07 Mar Between Two Worlds
Between Two Worlds, WWII Movie starring John Garfield
(1944) This movie is a remake of a 1924 play and a 1930 movie. This time there was a World War II connection in the opening scenes as a group of people wait to sail from London to the United States. Suddenly there are air raid sirens, and their area is bombed. Their car blows up, and they all die.
Next you see these same people on a mysterious ocean liner. You know they’re dead, but they don’t know it … yet. The movie is all about how they reach heaven. Or hell.
In the first minutes of the movie as we are introduced to the two characters played by Paul Heinreid (Victor Laszlo in “Casablanca”) and Eleanor Parker, I thought this might be too melodramatic. As it went on though I caught on to what was happening and, yes, I wanted to see who was sent to the great Examiner (Sidney Greenstreet.)
I am sure the movie was remade in 1944 because by then death was an important part of everyone’s lives. They could walk away from this movie with the belief reinforced that even after a violent end, all could end well.
John Garfield was the standout actor. He was 31 at the time the movie was released. A few years later he was caught up in the Communist scare, was blacklisted, and was dead by the age of 39 from heart problems.
I also enjoyed watching Faye Emerson who later became a well-known television star. In 1944, she married the son of President Roosevelt! I remember watching her on “I’ve Got a Secret” along with Jayne Meadows, Betsy Palmer, and Bess Myerson.
Between Two Worlds at amazon.com
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