Heaven Only Knows

Robert Cummings was a good actor and I really enjoyed all his works. Kings Row, Sabateor, Dial M for Murder, and many others were all great to watch. Heaven Only Knows (Montana Mike as I remember),is a favorite of mine, and as a young girl it was shown on TV (The Million Dollar Movie) for a solid week. I watched it each and every day. I love how he comes into town and things just seem to change, no one suspecting he's an angel. What I remember too is the sign on the saloon, "Pair O Dice". (Not sure if I'm spelling it correctly). I remember too that he cares too much for the leading lady, but brings himself back to reality. Mostly though, I remember crying at the end when he takes the little boy with him to heaven. It would be very nice to see it run again on some of the movie channels so that our young children can see a movie where fantasy and sentiment play on your heartstrings. Wouldn't it be nice to re-introduce these films again! As of today, I watch the movie channels that show the old classics. Movies from the 1930's, 40's, 50's really tend to be my favorites. I thought what a great idea for our schools to run a program where old movies with good story lines could be shown. I personally have been searching for this movie for a long time, so glad to have found your website. Please let me know how I can purchase this film whether it be on VHS or DVD.

Thank you, Patricia Nelson

If anyone knows if and when it will be on TV please email me and let me know. I have wonderful memories of this movie when I was a boy.

allanph@lv.rmci.net

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?

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