For Heaven's Sake (1950 film)

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For Heaven's Sake

Directed by	George Seaton
Produced by	William Perlberg
Written by	Dorothy Segall (play) Harry Segall (play) George Seaton
Starring	Clifton Webb Joan Bennett Robert Cummings
Distributed by	Twentieth Century Fox
Release date(s)	15 December 1950
Running time	92 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
IMDb profile

For Heaven's Sake is a 1950 fantasy film starring Clifton Webb as an angel trying to save the marriage of a couple played by Joan Bennett and Robert Cummings. It was adapted from the play May We Come In? by Harry Segall.

[edit] Plot summary

Angels Charles (Clifton Webb) and Arthur (Edmund Gwenn) try to convince a young cherub named Item (Gigi Perreau) to stop waiting to be born to Lydia (Joan Bennett) and Jeff Bolton (Robert Cummings). They are too busy acting in and directing plays respectively to start a family. They are also drifting apart, as Lydia wants to have a child, but Jeff convinces her to put their careers first.

When Item proves adamant, Charles decides (after seeing Gary Cooper in The Westerner) to help matters along by taking human form as "Slim" Charles, a supposedly rich Texan, and bumping into the Boltons at the racetrack. Jeff sees a potential financial backer (an "angel" in theatrical slang) for his next play. He gets his playwright, Daphne Peters (Joan Blondell), to try to convince Charles to invest in the production. Since Charles actually doesn't have any money, this proves awkward. However, Jeff's usual backer, Tex Henry (Harry von Zell), shows up. Tex and Charles draw cards to see who will get to put up the money; Tex also makes a side bet of $10,000. Fortunately for Charles, Tex wins.

All this starts to corrupt Charles. He begins to enjoy human vices. When Daphne's former actor boyfriend, Tony Clark (Jack La Rue), shows up to reclaim his uninterested girlfriend, Charles punches him. Charles also starts drinking and playing modern music (on his harp), much to Arthur's disapproval.

Still, Charles hasn't completely forgotten his mission. He arranges a lavish party to celebrate the Bolton's eighth anniversary, but that doesn't work as planned. The Boltons decide to break up, and Charles is taken to the mental hospital when he admits that he is an angel. Luckily, when Lydia develops a sudden craving for peanuts, when she could never before even stand the smell of them, Jeff realizes that she is pregnant, and they reconcile.