The Cockeyed Miracle

The Cockeyed Miracle is the screen name for the play by George Seaton Gone But Not Goodbye. It had a most brief run on Broadway, only 23 performances and it starred Harry Carey instead of Frank Morgan. My guess is that we got a much different interpretation than we did from Morgan on the screen.

Even flop plays on Broadway can be movie hits especially when it involves the special effects that are impossible on the stage since we are dealing with ghosts.

Morgan plays a kindly loving soul, patriarch of a family shipbuilding business, a wonderful husband to Gladys Cooper and father to Audrey Totter and Marshall Thompson. But he wasn't the best businessman in the world.

So when Morgan gets the heavenly summons one night from no less than his own father Keenan Wynn he's reluctant to go until all the family romantic and financial affairs are settled. Wynn is pushing him to depart for another plane of existence, why I don't know since they have nothing but time now. Still even without people seeing or hearing them things do seem to right themselves.

The Cockeyed Miracle is a charming fantasy with a well assembled ensemble giving it their all. It still holds up well today.

That's the thing with shuffling off the mortal coil. It does come at inconvenient times it seems.