Air Jordan

There may be no film with a more influential pedigree that is lesser known than the fantastical 1941 romantic dramedy Here Comes Mr. Jordan. Honoured with a sort-of-sequel (1947’s Down to Earth – starring Rita Hayworth, it also features reprisals from actors James Gleason and Edward Everett Horton. . . which itself inspired the 1980 feature Xanadu), it was also remade by Warren Beatty in 1978 – titled Heaven Can Wait. Chris Rock had a go with the subject matter in 2001 with his version, Down to Earth – reusing the title from the original sequel. In 1968, it was even remade in India – Jhuk Gaya Aasman – English translation: The Skies Have Bowed. At one point, even Bill Cosby tried to get a version of the story produced – though this iteration fell through. The intensely bitter and sweet tale of a boxer who gets in a plane crash, which is followed by a mistake in Heaven, it can also be seen as the precursor and inspiration for motion pictures like A Guy Named Joe (1943), It’s A Wonderful Life (1946), A Matter of Life or Death (1946), The Ghost and Mrs. Muir (1947), as well as so many others.

Mashing together a multitude of genres which I will explain later, the boxer, Joe Pendleton (Robert Montgomery), who is soon to be competing for the world title, is gearing up for his next big bout. Trained by his loyal manager, Max Corkle (James Gleason), the two argue over the fact that he wants to fly himself to his next fight in New York City. Unable to convince the genial but stubborn athlete, it is soon after that he plummets to his ‘supposed’ death.

We next find him in the clouds on high (a simple but effective use of a sound stage that is filled with swirling fog) arguing with an always exasperated angel who goes by the codename of Messenger 7013 (Edward Everett Horton). Pendleton, claiming that there is no way he is dead, brings the matter to 7013’s superior, Mr. Jordan (Claude Rains – whose suave charm and velvety smooth posh British accent perfectly captures the character). Jordan, checking with an underling (a bit part played by the yet to be famous Lloyd Bridges), realizes that 7013 was overzealous (trying to save the man from some intense pain), and that he was never supposed to die.

Returning to the crash site, neither 7013 nor Pendleton can find the body. Tracking down his manager, they learn the shocking news – that his corpse has already been cremated. Returning to Mr. Jordan, he realizes that the only thing to do is place him into another freshly dead body. This is no easy feat, as the pro boxer does not want to be cheated out of a superior meat-suit.

After making a worldwide tour in search of the elusive perfect body, they finally come to the home of wealthy millionaire Bruce Farnsworth – as the supernatural pair converse, Jordan slyly reveals that the wealthy socialite is in the process of being drowned by his wife Julia (Rita Johnson) and his secretary. . . her lover, Tony Abbott (John Emery). Wanting nothing to do with the sordid affair, Pendleton demands to leave. . . until a beautiful young woman named Bette Logan (Evelyn Keyes) walks in and asks to speak to Farnsworth – her father has been swindled by the sketchy millionaire, which, through complicated manipulations, has erroneously placed the man in jail. It is this striking lady that convinces him to take over the originally unwanted body.

In many ways, it is the simplicity of the effects that make this feature work so well. Instead of trying to develop clever special effects, rules are created and little things are done to remind us of what has happened. For instance, when Pendleton takes over the body of Farnsworth, to us he still looks like Robert Montgomery. But, as Mr. Jordan holds the robe for him as he exits the bathtub, he comes out of it with his face full of water (as he has just been drowned), and now ports the piece of clothing initialled BF.

And you can just imagine the faces of the felonious couple as the dead man walks into the room to converse with the unhappy woman. Soon, Pendleton is making everything right, fixing the problems for his love interest (despite the fact that he is still shackled in a rather dangerous marriage) while also convincing his manager that he is actually his former self hidden within the very different looking body. Training with a renewed vigour, Pendleton looks to get another chance at winning the title. Will he be able to tread softly, avoiding the more than precarious situation, and find love with the pure, kind-hearted woman? Will he finally achieve his dream of taking home the title? Or will he fall prey to his scheming adulterous wife and seedy secretary?

Filmed in a more classical aesthetic by Alexander Hall, which isn’t a surprise as it is from that era, each frame is wonderfully done. Feeling very much like a Frank Capra feature, it is less surprising when you learn that cinematographer Joseph Walker worked on the film – Walker was the longtime director of photography for the iconic director (just think It Happened One Night; Mr. Smith Goes to Washington; It’s A Wonderful Life).

As I mentioned earlier, there are several genres at work here. There is the imaginative Heaven, a sort of fantasy; then there is the sports theme – which always plays an important part in the life of Pendleton; while the murder mystery is equally intoxicating. As things become more hairy about an hour in, Hall and Walker change the flavour, turning it into a sort of film noir. The lighting becomes darker, leaving shadows etched on the faces of the players – it imparts a more than ominous tone. There is one shot in particular that oozes noir – as a pair watch someone leave the mansion from an upper window (the downward looking viewpoint catches the car in shadowy light as the person leaves). Romance also plays an integral part – as the love hidden behind the eyes of Pendleton and Logan cannot be denied. Finally, it also falls within the genre that I call dramedy – in this case, a wonderful mix of screwball comedy and serious drama.

Bringing up some intriguing questions about fate and predestination, it is difficult to figure out just how much free will the characters have. For instance, does Pendleton’s lucky saxophone, which he tries to carry with him everywhere he goes, play any factor in his life? Though much appears inevitable, the one area that seems to hold some mystery is love. Though Mr. Jordan often has answers when it comes to everything else, he keeps mum when this subject is brought up. A good example of fate intervening is the way in which Bette Logan continuously pops up every time Pendleton looks to jump ship from the Farnsworth vessel.

Originally a vehicle for Cary Grant, Columbia eventually borrowed Montgomery from MGM for the project – a superlative choice. There is just something about the man that makes him fit the body of the ever-changing man. His warm boyish grin and kind deep eyes provide a warmth that bypasses the typical boxer stereotypes. Rains really has an unbelievable story. Coming from a rough upbringing, he had a harsh cockney accent and quite the stutter. Retraining himself to sound posh, Mr. Jordan is a perfect example of his utter charm. He is smooth, debonaire, relaxed and always in control; a pure representation of a character actor. It is this type of film that reiterates why it was a smart choice for the SAG Awards to begin celebrating Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture. Both Montgomery and Gleason (who was actually brought in to hone the dialogue – as his street-real vocabulary was better than almost anyone’s during this era) were nominated for Oscars for there superlative work, though the entire cast deserves kudos.

Nominated for seven Academy Awards (impressive when considering this was the year of Citizen Kane, Suspicion, The Maltese Falcon, Best Picture winner How Green Was My Valley, as well as a number of other solid efforts) and the winner of two (for Best Adapted Screenplay – Sidney Buchman and Seton I. Miller; and Best Story – Harry Segall), Here Comes Mr. Jordan is a special film. Clicking on all cylinders, it has a little bit for everyone, perhaps most significant is its moving bittersweet aura that may leave the more involved viewer both smiling with joy as well as teary eyed. Please don’t say “so long champ” to this beautiful piece of celluloid, it is a transcendent knockout of a picture.