Journey Into Light

This independent production could easily be taken for one of those semi-professional cinematic Sunday school sermons intended for church halls were it not for the menacing presence of Sterling Hayden in the lead and the contradictory visual stimuli of Elwood Bredell's crisp, unsparing documentary-style photography of skid row (Weegee, no less, was a technical consultant on the film), yet populated by an extraordinary collection of familiar Hollywood faces ranging from H.B.Warner to former Keystone Kop Hank Mann. (John Berkes, who is a standout as the piano-playing Racky, died shortly after the production wrapped.)

After feeling that both God and his congregation have forsaken him by abandoning his alcoholic wife to a miserable fate, the Reverend Hayden angrily rejects both, tears off his dog collar and spends a remarkable amount of the film's relatively short running time scraping ignominiously along the lower depths of Los Angeles while vehemently badmouthing God at every opportunity. This being Hollywood during the early fifties, surely he's eventually going to regain his faith and it will all end upliftingly? It sure takes him a long time, and comes suspiciously abruptly!

When Pastor Sterling Hayden's wife kills herself, he loses all faith in G*d, abandons his comfortable suburban parish and winds up on the Bowery. He's mentored by sly Thomas Mitchell, who collects commissions from every bum. He thinks he sees great possibilities in Hayden .... by his standards. But when kindly Ludwig Donath and his blind daughter, Viveca Lindfors, rescue him and give him a job as janitor at their mission, he drifts into an armed truce with G*d.

Hayden grumbles his way through the role, with most of the interest being provided by the bums, including H. B. Warner, Jane Darwell, Paul Guilfoyle, Billie Bird, and O. Z. Whitehead. For a trained cleric, Hayden keeps making theologically unsound arguments in a very unpleasant way. However we can be certain that under the direction of Stuart Heisler, things will turn out as ordained.

Journey into Light was the best movie I have ever seen. The title fits perfectly. This is as good a movie as I have ever seen. The story of a minister and his fall and rise from grace. I can think of no more to say. The actor, Sterling Hayden, played the part as it should be played.

I have been searching since the late 50's for it. If it is on tape who do I contact to get it made. I > will appreciate any help you can give me

Journey Into Light - Leads into Interesting Territory 7-1-19 (REV final) This little independent movie belies its merge budget - if movie makers can almost convince you they had more funds available than they actually did, then this movie is a case in point - proving what can be achieved when everyone involved had a belief in their product and tirelessly worked for the good of a common outcome. Who is this fine writer, Anson Bond? (also co-producer) what gave him the insights to create such a compelling screen story - displaying a talent for better than average dialog and situations. He and producer Joseph Bernhard also managed to call together a fine professional cast - all who work hard at lifting this curious story well above its station. Director Stuart Heisler ('The Glass Key' '42) along with talented director of photography Elwood Bredell ("The Killers '46) develop a final look that makes for quite impressive viewing.

The always interesting stone-faced Sterling Hayden adds power to his painfully traumatised ex Minister's character - suddenly finding himself guilt ridden and vehemently challenging God for his wife's death. Spiralling downhill fast & eventually, tormentedly languishing on skid row - quite powerful stuff. Lovely and still quite new to America, Viveca Lindfors adds a touch of style to her supportive but physically restricted sympathiser's role. Always professional Thomas Mitchell sparks things up with his down-and-out but protective con-man antics. Other above-average support players complete the necessary professional back up. This is the kind of impressive effort that should be held up as an example of how to successfully bring in a low cost picture - rather than certain other examples we often see being touted by critics and Hollywood types.

If anything possibly holds this one back it might be the somewhat sudden ending - showing us the budget simply didn't allow for achieving any further development of characters or situations (of course the fact that the HOUAA were hounding Mr Hayden all the way through making the picture would have added heavily to this) It's a minor classic waiting to be discovered by all lovers of off-beat cinema gems. Looks even better the second time around. Would be good to see a quality DVD made available.

Yes if I had closed my eyes I could almost swear it was Ingrid Bergman speaking the female lead as the minister's blind daughter.Sterling Hayden usually played unsmiling granite face parts and this was no exception but I did see him smile once on the fairground ride as he accompanied Viveca.Thomas Mitchell crops up in many Hollywood films most notably as Gerald O'Hara in "Gone with the Wind" (1939) and "It's Wonderful Life" (1946), the year of my birth.I believe one of the "bums" also was in the latter film as this actor made a speciality of playing these drunks/down and out parts.The film is about spiritual redemption for an ordained minister who loses his faith and has to come to terms with the death of his drunken wife, (who incidentally had a passing resemblance to the late Jennifer Jones in some scenes).

I found some scenes rather mawkish and over sentimental and found it hard to believe that an intelligent man could stoop so low as to reach the lowest rung on the social ladder.Tonight was my first viewing of this film courtesy of Youtube.com and I rated it 6/10.