A Little Bit of Heaven *** (1940, Gloria Jean, Robert Stack, Hugh Herbert, , C Aubrey Smith, Stuart Erwin, Nan Grey, Eugene Palette, Sig Arno) – Classic Movie Review 7398

Director Andrew Marton’s 1940 A Little Bit of Heaven is one of those Deanna Durbin-type musical prodigy pictures popular at the time, only this time it is the 14-year-old Gloria Jean who is airing the larynx as singing sensation Midge Loring, a 12-year-old New York tenement child with an angelic voice and a personality to match.

The trouble starts when her family objects to her harebrained schemes and encroaching fame after a radio quiz show leads to a big contract, and she loses her voice when her parents refuse to give in.

Both as actress and singer, Gloria’s performance is winning in this light-as-air, inconsequential Universal Pictures black and white musical comedy trifle that many consider her best movie, though it is a follow-up to her 1939 debut The Under-Pup, which some consider a better movie, and to If I Had My Way with Bing Crosby.

In any case she does just nicely, though it helps that she is backed by some guaranteed experienced talent, including especially Robert Stack, Hugh Herbert as Pop Loring, C Aubrey Smith as Grandpa, Stuart Erwin, Nan Grey, Eugene Palette, Sig Arno, Noah Beery Jr, Frank Jenks and Nana Bryant.

Also in the cast are Monte Blue, Helen Brown, Kenneth Brown, Chester Clute, Maurice Costello, Edgar Dearing, William Desmond, Tom Dugan, Billy Gilbert, Kenneth Harlan, Fred Kelsey, Billy Lenhart, David Oliver, Pat O’Malley, Kitty O’Neal, Rafaela Ottiano, Charles Previn, Charles Ray and Renie Riano.

A Little Bit of Heaven is shot in black and white by John F Seitz and produced by Joe Pasternak, and the screenplay is by Daniel Taradash, Gertrude Purcell and Harold Goldman, based on a story by Grover Jones.

© Derek Winnert 2018 Classic Movie Review 7398

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