Milford chronicle., 1941-11-28
GONE FOOT IN HEAvENg
STARTS AT PLAZA SUNDAY


Are you looking for something
different III the way Of screen en-
tertainment? The Plaza Theatre
management promises Just that in
their next feature attraction, "One
Foot in Heaven" showing Sunday,
Monday and Tuesday at the New
Plaza Theatre. Based ON the recent
best-seller by Martzell Spence, it
is a warm, genial story Of family
life in the first quarter Of this CEN
tury, and of the lovable tyrant
(Spence's own father, who ruled
the family.
Fredric March and Martha Scott
are co-starred at the head Of a large
cast, with March as Father and
Miss Scott as the doting wife who
subtly diverts his benevolent tyr
amy. Other cast members who
portray the children of the Spence
family at various ages, and their
Iowa neighbors are Frankie
Thomas, Elisabeth Fraser, Beulah
Bondi, Gene Lockhart, Harry Dav-
enport, Moroni Olsen and many
more.
zone Foot in Heaven" is essen
tally true story. The author bas-
ed il on the life of his own father,
country minister. AS for the title,
it is taken from Fathers own
words. Explaining to his children
one day why they couldn't be allow
ed to play on Sunday although all
the other children in town did, he
said, "The Pastors family is in a
special category. It's as If we walk
a sort of tight-rope-balancing pre-
cariously-with one foot on earth
and on foot already in Heaven" In
spite of this rather difficult posi-
ton, the three Spence children man
aged to have some highly amusing
times, and the chronicle of their
life with Father and Mother is
alive with humor, warmth and the
courageous spirit with which they
faced the ups and downs Of par
sonage life.
The frame of the story is simple.
In 1904, William H. Spence, a medi-
cal student in Canada, goes to a
revival meeting and feels the call
to the ministry. He tells Hope, his
and she agrees that he
must do what he feels called upon |
to do. He gets his first charge in a
tiny town in Iowa, and the fiedg-
ling pastor and his gentle, pretty
bride go there together. For them |
both, the new life is a revelation. |
Hope learns that the parsonage, a
dismal wreck of a house, cannot be |
to suit her unless it
also suits every single woman in
the congregation. William learns
that he must be a master diplomat |
as we'll as preacher. They both
learn that his meagre salary is
payable if and when the struggling
can raise it. But the
kindness of the
congregation makes up |
,or much of the hardship and the
Spences learn that love can sub
stitute for luxuries.
They go from one struggling
sharge to another as the years go
by. Each of their three children
s born in a different parsonage. To
Father each new charge is a chal-
enge, to which he rises eagerly. To
Mother it is another parsonage to
Je made livable. AS the children
yrow up, Fathers work becomes
heirs too, indirectly. To them falls
he Job of serving as examples to T
he youth of the congregation. Be-
NJ extfemely ,hHman youngsters.
he Job sometimes weighs heavily
IN their heads and leads to many
4 the humorous complications in
he film.
One of the many inspiring notes
omes at the end of the picture
vhen Father has just finished a
lew church, after years of hard
york raising the money for it.
here is a brand new parsonage,
nd everything he and Mother have
reamed of having. But they leave
. to accept a struggling charge in
poor community. He is needed
nd he goes.
zone Foot in Heaven" was adapt
d for the screen by Casey Robin
on, and Irving Rapper directed.
he Rev. DR.. Norman Vincent
eale, pastor of the Marble Col
,giate Church of New York City
erved as technical advisor dur
lg the pictures production.