Beyond Christmas (1940)
Review by Dindrane
Film:
DVD:

Screenplay by Adele Comandini and Mildred Cram
Directed by A. Edward Sutherland
Starring Harry Carey, C. Aubrey Smith, Charles Winninger, Helen Vinson, Richard Carlson

Features:

• Both color and black and white versions
  
• Deleted scenes
  
• Vintage holiday film rarities
  
• Christmas trailers
  

Released by: 20th Century Fox
Region: 1
Rating: NR
Anamorphic: N/A; appears in its original 1.33:1 format.

My Advice: Get it if you love Christmas movies. Skip it if you can't stand them.

Originally released in 1940 as Beyond Tomorrow, Beyond Christmas is an old-fashioned, sentimental tale. It's Christmas Eve, and George Melton, Charlie O'Brien, and Alan 'Chad' Chadwick (Carey, Winninger, Smith) are enjoying their Christmas Eve. Charlie has a brilliant idea: they'll all put a ten dollar bill in a wallet and fling it out the window. Whichever honest soul returns it will be asked to dinner and maybe become a new friend.

George's is found by a rich-looking woman who says he'll never miss the money and hurls his empty wallet behind her. Charlie's is found by a Texan known as James Houston (Carlson), who cheerily returns the wallet even though, as Chad notices, his boots are worn. The kindly older men press James to stay for a drink. Finally, Chad's wallet is returned by a lovely young lady, Jean Lawrence (Jean Parker), who insists that he describe his wallet, even though his card was inside it. The film pretends to be about the love story of Jean and Jimmy, but it's really about the trio of Charlie, Chad and George, whose characters drive the film and are more important to the viewers' affections and opinions about the film.

O'Brien's house is the very picture of holiday cheer, roaring fire and all, but after a few scenes of merriment, we are sent to New Years' Eve and beyond--a winter full of Jimmy and Jean making friends with the three gentlemen. Then, at the end of February, the trio is called away on business during a blizzard, against the concerns of the faithful Madame Tanya. When their plane goes down and they all perish, they determine that their job is now to protect the young romance of their beloved Jimmy and Jean, before they go on to Heaven and their eternal rewards. Maybe then George will admit that humans have an eternal spirit.

Animal rights activists should be aware that there's a gratuitous mink coat that the recipient female seems delighted to receive.

There are many moments of gratuitous sentimentality, but try as you might, even the most jaded of viewers might be sucked in by them, like when Madame Tanya presents James with "his" overcoat (really one donated by the supposedly cynical George) since James didn't have one. Other moments may be just a little bit too much, like how, outside the children's home of course, James discovers that Jean carries sugar for horses in her pocket all the time, a horse that a beat cop allows James to ride in terror of the Sergeant who, when he shows up, turns out not to mind because it's Christmas. Yes, the sweetness does become a bit cloying at times, but if we can't have a little goodness at Christmas, when can we?

As sweet as this film is, however, there are some genuine dark moments. George provides something of a steadying influence, as he proves right now and again when he looks on the black side of things. Another dark shocker in this film is when the thundering skies come for George, the unbeliever, and O'Brien councils him to say he's sorry, whatever he's done, but George returns that he can't be a hypocrite; does that leave one of the trio going to Hell, and not a Heaven tailored just for him? You'll also spend some time agreeing with O'Brien's ghostly gestures as he deals with and dislikes Miss Terry. There's also a madman with a gun, and one of the trio who consigns himself to "walk the shadows of Earth for all time" when he refuses his call to Heaven. There's even one person who dies and has no soul at all to go on. The movie, with all its soaring violins, is a bit more than you assume it is.

The features include the original black and white version, nicely restored, as the DVD defaults to the new colorized version that has also been painstakingly restored. The print looks marvelous either way, but of course purists will prefer the former. Other features include a selection of deleted scenes that are always nice to see, even if they don't add anything necessary to the film. It's amazing that the DVD producers were able to find such extras for a film over sixty years old. We also get some keen vintage holiday shorts, including one "ad" for Christmas Seals with Bob Hope, another one with Bette Davis about war bonds instead of Christmas presents, and assorted others, including a rather creepy one from 1936, also about Christmas Seals featuring toys superimposed rather precariously over a fire. These are fascinating and just plain cool. Finally, we get the trailers for this film, and another heartwarming holiday film, A Christmas Wish.

Basically, Beyond Christmas can be recommended to anyone who likes sentimental movies and wants to expand their Christmas-themed film collection. The film is unremittingly about the importance and rewards of kindness, as well as how we can melt the bitterness out of our hearts as George does. Even Jimmy's proposal to Jean is painfully cute and charming. If the very idea of a guardian angel makes you shudder with horror, then you won't like this film even a tiny bit. On the other hand, in a world full of terror and grit and pain, sometimes it's good to just let yourself drown in kindness and care a little. Just a little kindness--go ahead, it won't hurt... much. And O'Brien's mother's soul will give you no peace until you at least give it a chance.