Heaven Only Knows

Something is not quite right with the cosmic order of things so heavenly bookkeeper Robert Cummings gets a field assignment on earth. Brian Donlevy's name and birth were not recorded in the celestial ledger so he's been a true free agent on Earth. If things had gone as planned he would have met and married frontier school teacher Jorja Cartwright and become a big man politically in the west. What he is now is a mine and saloon owner in partnership with Bill Goodwin who wants to dissolve the partnership any way he can. Their little feud is tearing up that patch of Montana they're from.

Cummings mission impossible like assignment in Heaven Only Knows is to get Donlevy and Cartwright together and fulfill his real life destiny. It won't be easy, especially for Cummings to avoid earthly temptations like saloon gal Marjorie Reynolds. But she's also got a destiny as well.

Heaven Only Knows is a charming enough fantasy that seems to derive from many sources. It aspires to be a Here Comes Mr. Jordan gone out west, but I also saw elements of Death Takes A Holiday and The Return Of Peter Grimm in the plot as well.

One actor in the film I wish we had seen a bit more of was Gerald Mohr who plays a Donlevy henchman with the name of Treason. He's a most mysterious and jealous sort and filling the cosmic vacuum created by Donlevy's omission at least until Cummings arrives in Montana.

In these kinds of films we can only expect a happy ending and there is one of sorts for nearly everyone. Every one of the good guys that is. Heaven Only Knows is a too little scene gem of a fantasy film, try not to miss it.

Montana Mike was the title by which I knew this movie. Black-and white, IIRC. I was but a youngster when it came to our third-rate theater in the Cheltenham district of Chicago.

The movie had a great impact on me as a nine year old and I recall the two main actors. Otherwise I would have never found this site. I recall only a few things about this movie. "Michael" showed a great interest in the likeness of the Ben Franklin ($100) bills and wanted one so he could take it back with him to show Ben. "Duke" takes this as a bribe. There was a shoot-out where an innocent life is lost. The name of Duke's joint was "Pair-o-Dice" (Paradise).

I too would surely like to get my hands on a copy. I am not a great watcher of TV so I missed many opportunities seeing it again.

P.S. It appears that my 'name' did not allow for the nested numbers. -Danof79th

I remember seeing this movie as a child on TV, a very long time ago, probably in the 50's. It was also my Dad's favorite movie. If anyone knows of a copy I would move heaven and earth to get a copy.

AMC and TCM if you are listening, do something about it. I've even written to the western channel on our cable station to see if they can find it.

Such a loss that we can't find this movie, pity the poor people who never heard of or saw this special film. Robert Cummings played the angel and Brian Donlevy was the "bad" guy. I don't remember all of it, but certain scenes are prominent. Where Cummings goes into a burning building, walking through the flames to rescue someone. And of course the ending where Cummings is taking a little boy to Heaven, Oh, I remember being so moved by this and I was just a child of 8 or 9 years of age, and it still moved me.

Like Allanph I saw this on TV when I was very small and I remember it as "Moantana Mike." It used to be on pretty frequently in the early days of television, as I remember, and my brother and I both loved it. I have been trying to tape it or buy it since videos became available, with no luck. I wish the powers that be would re-release it on video. It is a fond memory from a more innocent time. And it must be a great film because my brother and I both have the same strong desire to see it again. I am sure it is a classic, so why not treat it as such?

It's funny to read these notes on this movie. A definite play on Good and Evil and One of the things I remember from the film is Treason (Gerald Mohr) as either the devil or one of his evil ones, lighting a match and Mike (Bob Cummings) causing the flame to go out by looking at it! It was a running joke thru the whole film. I haven't seen this movie in over 40 years. I remember the ending as a tear jerker. I would love to get a copy of this film. It probably is one of many lost treasures like the old Lash Larue movies. Many of the older westerns have disappeared from TV . They don't even show up on the "classics" channels. Where have they gone to???