Chance at Heaven

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Jeffrey O CHANCE AT HEAVEN is a deceptively good precode Hollywood drama set in a small town. It stars Ginger Rogers, Joel McCrea, Marian Nixon, and Andy Devine. When I started viewing it, I thought that the film wasn't particularly good. That it would be just another creaky, love triangle soap opera from the early 1930s. But as the story progresses, it got more interesting, thanks to a good script, restrained direction, and three strong, nuanced performances by its leads. Marian Nixon's flighty, over-bubbly "baby vamp" is at the heart of the film and what makes it succeed. Her nuanced performance reveals character layers and weaknesses in herself as well as the film's other characters in the kind of ways that might pique the interest of psychology lovers. It seems that the motivation of all three main characters could easily be interpreted in more than one way. Were Rogers and Nixon's motivations innocent? Or were they manipulative and calculated? Even the ending, despite hinting that it has just turned the "happy-after-ending" corner, is still open for speculation. Is it a new leaf? A regeneration? Or the continuance of an unsatisfying small-town romance? While CHANCE AT HEAVEN may not convert a modern film lover into a Golden Age film lover, the precode elements might shock a viewer into thinking, "You mean, they made movies like that back then?" However, for people who love history, Old Hollywood stars, fashion, set decorating, and studying social norms of the 1930s, this is a good one. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 07/12/23 Full Review Steve D As sexist as any film I have ever seen. Rated 0.5/5 Stars •  Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 05/09/23 Full Review Audience Member Minor programmer with Ginger's character to self sacrificing to be believable. Rated 2/5 Stars •  Rated 2 out of 5 stars 02/27/23 Full Review Audience Member another love triangle pic Rated 2.5/5 Stars •  Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 01/21/23 Full Review Audience Member rogers/mccrea elevate this pot-boiler 2 above the usual Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/25/23 Full Review Audience Member This is an odd pre-coder. It seemed to be a popular trend of the era to buck the old class systems. The idea of inter-marriage between said classes and the chaffing that occurs from it. In most movies I've seen of this time there is a happy ending that has the two together despite the class difference. The idea to encourage the breaking down of these walls. This one... not so much. The relationship between the gas station owner and the debutante is very odd. It's almost like they're playing a game of house and not actually grown-up married. She's a very silly child who has no concept of the world around her and for some reason the gas station guy is besotted with her. (Even though adorable, funny, and down-to-earth Ginger Rogers is gaga for him). It's not really insulting to women because you also have the more normal Ginger Rogers (who seems content to just hang around and wait for the marriage to implode on its self) that you instantly root for. (Although one has to wonder why she'd go back to a guy who ditched her so casually) It's actually kind of insulting to men since it presents the normal work-a-day guy as being very easily charmed by a pretty face with a little money to throw around. And maybe to an extent that's a little true. I almost feel like this movie points out the foibles of both genders in one form of another. But perhaps I'm projecting too much... Throw in a bizarre "OMG did they just imply she had an abortion?!" subplot and you have one of the more weird and different pre-codes I've ever seen. Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/29/23 Full Review Read all reviews

Chance at Heaven

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