Movie Review: Beyond Tomorrow (1940)

Hello and howdy everyone!

ʻTis that time of the year. The time when Christmas movies abound and we all must talk about them! Iʼm starting now as well, with a movie that begins on Christmas. I didnʼt quite realize that and watched it in July which is just wrong (my sister argues that Christmas in July is perfectly acceptable). This is a cute and enjoyable film and I hope that reading this review makes you feel the same way!

My guarantee: On ALL of my reviews there are NO spoilers unless I give you warning. This is spoiler free!

Beyond Tomorrow (1940):

(Also known as And So Goodbye or Beyond Christmas)

ʻ“We donʼt rest and take time to spend with out old friends.”

“Not many of our old friends are left.”

“Well maybe we need some new ones.”ʼ

(Paraphrase)

Three elderly gentlemen are lonely on Christmas Eve and want some company to cheer themselves up. They decide to seek companions by throwing their wallets out the window and inviting whoever returns them to have dinner and fun with them. It brings in a young man and a young lady, and the gentlemen are overjoyed by having them. They continue to get to know them for weeks to come as Jean and James start to fall for each other. But then James begins to be recognized for his singing and what will he do to advance his career? How much ambition is too much?

Genre: Drama, Romance, Fantasy.

Length: approx. 84 minutes.

Script: 10, no bad words.

“Ah, youʼre always looking at the bleak side of things.”

Crew: Directed by: A. Edward Sutherland. Written by: Adele Comandini & Mildred Cram. 

Starring:

Charles Winninger as Michael O'Brien.

Harry Carey as George Melton.

C. Aubrey Smith as Allan Chadwick.

Jean Parker as Jean Lawrence.

Richard Carlson as James Houston.

Maria Ouspenskaya as Madam Tanya.

Helen Vinson as Arlene Terry.

Alex Melesh as Josef.

Rod La Rocque as Phil Hubert.

J. Anthony Hughes as Officer Johnson.

Robert Homans as Sergeant.

Virginia Mc Mullen as Secretary.

James Bush as Jace Taylor.

William Bakewell as David Chadwick.

Costumes: 8, nothing indecent just fully regular.

Cinematography: 8, I canʼt say why because of spoilers, but there is an element in here that I think they did really well! Especially considering the technology of the era. Cinematography by: Lester White.

Music: 7, there was fine singing, and the score was good to convey the feelings moment to moment, but rather forgettable.

Music by: Frank Tours.

“The world needs music just as much as buildings and bridges.”

Quotability: 6, nope, havenʼt quoted this since then, but looking back on my notes there were some good lines.

Content: 9, there is death and killing, and talk about it. It has some ideas about afterlife and ghosts as well. In addition to that there is some drinking, and mentions of divorce. It being a Code film it is handled very well.

Originality: 10, I donʼt know what it is, but something about it is so original. I canʼt recall seeing it before!

Good For: People looking for Christmas, anyone.

Age Range: This is perfectly acceptable for all ages! Iʼm sure that young and old alike will enjoy it.

Overall Score: 8.5!

Worth watching?: Yes! My sister had wanted to see this for ages after knowing the premise and Iʼm very glad that we finally took the time to do so. It was so sweet! I know some people find the story to be a little bland, but I thought that it had a right mix of simpleness and good messages. It made me teary a few times. Sure, there were some parts that were a little awkward and cringy (“Thatʼs how you feel about all romance, MC!” my sister yells from the end of the house. Eh, maybe sheʼs right), but overall it was so worth it.  I especially appreciated the element of Saint Anthony that they used.

Will I watch again?: Yeah, I think I will. It might be a biyearly if not annual film to add to my list of Christmas movies.

For the blogathon:

This is my entry in Pure Entertainment Preservation Societyʼs 2nd Happy Holidays Blogathon! I was too busy when they hosted this last year to join, so after I thought of my topic I was sure to sign up!

This fits the requirements as it opens on Christmas Eve. Look at those lovely lights!

I really liked the differences between our three gents, Michael, George, and Allen. They had distinct personalities that really helped move the story forward. My favorite is probably Allen, even though I feel like he has the smallest part of all of them.

Jean and James were jolly! We were all laughing at how Jamesʼ thick southern accent went away immediately when he sang, but I really liked their interactions together.

Even though this movie is in black and white, Iʼm putting this color one here because itʼs cute.

And we canʼt forget about Madam Tanya! Her story was melancholy, but brought in some nice elements. All in all, Iʼm extremely pleased with this film!

Thanks to the Brannan girls for hosting this event! Check out all of the other fun entries HERE.

Thanks for reading! What are some of your favorite Christmas movies? Any guesses to mine? Happy holidays!

MovieCritic