User Reviews

For those of you who haven't been able to find FOR HEAVEN'S SAKE and want to, look no further than the Fox Movie Channel -- the movie's on FMC as I type this! The movie itself is an odd but amiable comedy starring Clifton Webb as an angel going incognito as a rancher (Clifton Webb as an urbane, persnickety angel going rustic -- there's a mindbender for you! :-) to help theater folk Robert Cummings and Joan Bennett get over their self-absorption and start a family (feeling dizzy yet? :-). Although its tone is uneven, veering between hilarity and mawkishness, it's still watchable thanks to the great cast, particularly Webb, Edmund Gwenn as a fellow angel, and Gigi Perreau and Tommy Rettig as two kid angels who are growing up in Heaven because their parents-to-be keep putting off starting a family. I found the kid angels' part of the story to be the most touching and intriguing, with its concept of children who are already "old souls" when they're born, so they turn out to be "child prodigies" because they already know so much (Webb has a delightful grouchfest about that). Anyway, if you're a sucker for Clifton Webb and heartwarming dramedies where angels solve people's problems, keep your eye on your cable listings, or if your cable company doesn't carry the Fox Movie Channel, now might be a good time to bug them to pick it up! :-)

When Clifton Webb says this, he is referring to cowboy boots. In this exceptionally peculiar movie, he is an angel. So is Edmund Gwenn. Gigi Perreau and Tommy Rettig are also, though they are angels of a different, rather mawkish, sort.

When Webb utters this comment, he is pretending to be a Texan and an angel of a different sort: a theatrical angel. You see, little Gigi wants to be born as a human child (as does little Tommy.) Gigi has chosen her prospective parents: Robert Cummings and Joan Bennett. (Does this seem to anyone else like an unlikely match?) They are a theatrical couple -- he a director, she a star. They live in a chic Manhattan duplex. Cummings is urbane and Bennett looks luscious.

There are in-jokes about pets named Alfred and Lynn and tossed-off comments about Arlene and Martin. It has a swanky style.

Webb is saddled (no pun intended) with a highly unflattering hair style when he plays the Texas millionaire. He gets top billing but for the most part his considerable talents are wasted. OH! And he falls for the as always delightful, here tanned and rather plump Joan Blondell. She is playing a famous playwright.

The combination of the cynical story of the selfish theatrical people with the icky concept of angels waiting to be born as children makes for a fascinatingly strange concoction.

The acid tongued Clifton Webb who earned three Oscar nominations in the Forties, in the Fifties had his image considerably softened and for most of the rest of his career would be doing items like For Heaven's Sake. How much base was applied to this acid for Webb to team with Edmund Gwenn as a pair of angels trying to help some unborn kids make their earthy debuts.

Webb has the tougher assignment. Gigi Perreau's prospective parents are theatrical couple Bob Cummings and Joan Bennett who've become rather jaded and are on the verge of splitting. Against a lot of celestial advice including Gwenn's, Webb decides to materialize and become human. And as his role model, Webb takes on the persona of Gary Cooper as a western millionaire. In fact Webb is shown going into a theater and seeing Coop in a revival of The Westerner. This is just to get some background information as to how to pull off the character.

And he enters the lives of Cummings and Bennett as another kind of angel, a theatrical one. Of course without any money since they don't use any where he's from. But when he does acquire some money, Webb acquires a lot of earthly habits and problems to go along with the pleasures and perks of being corporeal.

Webb and Gwenn who would team up again in Mr. Scoutmaster have a nice easy chemistry that really carries For Heaven's Sake to some really nice heights. I'd also make note of performances by Joan Blondell as an actress playing one a lot like Joan Blondell, Harry Von Zell in a nice caricature of a real Texas oil millionaire and most of all Jack LaRue as an actor who really starts believing he is one of those gangster tough guys he portrays on the screen. I think LaRue took as his model George Raft though God only knows LaRue played plenty of gangsters in his own career.

For Heaven's Sake holds up very nicely after over 60 years and makes nice family viewing.

This film shows up occasionally on cable but has never, to the best of my knowledge, come out on video. It's a lot of fun and Webb, as usual, does a great job as a goofy angel who fancies himself a cowboy. The premise of this movie is that all children are designated, in heaven, a time to be born. If the parents aren't getting along, as in this film, the kids continue to develop mentally. If born years after their designated birthdates, they end up as "one of those horrible child prodigies." Webb and Edmund Gwenn (the original "Kris Kringle") are angels on a mission to ensure that their little wards are successfully delivered. I think Webb is one of the most under-appreciated comics and recommend, if you enjoy this film, checking out "Sitting Pretty" and the original "Cheaper by the Dozen" which are available on home video.

Angels Clifton Webb and Edmund Gwenn are tasked with bringing an unborn (not even conceived yet!) child into the world by getting a theatrical couple (Robert Cummings, Joan Bennett) with a rocky marriage to have a baby. Webb hatches a plan to take human form in order to better accomplish this task. But life as a human proves to be a distraction for him and Gwenn has to intervene.

Webb is the star of the show, particularly as a Gary Cooper-inspired cowboy character. If you're a fan of Webb's you have to see this. Cummings and Bennett are fine, if a bit dull. Gwenn is likable as ever. Joan Blondell adds her usual brand of zing to things. Gigi Perreau is cute playing the would-be daughter and Tommy Rettig from Lassie is adorable in a small part. Jack La Rue is fun as an actor who's played one too many gangster parts. Loses momentum midway through but is still enjoyable. Old-fashioned ideas such as having a baby will save a troubled marriage will induce eye rolls for many viewers today, I'm sure. But it's all well-meaning and good-natured. Not for the cynics among us. Sweet, charming, and funny.

For Heaven's Sake has a number of witty lines and an interesting premise. If you charted this movie you would see a dip into sentimentality every time Edmund Gwenn shows up. He's such a joke killer in this film. Luckily, he doesn't show up too often. Robert Cummings, never an outstanding presence, turns in a forgettable performance as the theatrical husband and the proximity of his mediocrity somehow manages to suck the life out of the wife, played by Joan Bennett who is usually better than she comes across here. Clifton Webb, sans mustache, is a hoot. In my favorite scene he plays bebop on the harp. It's worth sitting through the whole film just to see that scene.

"For Heaven's Sake" is a most unusual movie....far different than the typical movie of the era. Clifton Webb and Edmund Gwenn play angels whose job it is to find parents for children waiting to be born. One of the unborn kids (Gigi Perreau) is a problem case for Webb's character...she insists on being born to a power couple from Broadway (Bob Cummings and Joan Bennett). But these people are too self-absorbed and career-oriented to be parents...but the child refuses to give up on the notion that they'll one day be her parents. In frustration, eventually Charles (Webb) takes human form and decides to deal with the couple directly. He poses as 'Slim'...a Texan who is quite stereotypical. And, over time, he REALLY comes to like being human...with all its vices as well.

The notion of seeing Clifton Webb playing a rich Texan is strange to say the least! He usually was the embodiment of sophistication and breeding and not the type to wear bolo ties and talk about life on a ranch! Strange casting indeed!

So is it any good? Well, if you love Clifton Webb, you'll like the film. Even though it's one of his weaker films, he himself is quite nice in this against type role. In fact, because so much of the focus of the film is of him and his performance, the movie really doesn't give most of the rest of the cast anything to do other than be there for Webb. This isn't so much a criticism...just an observation. Additionally, I loved the special effects at the beginning of the picture...they were amazing for 1950. However, the film itself is very, very weird...so much so that I guarantee that many folks will give up on it before it's complete.

In 1939, Fox made a huge Technicolor "bomb" called "The Bluebird" wherein Shirley Temple searches for the Bluebird of Happiness. It's a jumbled mess involving dead grandparents and children growing up while waiting to be called to Earth to be born. Here we have 2 well-meaning but inept angels played by Clifton Webb (Mr. Belvedere) and Edmund Gwenn ("Kris Kringle"from Miracle on 34th St.) There seems to be very little chemistry between them. I did not find Mr. Webb funny as funny as other viewers did, and he makes a terrible fake Western Cowboy. There are 2 cute items He remarks "These high heels (western boots) are killing me" and he plays a "jazzy-style" harp. A great cast: Joan Blondell, Joan Bennett, Bob Cummings, and more, can't give this angelic film it's wings. Add to that, 2 young children, (under age 10) waiting for their parents to give them life. Plodding and very cliche. You have seen and heard this all done better, before. A one-time viewing, in my opinion. I did not like it as much as I really wanted to.

Great escapist fantasy, perfect 1950s era storyline and shooting. Clifton Webb couldn't be better as cowboy-playing angel trying to get this writer-couple to want a baby who's been waiting for parents.

The acting, staging, storyline, acting all terrific, great fun, poignant, simple.

FOR HEAVEN'S SAKE, George Seaton's 1950 heavenly comedy, is worth seeing mostly for the very funny performance of Clifton Webb. Webb is the whole show, playing an angel who comes to earth to help overly busy couple Robert Cummings and Joan Bennett have a baby.

Cummings and Bennett really have very little to do and are mostly wasted, though Joan Blondell has several funny scenes and is her usual breezy, likeable self.

Not a classic heavenly fantasy like HERE COMES MR. JORDAN or IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE, but enjoyable and worth seeing for Webb's fine comic performance.

Utterly charming comedy with Clifton Webb and Edmund Gwenn delightful as a pair of guardian angels tasked with getting a little girl born to a self absorbed but good hearted couple.

Joan Bennett comes across well as the prospective mother, a warm presence this film came along just as she was segueing from her period as a film noir chippy to character and mother roles. Joan Blondell is great fun as a flashy screenwriter injecting her special brand of zip whenever she's on screen. Robert Cummings is bland as the father to be but he fades into the background and doesn't hurt the picture.

As enjoyable as the two Joans are this is really Clifton's show and he makes the most of it especially after he temporarily returns to earth in human form and has many misadventures. A sweet, feel good film in the best sense of that phrase.

I remember this movie as a kid watching old movies on the independent station in Dallas. I would love to see it again but can't find it anywhere. Clifton Webb is hilarious as the angel. Bob Cummings was very popular at the time with his TV show "love that bob". I watched the movie because of him, but ended up not liking his character very much (i remember him being extremely selfish) But the harp-playing cowboy has stayed in my memory for 30 years. I don't remember anything about the kids other than they were growing older in heaven because their prospective parents kept putting off starting a family. If anyone knows where to find it please drop me a note