Back Door to Heaven (1939)

Don't listen to the negative reviews

This is one of the few movies I've ever seen where the whole audience broke into spontaneous, loud applause a third of the way in.

The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

Each character in this movie — down to the smallest one — is an individual rather than a type, prone to spontaneous changes of mood and sometimes amusing outbursts of pettiness or ill humor.

It came as something of a surprise to discover that this atmospheric noir movie was actually made in 1939. The film's Great Depression background is so convincingly realistic not only in the attitudes of the characters but in the very fiber of the movie itself, particularly in the scungy sets created by William Saulter (an art director I'd never heard of before) and the superbly atmospheric photography by that master of masters, Hal Mohr. As the central character, both Jimmy Lydon and Wallace Ford give outstanding performances, while Van Heflin plays a memorable early role as Ford's defense counsel, and director/producer William K. Howard makes his only on-screen appearance as the prosecutor. (Howard was also the author of the original story). For possibly the only time in his 125 credited screen and TV appearances, Stu Erwin plays a thoroughly despicable character. In a scene that occurs off-camera, Erwin (or his accomplice) shoots and kills the owner of a low class eatery during a bungled hold-up and then lets Ford (who wasn't even there during the shooting) share the blame! Maybe producer Howard ran out of money, because we don't actually see any of this action on-screen at all, nor do we hear Erwin's actual court testimony, all of which is a bit of a drawback! Instead, the film hastens into a sentimental school-house scene with Aline MacMahon, who is told that the old school will be demolished. Good riddance, I'd say, but the movie takes the opposite view! Available on an excellent Alpha DVD.

Played by Jimmy Lydon as a kid and Wallace Ford as an adult, Frankie Rogers the protagonist of Back Door To Heaven has a short and unhappy life and is someone who could never catch a break. I've known people like that one in particular from my past who didn't even have parents for his cognitive existence. He like Rogers could never get a break in life.I wish I could have given Back Door To Heaven a better rating, the cast is a good one and the performances most sincere. But sadly this film is way too awash in sentimentality and pathos. From an abusive parental household to assorting with sleazy types young Jimmy Lydon who only wanted to fit in gets sent to reform school and becomes a harden criminal. Nearly all the other kids in Aline McMahon's grade school class seem to have made something of themselves except him as he grows into Wallace Ford a hardened criminal. Eventually he moves inexorably to his appointed fate at the death house which he's determined to cheat.Note the presence of a young Van Heflin before his success on Broadway in The Philadelphia Story and his Oscar for Johnny Eager. As a grownup he's a lawyer who tries to obtain mercy for Ford for a capital crime. McMahon does well as the beloved schoolteacher.It's a sad film Back Door To Heaven, but it could have used a lot more work to make it OK.

Poor kid from the wrong side of the tracks slides into a life of crime and stays there thanks society and the lack of help from some school chums. Overly sweet and teary this is a film that you will either find a pleasant reminder of days gone by or else it will be else it will be a silly yuckfest of the sort of ridiculous super saccharine movies that make you laugh at the earnestness of it all. For me it was the latter which made its 85 minutes a tough slog during which I said "you must be kidding" more times then is allowable by law. Its every cliché you can think of all rolled into one. I found it horribly dated and really not worth the effort I put into it. Then again if you like sickly sweet films, even when they are showing you the dark side this maybe for you.

A film that was created as a second-feature became a small jewel by means of an honest script and sincere performances by little-known actors. (Van Heflin appears in a very early performance.)James Lydon appears as Frankie, a small boy living a desperate existence in a slum area, who steals a harmonica in order to fit in with his classmates. Lydon's performance is heartbreaking, and you know that his character is lost forever under the weight of despair. Then we see Frankie grown, in prison. (Wallace Ford) A parole sets the story in motion, and we see how tragic circumstances can indeed forever destroy a life. Aline MacMahon as Frankie's teacher gives her usual sterling performance. Don't miss this one.