Reverend Spence's story begins in 1904, in Ontario, Canada, where he surprises his fiance, Hope Morris (Martha Scott), and her family, with the news that having been touched by the Spirit of God at a revival meeting the previous week, he has abandoned his plans of practicing medicine and, instead, has given his life to the healing of men's souls. Not only has his vocation plan changed, but so have his living arrangements---he has been offered a church in a tiny town in Iowa. Speaking a passage in the Bible about going where he goes, Hope offers her support to William, and the two are wed and then embark on their new life.
The film chronicles the ups and downs of the Spences life as they go about living with "one foot on earth, and one foot already in Heaven." From welcoming two sons and a daughter into their family, to seeking to raise their children according to their religious convictions, to financial pressures, shabby housing, self-righteous parishioners, and moves to other cities, the Spences face each day with faith in God and each other. (There's a scene in which Reverend Spence, in an effort to teach Hartzell the "dangers" of movies, takes his son to the theatre. The two see a William S. Hart silent film, The Silent Man. That is the closest I've been to a non-talkie since turning off Wings six years ago!)
One Foot in Heaven isn't an overly exciting film---there are no major action scenes---but it is, nevertheless, a sweet, touching, and very worthwhile film. It depicts a healthy, loving, functional family; a strong belief in God; a desire to live a moral life, without making the morality akin to self-righteousness. While action-craving audiences of today might find a film like this boring, I appreciate the opportunity to see a devoutly religious person living out his faith without being depicted as a sanctimonious hypocrite. After catching Rain (reviewed HERE) last year and being troubled by the self-righteousness of the preacher in that film (Walter Huston, in a fantastic performance), One Foot in Heaven is a lovely breath of fresh air. While the family has a strong moral code by which they live, they are never "holier than thou" about it. They simply live their lives according to their convictions, all the while extending love and kindness to those who might not see things as they do, sometimes even being willing to change with the times. The preacher's annoyance wasn't with "the sinners," but with the church. In fact, at one point he said, "The real heathen are in the church." As a deeply religious person myself, I appreciate the positive portrayal of a faith I hold dear.
The film's cast is wonderful. Some of the supporting players include Beulah Bondi, Gene Lockhart, Moroni Olsen, Elisabeth Fraser, Frankie Thomas, Laura Hope Crews, and Harry Davenport. Martha Scott, who will always be Judah Ben-Hur's mother to me, is really lovely here. And Fredric March---very nearly at "beloved" status in my book---is terrific. He portrays Reverend Spence with an appropriate mixture of sternness and love...and his prayers are powerful indeed!
Incidentally, when I popped by TCM to look for a video to include, I noticed that there are 11 pages of reviews for this lovely film. That is, by far, the most reviews I have ever noticed for any film on TCM. I read only 3 pages of them, but every single one was glowing in its praise and begging for the film to be made available on DVD; the overall TCM star rating was 4 1/3, and the Leonard Maltin review gave it 3.5 out of 4 stars. Obviously, despite being a film of little "action," its charm more than makes up for that. If you enjoy inspiring, uplifting stories, this ought to fit the bill nicely.
Not out on DVD and rarely on the TCM schedule, however, One Foot in Heaven may prove to be quite difficult to track down. If you get a chance to see it, though, I highly recommend it...if only to be transported to a time that is no more.
Happy viewing!