Film Friday: "Here Comes Mr. Jordan" (1941)
When I saw this film for the first time a few days ago, I found out it was one of the ten Best Picture nominees at the 14th Academy Awards. Since all "Film Fridays" this month center around an Oscar-winning or nominated picture, I thought I'd tell you a little bit about it. Theatrical release poster Directed by Alexander Hall, Here Comes Mr. Jordan (1941) tells the story of Joe Pend l eton (Robert Mont gomery), a boxer-pilot-music ian who crashes his plane while flying to a match and is escorted to heaven by Mes senger 7013 (Edward Ever ett Norton). Arriving at the Pearly Gates, the celest ial registrar , Mr. Jordan (Claude Rains) , discovers that Joe ha s been called to his death 50 years too soon. 7013 returns Joe to the crash site only to find out that his manager, Ma x Corkle ( James Gleason), has had the body cremated. Mr. Jordan orders 7013 to find Joe another body and they end up at the mansion of Br uce Farnsworth, a dishonest businessman who has just...