Heavenly Days

This film has been called 'corny' or 'campy' by some, but it calls us back to a time when patriotism was on the minds of most Americans. For many, the welfare of all the people took a front seat to one's personal needs.( See the train scene when the Jordans sacrifice their seats for war-bound GI's.) The tunes in the show will have you singing for days. For collectors of classic comedy, this is a must.

I watched this little comedy on the eve of the 2006 Congressional election. I got strange feelings as I realized how so many of the scenes were relevant then and were relevant as I watched it. Watch Molly (Marian Jordan) in close up with her eyes ready to shed tears as she sits on the train with World War II troops. A truly great acting moment, something about her expression that made me want to tear up as well as I thought about troops fighting for us now. It a little silly, a little funny, and extremely revealing for those who are trying to understand how civilian Americans coped with the reality all around them at the height of World War II. And isn't it always fun whenever Fibber McGee opens up that closet?

During World War 2, one "Fibber McGee & Molly" radio program every month, was devoted to some topic pertaining to the war effort, like rationing, or war bonds. "Heavenly Days" was the McGee's third feature film, and while the first two had been done entirely for entertainment, this one was devoted to spreading messages about the war effort.

It wasn't a very funny film, and not because of the message either -- their radio shows were always very funny, whatever message they were trying to convey. I believe this movie suffers the most due to the fact that the McGee's regular writer, Don Quinn, had nothing to do with the screenplay. Don Quinn had as much to do with the success of "Fibber McGee & Molly" as did Marion and Jim Jordon, and the film suffers from his absence.

Marion and Jim Jordon are incredibly appealing in this -- as they usually were, no matter in what venue they appeared -- however they script is very weak, full of ham-fisted attempts at patriotism and sentiment, that really fall short. In addition to this, the plot does not make very much sense.

The film should get should some kudos, though, for including a part for George Gallup (the creator of the Gallup Poll, played here by Donald Douglas). Ah, for the days when a statistician could become a celebrity.

What a great document of America on the WWII home front! One of the longest running and most fondly remembered old time radio programs was "Fibber McGee and Molly." Fibber's bluster and famously over stuffed closet, Molly's cry of "heavenly days," and many other aspects of the show became part of our culture in the 1940s. And many of those comfortably familiar running gags are included in this film - we even get to see Molly do her "Teeny" voice when she sings a song to the children. But this film is also a great document of the attitude of Americans on the home front in WWII. It was a time of great respect for members of the service, a time when most people proudly and eagerly accepted their duty to help win the war, and a time when Americans willingly believed that we were "our brother's keepers" and had to help refugees from other parts of the world, particularly if they were children. The idea that there is nothing average about the average American is the theme of this film. It teeters dangerously on the edge of being too corny, but its made palatable by the quick but gentle wit of Fibber and Molly. They are impossible to dislike. Gosh, but it's a nice little movie. I only wish the Kingsmen sang more songs.

What's not to like about this movie?

I got to see the McGees in the flesh, I betcha'. I got to see the inside of the famed overstuffed McGee closet. I got to hear McGee sing (and nicely, too) along with The King's Men. I got to see some touching tributes to the WWII efforts: rationing, keeping lips zipped, giving up seats for soldiers, tending Victory Gardens, caring for war refugees. I got to hear and see Molly doing her Teeny voice. There was even some neat special effects when Fibber talks to himself in the form of a Revolutionary War flutist.

Yah, maybe it's a little corny and overly sentimental but mostly in charming ways. The signs of racial inequality are as present here as in practically any other movie from the 40's. The plot is flimsy and strains credulity at times, but not unbearably so. Despite its flaws, it's a must-see for any fan of the radio show--especially those who've only *heard* the McGees in action.