This review is part of the Summer Under the Stars Blogathon. Today's star is James Gleason.
A little heavenly help is needed in Here Comes Mr. Jordan, a mostly well-acted and clever film that reveals the truth about the importance of doing good while still alive.
Boxer Joe "The Flying Pug" Pendleton (Robert Montgomery) is close to getting a big match. He is training with his loyal trainer Max Corkle (James Gleason). Max begs Joe not to fly his plane despite his flying being one of Joe's trademarks. Joe insists that with his beloved saxophone besides him, nothing can go wrong.
Wrong, however, things go when Joe crashes while on the wrong instrument. Heavenly Messenger 7013 (Edward Everett Horton) takes him to a cloud-filled realm where passengers are boarding their own flights. Despite Joe's insistence to the contrary, Joe Pendleton is most sincerely dead. Unfortunately, he should have died on May 11, 1991. In his eagerness and inexperience, 7013 pulled him out just a bit too early, by fifty years. Worse for Joe, Max had his body cremated. Wise heavenly figure Mr. Jordan (Claude Rains) calmly sorts out the trouble by taking Joe to find a suitable body to inhabit until his proper time.
Eventually, they come upon Bruce Farnsworth, a crooked banker who is around Joe's age. Joe at first balks at taking over such a corrupt figure. He, however, is angered when he learns that Farnsworth's wife Julia (Rita Johnson) and her lover Tony Abbott (John Emery) are murdering Farnsworth in his bath. Joe's anger increases when he sees and hears Julia and Tony, who is also Bruce's private secretary, eagerly putting the finishing touches of letting someone else take the fall for one of Farnsworth's crooked schemes.
Bette Logan (Evelyn Keyes) comes to Farnsworth's home in an effort to plead her father's case. Mr. Logan is in jail for selling useless securities. In reality, Mr. Logan was the fall guy for Farnsworth's scheme, but now it's Joe occupying Farnsworth's body. Julia and Tony are stunned to see "Bruce Farnsworth" very much alive and well (Joe looking like Farnsworth to everyone else). Bette, unaware of anything, is relieved when Farnsworth agrees to help. Joe finds himself drawn to Bette and soon they begin to fall in love.
Joe as Bruce also has decided to go back into the ring. He is especially motivated when Mr. Jordan tells him that it is his destiny to be world champion. Joe/Bruce brings in Max to train him. He also reveals the truth to Max, who takes time to believe it. Unfortunately, while Joe is destined to be champion, it is not as Bruce Farnsworth. Some people can't stay alive, so once again Joe has to find a new host. Will it be in the form of a boxer whose life is at risk because he won't take a dive? Will Julia and Tony get away with it? Will Max ever sort out the confusion? Will Bette find love again?
Both Robert Montgomery and James Gleason were singled out for their performances in Here Comes Mr. Jordan in Lead and Supporting Actor (the film eventually winning Best Story and Best Screenplay, its only Oscar wins from seven overall nominations). I would say that one of the acting nominations is merited, the other is not.
The merited nomination is Gleason as Max. As the at times befuddled boxing trainer, Gleason has to sometimes act on his own whenever Max attempts to talk to Mr. Jordan. Joe, in his various guises, is the only one who can see or hear Mr. Jordan or Messenger 7013. As such, poor Max has to take Joe/Bruce/K.O. Murdock's word that Mr. Jordan is there (K.O. Murphy being the boxer that is Joe's final body). Gleason plays the comedy well, Max's confusion and disbelief giving way to a begrudging acceptance even if he does not understand. Gleason does have a couple of dramatic moments, both of which are about his accepting that the man he thought of as something of a son is gone. One feels for Max, who keeps losing people he cares about despite meeting them over and over.
The unmerited nomination is Montgomery as Joe. I think Montgomery did as well as he could as this working-class palooka who finds himself prematurely postmortem. His constant use of slang, such as referring to how he is "in the pink" (meaning in top physical condition) coupled with a vaguely Nuw Yawk accent show Montgomery was trying to be something of an average Joe. My issue is that it seemed that Montgomery was trying too hard to be that dim boxer. That is not to say that Montgomery did not have good moments. Every time he played the saxophone badly lent Here Comes Mr. Jordan a nice touch of humor. He also did well in his scenes with Evelyn Keyes, showing Joe/Bruce falling for our damsel in distress. Keyes was a bit flat at times, but she also managed some good moments with Montgomery. Ultimately, she is charming and delightful and pretty as Bette.
Before watching Here Comes Mr. Jordan, I had figured that "Mr. Jordan" was literally God Himself. This was reenforced due to his name, which I figured alluded to the River Jordan. From what I understand, Mr. Jordan is merely a senior Messenger who sorts out things in this situation. The film does not take a theological stand or suggest a Judeo-Christian worldview. There is no mention of God or even angels or Heaven (the otherworldly setting is never called Heaven, and the figures are Messengers). Moreover, the concept of reincarnation or the spirit of one person occupying the body of another are closer to New Age thinking than orthodox or even unorthodox Judaism or Christianity. However, I think that is me reading more into things. The vague suggestion of heavenly hosts is there. As such, it is not a major issue.
Veteran character actor Edward Everett Horton is perfectly obnoxious as the bumbling and at time arrogant Messenger 7013. One does almost wince whenever he comes back, but in a good way. He is bumbling but incapable of accepting how he was wrong.
Director Alexander Hall, also nominated for his work, keeps things flowing and manages to make things funny or serious when needed. It is surprising that Here Comes Mr. Jordan is a comedy given the number of killings going on.
As a side note, I believe that the plot of Here Comes Mr. Jordan eventually inspired the television series Quantum Leap. On that television show, the main character of Dr. Sam Beckett also occupies someone else's body and has a guiding figure that only he can see or hear. Dr. Beckett, aided by his own Mr. Jordan in Al, attempt to change things for the better while living as the other person. There are differences: Quantum Leap's Dr. Beckett for example enters only living people (though some people he "leaps" into are in danger of dying prematurely). Yet I digress.
Here Comes Mr. Jordan is charming and sweet. It has good performances from most of the cast and tells its story in a fun and fast manner. The film has a touch of the divine and ultimately wins us over. Here Comes Mr. Jordan is a heavenly treat.
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