameraman Eddie Cronjager whispering to him, "Don't let the jerk get you down." Years later when Ford bumped into Cortez in a Los Angeles restaurant, the now-wildly popular actor nearly punched him in the face, but his better judgement told him to walk away.

Glenn Ford specialized in playing ordinary men caught in unusual circumstances. The Quebec, Canadian moved with his family to Southern California when he was six years old. He was active in his high school drama class and appeared in several stage plays after graduating. Appearing in the 1937 short 'Night in Manhattan,' Ford was signed to a Hollywood studio contract, and he changed his first name in honor of his father's hometown of Glenford, Alberta.

Another young actor making his film debut in "Heaven with a Barbed Wire Fence" was Richard Conte, listed as Nicholas Conte in the credits. The Jersey City, New Jersey native dabbled in a series of jobs after graduating high school before he was discovered on the stage at a Connecticut resort by Elia Kazan and John Garfield. Conte, 29, was assigned to his first movie after impressing studio executives on his screen test for 1939's "Golden Boy," a role that went to William Holden. He somehow escaped the wrath of director Cortez, playing a wandering hobo who meets at a truck stop Joe (Ford) and Anita (Jean Rogers), an illegal Spanish immigrant in the states. In the Dalton Trumbo co-written script, Joe worked six years to buy a 20-acre farm in Arizona and was hitchhiking across the United States from New York City to settle there. The three decide to ride the rails, encountering a number of adventures, including an attempted rape of Anita by Hunk (Ward Bond). The three arrive at his farm, only to discover a barren stretch of desert land. Jean Rogers was one of a number of low-budgeted film actresses who appeared in Grade B movies. Her major claim to fame was playing Dale Arden in the Flash Gordon serials.

Film reviewer Jessica Pickens praised "Heaven with a Barbed Wire Fence," writing the movie "packs a punch. It's funny, endearing and at other parts tragic. You'll find yourself cheering for the group of travelers, hoping that they find their 'heaven' in the end." For Glenn Ford, despite the torture working for an abusive director, it proved to be a promising beginning to a long career of film acting.

As entertainment value this is no great shakes. A store clerk, Joe (Glenn Ford) has worked six years in New York to save up enough money to purchase a 20 acre ranch in Arizona, and now that he has purchased it he's quit his job and on his way there. But apparently, he didn't think ahead enough to save up for a train ticket there. But if he had a tidy comfortable trip across country in a train we would have no movie. Thus he ends up hitch-hiking and freight-hopping, with all of the dangers and complications that arise from such activities at the very tail end of the Great Depression. Along the way he meets up with an illegal alien from Spain (Jean Rogers) and a hobo, Tony (Richard Conte).

This was Richard Conte's and Glenn Ford's feature film debut, and they are fifth and fourth billed respectively behind Jean Rodgers, Raymond Walburn , and Marjorie Rambeau even though Glenn Ford is the real center of attention. It's strange to see Glenn Ford speaking like a gangster - I think they were going for a Humphrey Bogart or James Cagney style performance here - a city slicker out of his element. Richard Conte seems to be Fox's answer to John Garfield with his "dust be my destiny" attitude, even though John Garfield just showed up on screen the year before. This was directed by actor Ricardo Cortez in the few years that he tried his hand at directing, and written for the screen and from and original story by famed screenwriter Dalton Trumbo early on in his writing career. Spartacus it is not.

The road portion of the film takes up almost all of its short running time, with Ford arriving at his ranch only at the end. So if you are thinking this is a western from the title, you would be wrong. It's probably worth it just to see Ford and Conte so early in their careers.

Heaven with a Barbed Wire Fence (1939)

*** (out of 4)

A poor New Yorker (Glenn Ford) saves all of his money for six years so that he can buy a ranch in Arizona. Once he has the deed he sets off by train for Arizona where he also meets a hobo (Ricardo Conte) and a Spanish immigrant (Jean Rogers). This film was the debuts of Ford and Conte and both men turn in winning performances but the real prize here is Rogers who is simply delightful and carries the film. When I first saw Ford I didn't recognize him due to how small he looked. The story is pretty good, if standard stuff and the 62-minute running time keeps things moving along. The sappy ending doesn't really work but there are plenty of laughs and nice moments throughout. However, this is another film rotting away in Fox's vault.

Glenn Ford, a New York boy who has been saving his cash, thumbs and hobos his way to the Arizona ranch he has bought, where he hopes to find HEAVEN WITH A BARBED WIRE FENCE.

A film with a Dalton Trumbo script and story, directed by villain extraordinaire Ricardo Cortez, and starring the frequently twitchy Glenn Ford and the restless Richard Conte just shouldn't be so bloody nice. Though the system -- mostly seen as mean cops and railroad bulls and real estate con men -- is as awful as one might expect from the leftish Mr. Trumbo, every single proletarian is just so sweet and nice and salt of the earth that one feels nausea. It doesn't help that the heroine -- a sweet blonde thing who is an illegal alien refugee fleeing Franco's Spain -- is annoying for reasons of both scripting and acting.

So why watch? Richard Conte, in his first role, already has his persona and a pretty good part. And there are some moments of 30s leftist camp that are pretty astonishing. (Did Dalton absolutely have to set a major portion of the movie in the Russian Worker's mission? All that was missing was a portrait of a beaming Joe Stalin!) Also, this is Glenn Ford's first substantive role (though his performance isn't good).

Why not watch? Essentially, the movie offers an unconvincing vision, is wedded to a political viewpoint that is risible, and the two leads have made much better movies. Also, the strengths of Dalton Trumbo as a screenwriter are nowhere in evidence. Instead, we get a film that the Coen Brothers Barton Fink could have written in a flash (and avoided that hellish bout with writer's block).

In film school, when the 'chewing up the scenery' class comes up, this B movie is the feature presentation!

Four likeable, yet different characters traverse the country from East to West. They are all fairly aimless, but the general goal is to find the unseen treasure that Glenn Ford has sold his soul for... a ranch in Arizona.

Despite the terrible conditions, this somehow manages to maintain a high level of comedy and the travelers rarely complain. In fact, it's a lot of fun (mainly) and a rewarding way to spend time.