The Next Voice You Hear...

The Next Voice You Hear is about Almighty God interrupting all the radio broadcasts on all frequencies on planet Earth at exactly 8:30 pm Pacific Standard Time. He does this for one week.

The film shows the affect hearing from the Almighty on one American family, the Smith family of Los Angeles. The Smiths are played by James Whitmore, Nancy Davis, and Gary Gray. Whitmore is an aircraft worker and Davis is quite pregnant with their second child.

Of course the film is made through an American Christian filter so to speak, that was the targeted audience back in the day. Yet it avoids any direct reference to Christianity or any other faith for that matter. It even says God is speaking to the ears listening behind the Iron Curtain, to places where His existence isn't acknowledged.

James Whitmore was supposed to be another Spencer Tracy for MGM and while his career never quite got that far it certainly has been lengthy and honorable. Nancy Davis of course opted for another career along with her husband. Both play well the parts of Mr.&Mrs. Average American, you'd never know there was a future First Lady in the cast.

The reactions to hearing from the Almighty himself run the gamut, in fact it does take a week to convince most it isn't some kind of gigantic hoax. Significant in 1950 that God uses the radio as His media outlet. Most families still did not have televisions. Good thing to because then the film would have had one huge casting problem.

Of course we never actually hear the Voice. When the first broadcast comes Davis and Gray are in the kitchen and Whitmore hears it in the living room. He comes back reporting on the strange thing that just happened and Davis remarks did it sound like Lionel Barrymore. I remember on All in the Family Archie Bunker once remarking God would sound like Bing Crosby. I suppose there are an infinite number of schools of thought there. We always get a report second hand on what the Voice has said.

The final message is I guess what encapsulates the interfaith message of the film is about. What this old world needs in equal measure is love, freedom, peace, and faith. Equal measure is important because a lack of any one of these causes problems. And it's not up to just nations to practice this, but more so for individuals.

This is an amazing piece of 1950 Americana with a nice father, nice mother, nice son, nice people who believe in God and care about having decent morals - a far cry from films in the past 40 years.

The story, acting and photography is okay but nothing exceptional. Today, it would bore 95 percent of the viewing audience. The main appeal is simply its homage to an innocent age (if there ever was one!).

This was my first look, when I first saw this VHS about 15 years ago, at Nancy Davis, who became Nancy Reagan. I was surprised to see how plain her looks were. She didn't look as pretty and elegant as she did as an older woman, as the First Lady.....but that has nothing to do with this film, so bear with my senility.

The story, without spoiling it, is simply about people who hear God talking through the radio to them, trying to get them to think about things. Theology- wise, the movie is pretty vague and general, not wanting to offend anyone but it still had a good message. This is almost a curiosity piece.

Funny how James Whitmore resembles Spencer Tracy! He is ideally cast as the guy-next-door with his sweet wife and their lovable little boy.

"Next voice you hear" is one of Wellman's weirdest movies ,but he had already displayed his faith in God :for instance ,Carl the sailor in "Safe in hell" (what a title!) tells her love Gilda that He did help them (and He did in a way).

The good idea is that we (the audience) never hear HIS voice :it's all in reported speech .There's nothing spectacular,no end -of -the world-trick (although mom hints at Orson Welles and his "war of the worlds"),just every day life and the fact that God speaks to the world using the different languages .

Mrs Smith is expecting a child ;the boy seems to be afraid of losing his mom to his new brother/sister;the father wants to go to confession.And on the seventh day...

Like this?try this....

"Teorema" Pier Paolo Pasolini 1968

Wow how did I ever miss this one? As many old movies as I've seen and still I find ones that surprise me. This is a very interesting film about a voice coming on the radio nightly saying it is the voice of God. Although the voice is heard by everybody, the movie centers on one family in particular, the Smiths. In the midst of the voice drama, Mary Smith (Nancy Davis) is pregnant and there's some concern about whether she will be able to deliver safely. This and some lesser issues the family has adds to the authenticity of these characters.

A story like this could easily slip into Corn City, but thankfully it's well-written. The family are played by good actors who make the characters seem like real people and not some of the more unfortunate cardboard stereotypes that would dominate 1950s portrayals of white suburban families. James Whitmore and Nancy Davis give two of the finest performances of their careers. The actor playing their son, Gary Gray, is excellent as well. The supporting players were solid also.

We never hear the voice of God. It's written in such a way they manage to skillfully avoid that. Very clever, I think. They relay what the voice said through others. It's also a seemingly non-denominational God, so if you're worried about a faith you don't believe in forcing their beliefs on you...relax. Although it could be argued it's a Judeo-Christian God, there's nothing preachy about it. I've read some complaints about the ending. Without giving too much away, I'll try to address this. The complaints seem to be that the movie sets up a premise that deserves a big payoff. I feel like these reviewers missed the point. The payoff, in my opinion, was appropriate and meaningful: that miracles happen everyday and we should learn to appreciate them.

This is a great film with a simple but thoughtful message. A good cast, a veteran director, and intelligent writing. A true underrated gem that everyone should see.

This is an unusual picture. The idea of God speaking to the whole world over the radio, is sure to provoke conversation. Whitmore is great(as always!)as the average 'joe', just too busy to stop and consider what he is really doing in his life/with his family and friends. Considering this one was made during the height of the cold-war, I'm sure it reflects the fears and anxieties of the times. Know what? It's just as timely now.