helman_paul

I thought the story line quite engaging, the acting quite good, and the special effects excellent for the era and , I suspect, limited budget. All the details were quite accurate and the comments of the other reviewers display an unfamiliarity with the Boeing airliner in question which certainly had emergency hatches as that which ward Bond opened in his effort to remove ice on the plane's antenna wire. In fact it displayed in detail how he had to unbolt the hatch.

Considering what was accomplished with limited resources I gave the film nine stars. That lovely view of the classic coffin nose Cord roadster posed in front of the Boeing is worth the price of admission.

I found this film to be a very competent rendition of a compelling story. It is basically a tale of two individuals destined by an oath taken by two friends in their youth to a marriage between their respective children should they be blessed by a son and daughter. The unseen presence of the prophet Elija as the third party in the handshake rather insures that the hoped for children will be born. The remainder of the film is a moving melodrama which, with many complications, devolves to an happy ending again, in large measure, to Elija's intercession at key moments.

I feel the film would appeal to a large audience since the appeal is universal and from a practical standpoint the subtitles are well done. One charming aspect regards those subtitles is that the style of script changes from standard type to Gothic when scripture is being quoted. I would give the film a rating of 8/10 and I personally found it a superior film to the new " Day The Earth Stood Still" which I had just seen two days before. Newer is not always better and a good yarn well told is always worth seeking out.

If a list of great voices of the recorded era were to be compiled Joseph Schmidt would certainly rank high. In this charming film he is featured to very good effect. It's setting in Venice will be quite evocative to anyone who has visited that city and Schmidt's acting as well as singing is quite impressive. Moreover, good production values and a competent supporting cast make this a film worth seeking out. It is to our good fortune that the Nazi regime failed in it's efforts to destroy all of Schmidt's films.

The film can be divided into a number of set scenes around the star's singing. I found the scene in the record shop particularly charming and shows what a fine actor Schmidt was. The segment proceeding is set in the Venice Radio Center and is an impressive example of Art Deco.

Note particularly the chairs in the radio manager's office.