Chance at Heaven

Blacky Gorman (Joel McCrea) owns a gas station in Silver Beach, Massachusetts which is a resort town for the rich. He plans to marry his girlfriend Marge Harris (Ginger Rogers) and buy more gas stations. Rich careless driver Glory Franklyn (Marian Nixon) is new in town. She befriends Marge. She flirts with Blacky and comes between the couple.

I'm not enamored with the couple but I don't want them to split up either. I don't ship anybody in particular in the movie and that's a problem. I'm not actually rooting for any actual outcome. I just become a passenger. There is a home makeover and sister wives situation. Non of it is that compelling. Also somebody needs to stop that guy's annoyingly fake laughing. I don't care that much about the ending going one way or the other.

Chance at Heaven is a 71 minute shortie from RKO with Marge ( Ginger Rogers) and Blacky (Joel McCrae), as the young locals in love. Rogers made all those dance flicks with Fred Astaire, while McCrae is mostly known for his Westerns. These two would also make Primrose Path together in 1940. Blacky runs a gas station, and flirts with Marge, planning the future, at least until Glory (Marian Nixon)comes along, then the showdown begins.....Look for Andy Devine and his raspy voice as the slightly slow but love-able co-worker. He's along for the comedy. Too bad they didn't give him a few more lines - he could have zinged things up a little more. The girls are remarkably cordial to each other, in light of the situation. They sure cram a lot into 71 minutes, dealing with some heavy issues for 1933. The Hays film code would start being enforced the next year, 1934. Fun film, with a serious plot of love between the classes, plus some comedy on the side for seasoning.

In this charming little film, Joel McCrea plays Blacky Gorman, owner of a service station with big plans for owning more stations. Ginger Rogers plays his girlfriend, Marge Harris, a wonderful young woman without a selfish bone in her body. Blacky does not appreciate what he has and his attention is diverted to a flirtatious girl with social connections and family wealth---Glory Franklyn, played by Marian Nixon.

The acting is worthy of notice, but the story is fairly uncomplicated. As a result, the film is not substantial enough to warrant a higher score than "6".

This precode production offers only a couple concessions to impropriety, but it provides a nostalgic look at life in the thirties, including kitchen operations.

The film wraps up too neatly and too quickly, but it is, nonetheless, endearing. It might have served as a cautionary tale in its day, but it remains a comforting tale of ceaseless fidelity and virtue.

A small-town mechanic (Joel McCrea) leaves his girlfriend (Ginger Rogers) for an heiress (Marian Nixon).

An early role for Ginger, Chance at Heaven is an enjoyable little bauble, coming in at just over 70 minutes. Ginger doesn't get much to do, but is very good as always, while Joel McCrea is a competent leading man. Marian Nixon is good as the heiress; however, her character is so scatterbrained it makes Carole Lombard in My Man Godfrey look like Einstein!

The film itself is a little depressing, and it's hard to sympathize with McCrea because his character is such a sap. There's also a thinly veiled reference to abortion, one of the worst screen mothers in history and Andy Devine as McCrea's friend. Overall, it's nothing very memorable, but it's enjoyable.

Well, this little Pre-Code Soaper without the sobbing builds around a triangular romance plot involving the lovely, cheerful, eager-to-please girl next door, Marjorie "Marje" Harris (Ginger Rogers), her fiancée, the clean-cut All-American Blackstone "Blacky" Gorman (Joel McCrea) in his starchy white service station uniform, and the irresponsible, spoiled, wealthy, but perky Glory Franklyn (Marian Nixon), who arrives on the cape (Cape Cod?) in search for fun.

Mrs. Harris (Ann Shoemaker) and Mr. Fred Harris (Lucien Littlefield), of modest means, rear their daughter to appreciate life's simple, everyday pleasures with a sense of responsibility, which Marjorie gleefully accepts, as she plans her forthcoming marriage with Blacky, content with the notion of creating with him domestic happiness.

Mrs. S.T. Franklyn (Virginia Hammond), on the other hand, oversees the maintenance of her summer residence, on the cape, along with a staff of "accents," or foreign-born servants, as she plans her daughter's, Glory, engagement to suitor Sid Larrick (George Meeker), whom Glory deems as somewhat stuffy.

Al (Andy Devine) attempts to support his employer and friend, by attempting to offer unheeded advice, but Blacky somehow suddenly becomes smitten with the tempting Glory, who cares little, if anything of the feelings of others, such as Blacky's fiancée or the suitor whom her mother has selected for her.

But when Marjorie discovers that Blacky considers jilting her for a position of wealth and society with another, she stands beside him, by pointing out that marrying Glory could represent Blacky's one "Chance at Heaven." Marjorie then encourages Glory to concentrate upon domestic tranquility to please Blacky, instead of painting stenciled floral patterns upon the woodwork of Blacky's bungalow.

Marjorie's role, thus, shifts from romantic interest to trustworthy, encouraging neighbor, as Glory defies her mother and social circle to pursue Blacky, who, along with Glory, needs Marjorie more than anyone realizes, for much encouragement behind the white Pickett fence.

So, the moral of the story would have to surround the decision regarding which path could offer the gentleman the greater "Chance at Heaven?" -- the carefree life of wealth even if Glory may find herself disowned by her mother for associating with a lowly mechanic, or the stable life of virtue and sincerity with the innocent one who would feel honored to cater to the every need of a handsome and capable mechanic?