''Back Door to Heaven'' is a 1939 American

crime In ordinary language, a crime is an unlawful act punishable by a state or other authority. The term ''crime'' does not, in modern criminal law, have any simple and universally accepted definition,Farmer, Lindsay: "Crime, definitions of", in Ca ...

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super ...

directed by William K. Howard and starring

Wallace Ford Wallace Ford (born Samuel Grundy Jones; 12 February 1898 – 11 June 1966) was an English-born naturalized American vaudevillian, stage performer and screen actor. Usually playing wise-cracking characters, he combined a tough but friendly-fac ...

, Aline MacMahon, Stuart Erwin and

Patricia Ellis Patricia Ellis (born Patricia Gene O'Brien; died March 26, 1970) was an American film actress of the 1930s. Early years Born in Birmingham, Michigan, most likely in 1915 (although she gave her year of birth to the Social Security Administration ...

Plot

The story revolves around a delinquent boy later to become a convict, the relationship he has throughout his life with his school colleagues and teacher, and how his calm demeanour no matter what life throws at him, leaves a lasting impression upon them. Frankie is an impoverished child of a kindly mother and an alcoholic father who spends what little income the family receives on drink. He is about to graduate from school and his family cannot afford to clothe him on this occasion. His teacher, Miss Williams, asks him to participate with the class in a performance in front of the school inspector. While others in the class have academic prowess, he plays the harmonica for him. Unfortunately the instrument is not his, as he noticed it in a shop window the previous night. He stole the harmonica along with some money, and the sheriff arrived just after the performance to interrogate him about the crime. Although his teacher and the sheriff are sympathetic to Frankie's situation, the severity of the crime means that he has to be sent to reform school. He gains a tough reputation there and afterwards is sent to the state penitentiary for five years for punching a prison monitor. After this time he is released as an adult with two other inmates, and they spend their first evening of freedom together. Later they go with Frankie back to his home town. It happens to be Miss Williams' birthday, and she is opening cards and presents sent by her former pupils, including Frankie. Although she has fond thoughts of all her students, she said to her friends that she cared for Frankie as if he were her own. Things have changed since Frankie left the town. He returns to his family shack, to find that a black woman and her children are now living there. She tells Frankie that his father had died and that his mother was taken away to an asylum a year previously. He meets Miss Williams and discovers that she has been pensioned off. He visits the chairman of the school board of governors, who happens to be both an old school colleague and the local bank manager. He asks him to find a position for Miss Williams in the new school, and agrees to consider it. The visiting trio then leave the town for Cleveland. Frankie meets up with another classmate Carol and forms a relationship with her. Upon returning to his digs, he finds a note from his two friends saying that they intended to rob an ice cream parlour at a given time. He races to the scene in order to prevent the crime, but arrives just as they kill the proprietor. He is implicated in and arrested for the crime. During the trial, Frankie is defended by another classmate, John Shelley (Van Heflin). While inexperienced as a lawyer, he delivers a powerful oration to the jury. Despite this, the jury finds him guilty, and he awaits execution. At the same time, the bank manager has organized a class reunion in the old schoolhouse. Frankie escapes from jail and manages to attend the reunion for a few moments. His parting message to his teacher and classmates is to never hate anyone, as he had abandoned any hatred for people while he was in jail. After he leaves the building, the sound of gunfire affirms that the police have caught up with him.

Cast

as Francis ("Frankie") Rogers, as an adult * Aline MacMahon as Miss Williams * Stuart Erwin as Jud Mason *

as Carol Evans, as an adult * Bert Frohman as Bert "Mouse" Gatto *

Jimmy Lydon James Joseph Lydon (May 30, 1923 – March 9, 2022) was an American actor and television producer whose career in the entertainment industry began as a teenager during the 1930s. Early life Lydon was born in Harrington Park, New Jersey on May 3 ...

as Frankie Rogers, as a child * Anita Magee as Carol Evans, as a child * Raymond Roe as John Shelley, as a child * William Redfield as Charley Smith, as a child * Kenneth LeRoy as Bob Hale, as a child * David Johnson as Wallace Kischler, as a child *

William Harrigan William Harrigan (March 27, 1894 – February 1, 1966) was an American actor who performed in Hollywood during the 1930s and 1940s and on stage. Early years Harrigan was born in New York City and attended New York Military Academy. Harrigan was ...

as Frankie's Father *

Jane Seymour Jane Seymour (c. 150824 October 1537) was Queen of England as the third wife of King Henry VIII of England from their marriage on 30 May 1536 until her death the next year. She became queen following the execution of Henry's second wife, Anne ...

as Frankie's Mother * Alfred Webster as Sheriff Alvin Kramer * Robert John Wildhack as Rudolph Herzing *

Kent Smith Frank Kent Smith (March 19, 1907 – April 23, 1985) was an American actor who had a lengthy career in film, theatre and television. Early years Smith was the son of Mr. and Mrs. James E. Smith. He was born in New York City and was educated ...

as John Shelley - as Adult (replaced by Van Heflin) *

Van Heflin Emmett Evan "Van" Heflin Jr. (December 13, 1908 – July 23, 1971) was an American theatre, radio and film actor. He played mostly character parts over the course of his film career, but during the 1940s had a string of roles as a leading man. H ...

as John Shelley, as an adult * Douglas McMullen as Wallace Kischler, as an adult * George J. Lewis as Bob Hale, as an adult * Bruce A. Evans as Charley Smith, as an adult * Georgette Harvey as Mrs. Hamilton * Helen Christian as Mrs. Gladys Smith *

Iris Adrian Iris Adrian Hostetter (May 29, 1912 – September 17, 1994) was an American stage, film actress and dancer. Life and career Adrian was an only child, born in Los Angeles, California, to Florence (née Van Every) and Adrian Earl Hostetter, who ...

as Sugar, Burlesque Dancer

Soundtrack

* Bert Frohman - "Home Town" * Al Siegel - "Things In My Heart"

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Back Door To Heaven 1939 films American black-and-white films 1939 crime drama films American crime drama films Films directed by William K. Howard Paramount Pictures films 1930s English-language films 1930s American films