Earthbound

Light drama and sentiment mixes reasonably well for this thin story involving an American businessman in Europe who is shot to death by a former flame; he ends up attending his own murder trial in ghostly form, only to see the wrong person convicted for the crime. Why another person should accept blame (and life in prison) for a killing they didn't commit is something the picture never takes the time to iron out, and Warner Baxter is initially a dismaying hero with little personality (he improves however, as does the film after a slow start). Charley Grapewin is terrific as a Bible-reading stranger who can converse with Baxter's ghost, and Elizabeth Patterson is also very good as a busy-body. The film itself is extremely slight, with one special effect which becomes rather tedious, though director Irving Pichel keeps the narrative fairly tight and drives the movie to a satisfying wrap-up. ** from ****

1940's "Earthbound" is a rare change for suave Warner Baxter, and his last at 20th Century-Fox (by 1943, he would begin the 'Crime Doctor' series at Columbia). Happily married to a much younger wife, Ellen (Andrea Leeds), we soon learn Nick Desborough hasn't exactly been a faithful husband, as his spurned lover Linda (Lynn Bari) has left her own husband for Nick, who refuses to pick up with her again because he genuinely loves Ellen and cares about Linda's husband Jeffrey (Henry Wilcoxon). All attempts to persuade Linda to return to Jeffrey result in the jilted woman shooting her former lover dead, whereupon his ghost instantly exits his body, failing to comprehend what has happened, or why no one can see or hear him. There is one man who communicates with the deceased Nick, Mr. Whimser (Charley Grapewin), who met the murder victim aboard a train only hours before his death. Nick learns that Jeffrey has confessed to killing him, returning to his widowed wife to find out what he can do to convince her to right the wrongs that have taken place. Warner Baxter has to play opposite no one for nearly the entire movie; there's a better picture in there somewhere, but not with this script. Even the luminous Andrea Leeds, in her final role, is given little to work with, while Lynn Bari is sadly out of her depth. The rarely seen "Earthbound" made one appearance on Pittsburgh's Chiller Theater, June 12 1976 (following 1954's "Creature from the Black Lagoon").

This gooey concoction stars Warner Baxter as a happily married businessman murdered by the woman he previously spurned (Lynn Bari). His ghost, unable to rest because Bari's loyal husband (Henry Wilcoxon) is taking the rap for her, returns from the grave to make sure wife Andrea Leeds somehow determines the truth. He's aided along the way by the one man on Earth who can see him and talk to him: a pontificating bible-thumper played by Charley Grapewin. We don't learn what makes Grapewin so special--he doesn't seem to be a Mr. Jordan like angel or a Cedric Hardwicke style Grim Reaper--but his handy King James Bible apparently supplies him with a communication system to the beyond. Baxter spends the film tagging along behind Leeds, nagging her from beyond the grave until she stumbles across the evidence needed to free Wilcoxon and put Bari away. The deceased hubby can than, apparently rest in peace (whatever THAT may entail), as he bids a platitudinous farewell to the annoying Grapewin, who shuffles off stage as Baxter picks up a dead (?) bird, presumably symbolic of something. If you enjoy seeing death infantilized to the nth degree (or simply enjoy Christian mythology), Earthbound is for you.

Dig those 1940 special effects, Wow! Super-imposed ghost is the star. Lots of funny scenes, especially in courtroom where the murdered man's ghost is trying to help expose the real murderer. Actually this movie is mush for muddled minds, great for late night or lazy afternoon.

I quite enjoyed this daft little crime caper. "Nick" (Warner Baxter) has been shot, stone dead as a dodo - and his pal "Jeff" (Henry Wilcoxon) looks set to swing for it. Thing is, he didn't do it. We know he didn't - he is just covering for someone, but whom? Well the spirit of "Nick" is determined to try and help, even if nobody can actually see or hear him - except "Whimser" (Charley Grapewin) who might have some clues that will turn him into the original "influencer"! Using some simple and effective visual effects, Irving Pichel now takes us on what is, admittedly, a rather procedural cat chases mouse affair using his widow "Ellen" (Andrea Leeds) to investigate and deliver the fairly obvious culprit before it's fry-day for "Jeff". It's only an hour and moves along quite amiably without remotely taxing your little grey cells.