The Next Voice You Hear... (1950) User Reviews

a minor cult classic

[blanche-2 · 7/10 · 23 April 2007]

God's voice is "The Next Voice You Hear," in a 1950 film starring James Whitmore, Nancy Davis, Gary Gray, and Tom D'Andrea. I saw this movie many, many years ago, and have read of it in recent years due in large part to the presence of our future First Lady. Nancy Davis was an attractive woman and a good actress - I'm certain she could be quite pretty and glamorous as in real life, but the film world cast her differently. Here she's very plain looking, with a pretty smile, and is supposed to have a baby due any second. In true Hollywood form, she looks like she's maybe three months along.

The story concerns that typical '50s family we saw on TV and read about though probably didn't live in - mom, dad, and a cute kid - who have different reactions when God starts speaking on the radio at 8:30 every evening. The Whitmore character seems to embrace its true spirit - let go and live - while his aunt's belief is fear-based, and his wife and child become frightened.

This is a lovely, simple story that some people will find very comforting and others will think is an annoying, preachy bore. I thought the acting somewhat lifted it. James Whitmore was the new Spencer Tracy but never rose above character roles; instead, even now, he enjoys a wonderful stage career. Here he's a man who gets hot and bothered over life's annoyances, hates his boss, but gradually learns a lesson about God's true message. The other performances are good, and the little boy is too cute for words. Always nice to see "Gillis" from "The Life of Riley," Tom D'Andrea, in a role.

This movie isn't for everyone, but if you have a spiritual leaning, you'll like it.

Did He Sound Like Lionel Barrymore?

[utgard14 · 7/10 · 18 December 2013]

Wow how did I ever miss this one? As many old movies as I've seen and still I find ones that surprise me. This is a very interesting film about a voice coming on the radio nightly saying it is the voice of God. Although the voice is heard by everybody, the movie centers on one family in particular, the Smiths. In the midst of the voice drama, Mary Smith (Nancy Davis) is pregnant and there's some concern about whether she will be able to deliver safely. This and some lesser issues the family has adds to the authenticity of these characters.

A story like this could easily slip into Corn City, but thankfully it's well-written. The family are played by good actors who make the characters seem like real people and not some of the more unfortunate cardboard stereotypes that would dominate 1950s portrayals of white suburban families. James Whitmore and Nancy Davis give two of the finest performances of their careers. The actor playing their son, Gary Gray, is excellent as well. The supporting players were solid also.

We never hear the voice of God. It's written in such a way they manage to skillfully avoid that. Very clever, I think. They relay what the voice said through others. It's also a seemingly non-denominational God, so if you're worried about a faith you don't believe in forcing their beliefs on you...relax. Although it could be argued it's a Judeo-Christian God, there's nothing preachy about it. I've read some complaints about the ending. Without giving too much away, I'll try to address this. The complaints seem to be that the movie sets up a premise that deserves a big payoff. I feel like these reviewers missed the point. The payoff, in my opinion, was appropriate and meaningful: that miracles happen everyday and we should learn to appreciate them.

This is a great film with a simple but thoughtful message. A good cast, a veteran director, and intelligent writing. A true underrated gem that everyone should see.

Americana: 1950

[ccthemovieman-1 · 7/10 · 1 December 2005]

This is an amazing piece of 1950 Americana with a nice father, nice mother, nice son, nice people who believe in God and care about having decent morals - a far cry from films in the past 40 years.

The story, acting and photography is okay but nothing exceptional. Today, it would bore 95 percent of the viewing audience. The main appeal is simply its homage to an innocent age (if there ever was one!).

This was my first look, when I first saw this VHS about 15 years ago, at Nancy Davis, who became Nancy Reagan. I was surprised to see how plain her looks were. She didn't look as pretty and elegant as she did as an older woman, as the First Lady.....but that has nothing to do with this film, so bear with my senility.

The story, without spoiling it, is simply about people who hear God talking through the radio to them, trying to get them to think about things. Theology- wise, the movie is pretty vague and general, not wanting to offend anyone but it still had a good message. This is almost a curiosity piece.

Weird Enough to Warrant a Closer Look

[dougdoepke · 3 December 2011]

What can you say about a movie that opens by insisting that a guy named Joe Smith is an American. Like maybe we're going to think he's French or maybe Chinese. Actually, the best part of this genuine movie oddity are the parts showing how the Smith's are in fact a typical American family.

For example, note the several amusing little episodes that could be expected from a typical day in 1950's suburbia. Dad (Whitmore) mutters the whole time he's getting not one, but two traffic tickets for wrestling with his balky old car. Or young Johnny's (Gray) perfect pantomime of Dad's all-too-predictable motions starting up that balky car. Or Dad's explaining to bemused neighbors why he's doing junior's paper route and getting it wrong. Now these are the kind of homespun little episodes that Hollywood never had much time for. But here they're both telling and skillfully done. Ditto other telling aspects, such as the locker room byplay at the factory where Dad works. Or Mom's (Davis) wrestling with her very expectant condition.

Now, had the film developed a story around these type episodes, we might have had an amusing little programmer to fill a slow Sunday evening. But this is, after all, 1950, and communism is on the apparent march in Korea, while McCarthyism is aiming at lefty screenwriters in Hollywood. So what we get instead of a programmer is something like Pat Robertson meets The Twilight Zone. After all, when we turned on the radio in those days, we expected maybe the voice of Edward R. Murrow, but certainly not—dare it be said—the voice of The Big Guy Himself. It's as though Robertson had finally arranged it. Wisely, of course, we never hear the actual divine voice, rather the messages are repeated to us by the various characters.

So what we get instead of the usual Hollywood product is a scarcely veiled religious parable. But not an ordinary one. Instead, it's a combination of Creation and The Second Coming all rolled into one b&w movie. And in case we don't get the meaning, Creation is conveyed by the portentious countdown going from The First Day to The Seventh Day, while a Second Coming is signaled by the child born in humble surroundings to Joseph and Mary Smith. At the same time, even Satan puts in a surrogate appearance in the form of Mitch, Joe's wartime buddy, who tempts him with drink and loose women when Joe should be home with wife and family.

So what's the point of this darn heavy load where God actually speaks and the Bible's big events are replicated in—of all places—1950's suburbia. Looks to me like Hollywood got caught up in the emerging Cold War, so MGM decided to enlist God and the Bible on our side. After all, the struggle is against the godless commies. And what better way to show them who's boss than having The Big Guy Himself put in an appearance.

Now, that Cold War conjecture makes a lot of sense given the time frame. But consider what God's message boils down to according to the movie. It's something like, "Do your homework and be nice to one another". Okay, sure, but who could be against that. I'll bet even the bad old Soviets, or the Humanists, or other assorted skeptics would agree with such a soft message. So why do we need God or MGM's screenwriters to tell us something so obvious.

Well, consider again Hollywood and the emerging Cold War with the Soviet bloc. Now that congressional hearings have exposed so many com-symps in their midst, the industry needs a more patriotic image. So what better way to demonstrate patriotic loyalty than to cozy up to a dominant Christianity that feels threatened by the spread of atheistic Marxism.

But certainly the message can't be done in a way that offends other religions or potential allies. So if God speaks, it's got to be general enough to offend no one. But, at the same time, the message should also reference Christian belief if only in a covert way. Looks to me like the writers met the first challenge with the platitude to be nice to others, and the second with the directive about homework, which in context really means to go back and read the Bible. Maybe that combination seems awkward and a little sophomoric, especially coming from God, but it does solve the script's most urgent problem.

Of course, much of this is conjecture on my part. Nonetheless, the movie's a really weird mix, which encourages some type of explanation.

The film itself is not as bad as I expected. Most importantly, it doesn't overload with smarm, always a risk for religiously themed movies. Wisely too, the screenplay avoids any specific mention of Cold War politics, relying instead on apparent moral rearmament to meet the Soviet challenge. Then too, Whitmore and Davis, along with Gray, make a very ordinary, unHollywood type family, appropriate for the purpose. Also, I can't help noticing head production honcho Dore Schary produced the film and brought prestige director William Wellman on board to direct. This suggests the production was not viewed as just another low-budget b&w.

Okay, so maybe we didn't get the new age the movie's big events portend. Still, the movie's a really strange one-of-a-kind that should be seen if only for curiosity's sake.

Love and Freedom and Peace and Faith

[bkoganbing · 7/10 · 14 August 2006]

The Next Voice You Hear is about Almighty God interrupting all the radio broadcasts on all frequencies on planet Earth at exactly 8:30 pm Pacific Standard Time. He does this for one week.

The film shows the affect hearing from the Almighty on one American family, the Smith family of Los Angeles. The Smiths are played by James Whitmore, Nancy Davis, and Gary Gray. Whitmore is an aircraft worker and Davis is quite pregnant with their second child.

Of course the film is made through an American Christian filter so to speak, that was the targeted audience back in the day. Yet it avoids any direct reference to Christianity or any other faith for that matter. It even says God is speaking to the ears listening behind the Iron Curtain, to places where His existence isn't acknowledged.

James Whitmore was supposed to be another Spencer Tracy for MGM and while his career never quite got that far it certainly has been lengthy and honorable. Nancy Davis of course opted for another career along with her husband. Both play well the parts of Mr.&Mrs. Average American, you'd never know there was a future First Lady in the cast.

The reactions to hearing from the Almighty himself run the gamut, in fact it does take a week to convince most it isn't some kind of gigantic hoax. Significant in 1950 that God uses the radio as His media outlet. Most families still did not have televisions. Good thing to because then the film would have had one huge casting problem.

Of course we never actually hear the Voice. When the first broadcast comes Davis and Gray are in the kitchen and Whitmore hears it in the living room. He comes back reporting on the strange thing that just happened and Davis remarks did it sound like Lionel Barrymore. I remember on All in the Family Archie Bunker once remarking God would sound like Bing Crosby. I suppose there are an infinite number of schools of thought there. We always get a report second hand on what the Voice has said.

The final message is I guess what encapsulates the interfaith message of the film is about. What this old world needs in equal measure is love, freedom, peace, and faith. Equal measure is important because a lack of any one of these causes problems. And it's not up to just nations to practice this, but more so for individuals.

it gets high marks for originality!

[planktonrules · 6/10 · 4 June 2006]

This is a really odd little film starring some of MGM's secondary players, including James Whitmore and Nancy Davis in the leads. I really can't compare it to any other film because it's THAT unusual. After a suitable buildup, God contacts Earth to tell us he'll be making an announcement and we should stand by. Most of the film takes place at this time and it centers on everyone's reactions to the knowledge that something HUGE must be coming. Is it apocalyptic or what--no one knows and so people start to get very nervous. All this stuff is actually the best part of the movie. The problem, though, is that with this buildup, NOTHING can provide a fitting conclusion to make the film all fit together. In other words, the audience's expectations are probably too high, as no matter WHAT MGM did at the end, it would seem a let-down.

All-in-all, a fascinating and unusual film that dares to be different.

Dated but intriguing

[vincentlynch-moonoi · 7/10 · 15 August 2016]

I think I first saw this film on one of the old network movie nights. It made a big impression on me back in the 1960s when I was 11 years old or so. And now, as an old adult, it still impresses me. Hokey? Well, yes, in a way. Very dated. But overall very well done.

Do I have a criticism? Yes. The bar scene was, in my view, handled very badly. But other than that, I think the script is handled quite well.

Of course, the "next voice" was God, although we never hear God's voice...probably a good decision on the part of the film makers.

James Whitmore was a very talented character actor. He could play a sophisticated businessman or, as here, a factory worker, and do it with great conviction. Nancy Davis Reagan plays the wife here; it's not a demanding role, but she handles it well. Child actor Gary Gray plays the (about) 12 year old son; I thought he did better than the average child actor of the era. I also enjoyed seeing "best pal" Tom D'Andrea, better known in a similar role on the old "The Life Of Riley" television series.

I think what makes this film interesting is the question that will invariably come to your mind when watching it: what would I do if... Well worth a watch.

A Middle-Class God

[disinterested_spectator · 5/10 · 15 June 2016]

People hear the voice of God on the radio all over the world in whatever language they speak. Of course, it is a little more convenient for people in Los Angeles to listen to the broadcast, at 8:30 every night for six days, whereas for people in the other parts of the world, not so much. Those in London must have had to get their butts out of bed at 4:30 in the morning if they wanted to hear what God had to say.

On the first night that God speaks, Joe is the only one in the family to hear him. He tells Mary and Johnny about it. Johnny suggests it might be his friend Eddie Boyle, who has a ham radio. Maybe he figured out a way to cut in as a prank. Joe says that is ridiculous. "Would Eddie Boyle's voice sound like God?" Johnny answers, "I don't know. I never heard God." Mary turns to Johnny and says, "That isn't nice." The reason it isn't "nice" is that Johnny's saying, "I never heard God," is a little like saying, "I never saw God," which is just one step removed from saying, "What evidence do we have that there is a God?" Therefore, it is important for Mom to snuff out little Johnny's tendency to think critically before it grows into full-fledged atheism.

The second broadcast begins to make the members of the Smith household fearful. Johnny even starts worrying about his mother dying while giving birth on account of overhearing Mary talking to Aunt Ethel about the difficulties in having a second child, after which Mary starts crying. This is an artificial fear, one completely made up for this movie. Except in special cases where there are complications, a second pregnancy is not more dangerous than the first. The purpose of this phony danger is to give the Smith family something to be fearful of without making the audience fearful. No one has ever watched this movie and worried that Mary was going to die.

Essentially, the focus of this movie is the discord and anxieties that plague the typical American family. You might think God would be telling people to quit fighting wars and to help the starving people of Africa, but this movie is not directed at people in war-torn countries or at people who don't have enough to eat. Those people aren't going to be able to buy movie tickets anyway. No, this movie is directed at the typical theater patron, the person who lives in a peaceful community where everyone has plenty to eat. And thus, save for the possibility of death, exemplified by the exaggerated risk of Mary's pregnancy, all the evils besetting these people are the little frustrations and apprehensions of a domestic life.

When Joe goes to a local bar to get his pack of cigarettes, he is spotted by his old Navy buddy, Mitch. Mitch is still a bachelor and is on shore leave with a big wad of cash to spend, in contrast to Joe, who complains that he struggles to make ends meet. Mitch is a hedonist. He tells Joe about all the pleasures of visiting far off places, especially the ones in the tropics. Unlike Brannan, the grumpy atheist, Mitch is just having too much fun living to worry about God one way or the other. He laughs at the way people are afraid of living and scared of dying, at the way they are afraid when God speaks to them and they are afraid when he doesn't. It's because they are afraid that they fight with each other. "As for me," he says, "I don't fight with nobody. I'm just a hundred and ninety-five pounds of true love for my fellow man." They sit at a table getting drunk, with Mitch more than happy to pay for all the drinks. At one point, when he orders another round, a B-girl catches his eye, and he orders a drink for her too, after which she sits down at their table. She flirts with Joe, but he keeps being rude to her, even though he keeps saying, "No offense." Finally, he tells Mitch that he is the voice of evil and that he never wants to see him again, threatening to squash his face if he does.

It might seem a little much for Joe to say that Mitch is the voice of evil and to express his hatred for him. After all, it is not as though Mitch has ever done anything truly evil, like kill a man or rape a woman. He's just a good time Charley who wants to see everyone get drunk and get laid. But Mitch's role as someone who is evil is relative to the focus of this movie, which is the ordinary life of middle-class America. Just as God is mostly addressing his remarks to families dealing with the miseries of domesticity, so too is Mitch, as the Devil's spokesman, being evil in making Joe discontented with having a family and a boring job.

When God quits talking on the seventh day, a preacher says that it is God's day of rest. Interestingly, this seventh day is a Monday. So, God rests on Monday now? Did he take an extra day off somewhere along the way since the Creation? No, of course not. Making Monday the seventh day is a way of finessing the question as to which religion God belongs to. In other words, if the seventh day had been Sunday, the implication would have been that Christianity is the true religion; if the seventh day had been on a Saturday, that would have implied that the true religion is Judaism; and while I doubt that anyone was thinking about Muslims at the time, their Day of Prayer, a Sabbath of sorts, falls on a Friday.

A strange, thought provoking fantasy tale.

[bux · 9/10 · 31 October 1998]

This is an unusual picture. The idea of God speaking to the whole world over the radio, is sure to provoke conversation. Whitmore is great(as always!)as the average 'joe', just too busy to stop and consider what he is really doing in his life/with his family and friends. Considering this one was made during the height of the cold-war, I'm sure it reflects the fears and anxieties of the times. Know what? It's just as timely now.

interesting religious premise

[SnoopyStyle · 7/10 · 21 September 2022]

Joe Smith (James Whitmore) and Mary Smith (Nancy Reagan) have their family in the suburbs. Joe hears a message from God on the radio. The Almighty promises to return to the radio over the next few days. Others also heard the message. God's voice is not revealed to the film audience.

This is an intriguing premise. It also shows a sense of the times. It's the 50's. It asks 50's questions. It's an interesting film although I kept thinking about a modern-day update for this premise. I want to do more stuff from different points of view. In the end, this is a unique religious film. Quite frankly, I'm surprised that modern Christian films haven't done this premise.

God on the Radio

[wes-connors · 5/10 · 28 December 2007]

"You know," writer George Sumner Albee said, "wouldn't it be something if God would come on the radio and give people such a bad scare they'd wake up and behave themselves!" That quote appeared in MGM president Dore Schary's book "Case History of a Movie", which elevated "The Next Voice You Hear…" far above its station. It also places the "germ" of the story in the days of radio, when the magical medium would be natural place for God to speak to "Joe Smith, American". So, during the time it was written and filmed, this story must have seemed far less ludicrous.

The story focuses on the Smith family: James Whitmore (as Joe), Nancy Davis (as Mary), and Gary Gray (as Johnny). The names "Joseph" and "Mary" have Biblical implications, of course; and, in the film, "Mary" is pregnant. These facts, like the "voice of God" itself, never progress past the point of mildly intriguing, however. The Smith family proves to be an underwhelming choice to follow, through God's supposed manifestation. Interestingly, the filmmakers combine all the world's Gods into one; with the implication being that Jews, Muslims, and others hear a similar message.

A couple of supporting performers are nice, but Ms. Davis (later known as Nancy Reagan) is the best thing in the film. Though a surprisingly thin pregnant woman, she still endeavors to look like she's carrying a child; and, Davis gives the most realistic performance. She helps the other performers look believable, too, just by appearing on screen with them. For example, it looks like she covers for young Gray, when he almost knocks over a table. And, after a silly "drunk scene", ending with Mr. Whitmore walking a straight line into EVERY stool on his way out of a bar, Davis' presence dampens the mediocrity.

Davis is genuine in her manner and looks; she obviously worked on the character, with direction from William A. Wellman. Mr. Wellman keeps it interesting, for the most part; and, the film provokes some thought. Finally, many at MGM would agree with the observation that God's voice, if heard, would sound exactly like Lionel Barrymore.

***** The Next Voice You Hear… (6/29/50) William A. Wellman ~ James Whitmore, Nancy Davis, Gary Gray, Lillian Bronson

Very important and much better than people have ever realized

[zetes · 10/10 · 1 September 2003]

An intriguing, understated, and remarkable picture. It focuses on a super-typical American family of the 1950s, the Smiths, husband (James Whitmore), wife (Nancy Davis, later Reagan), son (Gary Gray), and expected child. One night, precisely at 8:30, a strange voice on the radio announces that he is God. For the next several nights, he speaks on the radio at the same time. The entire world, except for those behind the Iron Curtain, hears these messages and begins to listen each night, frightened that divine punishment, or perhaps Judgement Day might be near. The Smiths are as afraid as anyone else. They all fear for Mary, the mother, who is nine months pregnant, may die in childbirth. Her mother and her sister both died when giving birth to their second children, and God has just claimed on the radio that he will demonstrate his miraculous powers. That's the big problem, and then Joseph, the husband, has many smaller problems. He's stuck in a dead end job, he hates his boss, a particular motorcycle cop seems to have it in for him, and the starter on his car doesn't work. They're all little things, but together, especially when the voice agitates him further, he's not sure he can make it. There is a lot to love about this movie. Although the Smiths are such a symbolic family in that they represent the ideal American family (I would like to suggest ignoring the fact that the husband and wife are named Joseph and Mary and that Mary's pregnant, because, as far as I see, not much is done with that particular symbolism), they feel so real and individual. They aren't perfect; they have weaknesses and fights. But they have such a touching family relationship. I love the way Joe strokes his wife's cheek each morning to wake her up. When Joe's car won't work in the morning, little Johnny imitates his exact routine for his mother's amusement at the breakfast table. The greatest power in the universe may be the force that's driving the plot, but this is a movie that realizes that the little moments of life are what count best, and few films have shown a better knowledge of that. As I was watching The Next Voice You Hear, the film it reminded me of most was The Day the Earth Stood Still. The plot is nearly identical, but The Next Voice You Hear is so much more gentle. Klaatu, in Day, threatens to destroy humanity if they don't cooperate. Luckily, God's much more understanding. Of course, those countries of Eastern Europe who are under the thumb of the USSR never hear God's voice, even though communist China doesn't miss out (or am I wrong about my history?). It was the Cold War that sparked The Day the Earth Stood Still. Besides one solitary comment early in the film, there is no mention of the Soviet Union or communism. Yet it still pervades any possible interpretation of the film. If God wants to deliver a message to the world, one would think that he wouldn't skip over anyone. Even atheists in the US hear it. And one would expect a writer from the United States to want those who were perceived as a threat to hear God's message. This little conundrum is quite maddening, and there's no good solution to it. I would call it a major flaw (even though, like I said, it takes up merely a second of film), but it allows room for interpretation. That is, I'm not disappointed in that fact, only intrigued. The Next Voice You Hear is a profoundly Christian film, and one of the best, I'd say. It's message is overwhelmingly positive, and it's not really that didactic. There are a lot of points to be thought over after the film is done. This would be an ideal film for anyone to show at Sunday School or something like that. It's really one of the most fascinating films I've ever seen. Really, I haven't even broken the surface here, and I didn't discuss any of its artistry (of which there is a lot). See this movie, please. 10/10.

"This is God. I'll be with you for the next few days".

[classicsoncall · 6/10 · 26 June 2016]

I probably should feel more positive about the movie but there was something just off-kilter enough about the story to give me pause. Can't exactly put a specific finger on it, but it's there. Released in 1950, hostilities between North and South Korea were erupting into war, so that historical backdrop would seem to have a lot to do with providing a context for God's interjection into the modern world.

For all that, the film is not as clever as the 1977 movie starring George Burns in "Oh, God!". I think that picture makes more of an impact with the viewer at a one-on-one level because everyone can relate to John Denver's complete and utter discomfort in dealing with the Supreme Being on a personal basis. There was something inherently impersonal about the 'God' in this story, in fact, on Day Four when the FCC spokesman came out with his rationale that it 'must be God' on the radio because the voice couldn't be explained any other way, well that sounded just hokey.

I'm not disagreeing with the message the movie was trying to convey. On the Sixth Day, God instructed the world to live in love, faith, freedom and peace, but when you come right down to it, that was His message for the last two thousand plus years ever since Jesus Christ walked the Earth. But in a world in which rogue nations conduct their affairs with the aggressive use of force, that message isn't resonating very well.

So maybe it's the message that's just too simple for those of us confronted daily by the atrocities of present day ISIS and Al Quaeda and others of like minded brutality. At one point early in the picture, a caution was made about not succumbing to a 'mass suckerology' in regard to God making his presence felt on the nightly radio broadcast. With that in mind, I can accept the message of the film while understanding at the same time that universal peace and love is just not gonna happen.

They Don't Make Films Like This Anymore...Luckily...

[dmh7-1 · 1/10 · 15 April 2007]

I recently saw this "film" on TCM - mildly intrigued by its central premise - and thought it might be - at the very least - an amusing bit of 1950s culture, with stereotypical (yet charming) characters from a mythically "simpler" time, such as one sees in the entertaining fluff of the "andy Hardy" series. But - no...

This film plays as if it were produced by a small-town (and vastly untalented and humorless) church group who had accidentally come across some film equipment. The cinematography is dull, and the time crawls by like sludge through a small tube, as we are constantly barraged with limp and cliché bits of supposed divine wisdom which appear to come down to such gems as "take it easy" and "don't rock the boat". One wonders why sedatives weren't simply poured into the water supply to achieve such conservative ends, until you consider the acting of James Whitmore and the equally flat Nancy Davis, whose role here explains why she got out of the business. There is a lot of moping, an aggravating child actor, a seemingly insane aunt, and - to my eyes - some of the worst "acting as a drunk" bits I have ever seen.

The utter "preachiness" of this film, combined with its dull look, its duller acting, and a humorlessness that borders on criminal combine to make it an excruciating viewing for anyone who thinks the "old time virtue" was mainly a matter of skewed nostalgia.

When they say such films as "Plan 9 from Outer Space" are the worst films of all time, they must exclude from consideration such draggy fare as this film.

Horrid...

Good Drama

[Michael_Elliott · 28 February 2008]

Next Voice You Hear..., The (1950)

** 1/2 (out of 4)

Interesting film about people across the world and how their lives change after they hear the voice of God on the radio. The film takes a look at the Joe Smith family with James Whitmore, Nancy Davis and Gary Gray. This is a rather offbeat film for director Wellman but he pulls it off pretty well and makes this a rather memorable religious film, although the screenplay isn't juicy enough to pull it off as a masterpiece. The performances are all very good with Whitmore stealing the film as the hard working dad who begins to rethink things after hearing the voice. I think one of the problems with the screenplay is that it centers on this one family a tad bit too much. There are scenes where large groups of people are debating about the voice and these moments are the best of the film and I wish there had been more. The film plays a lot like what we'd eventually see in a 'Twilight Zone' episode because the voice, a mysterious one, never comes out and says it's God but that's up to the viewer to debate just like the people in the film. I called the film a religious one but thankfully it never goes over the top with propaganda or tries to beat the viewer over the head with a message.

The "Voice"

[kapelusznik18 · 7/10 · 17 September 2016]

***SPOILERS*** A bit corny but very effective, even today, film about God getting in touch with all humanity via the radio to lead it away from it's materialistic as well as unethical ways before he's, I guess that what you can call it or him, to take matters into his own hands . This has hard working All-American Joe Smith, James Whitmore, who's up to his neck in bills with a new mouth to feed on its way realize, together with the entire human population, that there more to life then just money as well as bread or booze alone.

Joe hears this massage on the radio,that no one in the audience hears, that God is speaking to him about whats happening in the world and he's about to change things for the better. That's if those on earth change their un-Godly ways and get on the straight and narrow path in life. It takes six days of massages, all coming at exactly 8:30 PM PST, to finally get his massage across as well as using nature, with a Noah like downpour, thrown in for good measures. Joe All-American for some reason is fearful of his wife Mary, Nancy Davis, who's about to give birth to their second child in that she, where did he get that idea, will die in childbirth! As the messages from God become more and more believable, in that there's no reason to dispute them, Joe loses it and get himself good and drunk in a local bar with his wild and crazy friend Mitch, Douglas Kennedy, and bar girl Sweetie, Marjoris Hoshelle, gulping down about two dozen drinks.Then all tanked up and coming or staggering home drunk like a skunk and embarrassing his son Johnny, Gary Gray, who always looked up to him as a role model.

***SPOILERS***Sobering himself up with a hot cup of coffee and finally getting his act together Joe together with the entire worlds population attends church or temple or synagogue to hear God's final massage which doesn't come since it's the "Seventh Day" or the "Sabbath" when he stopped giving massages and finally rested. By then it finally hit home to what God wanted from the human race and they all, man woman & child, became a lot better persons for it. As for Joe All-American his fears of his wife Mary dying in childbirth, where did he get that crazy idea from, proved to be unfounded with her giving birth to a healthy bouncing and bubbling 8 pound baby girl as the movie finally ended.

P.S It was two years later in 1952 that Hollywood tried to top "The Next Voice you Hear" with the over the top "Red Planet Mars" that had God take side with the free world against the USSR as well as the Communist block that became the laughing stock of the year in making God a partisan not universal and for all peoples entity!

simple story from wellman and albee

[ksf-2 · 6/10 · 30 September 2022]

James whitmore, nancy davis reagan. We start out with the perfect american family, in the perfect american city, post world war two. When dad hears the voice of god on the radio, he is mystified, but at least other people heard it too! And of course, it wigs people out, and they start to turn on each other, just like the episode of twilight zone in 1961. Although this film came first, by about ten years. Can the world figure out what the real message is, and learn from their mistakes? Although this story involves what might be the voice of god talking through the radio, it could easily just be about doing the right thing, and the golden rule. Did you notice frank cady in the locker room? He was also mister drucker on green acres! Directed by william wellman, who made some huge films. Even won the oscar for "a star is born". Story by george albee. He was father to edward albee, who wrote the (hugely successful) play "who's afraid of virginia woolf?" this one is okay...gets a bit sugary sweet and religious at the end.

Save Yourself

[ccstevenson1 · 1/10 · 28 November 2011]

When I saw the title for this movie, I thought "I gotta see this!" What a waste of my time. It wasn't clever or interesting in any way and it committed the worst "movie sin" of all - it was

BORING. There was the awful acting; Whitmore's drunk is not to be believed and then there is Nancy(Davis)Reagan's freaky pregnancy fear that makes no sense as she has already given birth before, plus we have the hysterical aunt, but there aren't enough of these god-awful moments to make this movie a hoot. It's not bad enough to be good and it certainly isn't good enough to be good. I am puzzled by the 20% who rated this film a "10" out of 10. In Summary: "B" writing, "B" acting, "B" production values plus an added dose of "preachy" that results in a poorly executed propaganda piece. Save yourself and skip this one.

1950 Family Values Movie

[barryrd · 8/10 · 7 November 2013]

When I turned the channel to this movie on TCM, I had no idea what to expect but as so often happens with this station, I was not disappointed with this captivating period movie from 1950 that seemed to be the cinematic equivalent of a Norman Rockwell illustration. The plot was unusual by today's standards but in 1950, we can imagine this movie would have had great appeal to a mass audience, who took religion seriously. The acting was excellent and the on location background locales were evocative of the time -- the golf green lawns of the suburbs, the husband and father cranking up the engine of the family car before going off to his factory job, the couple and school age child eating their roast beef dinner. This family is what we used to call salt of the earth people who work hard, enjoy their home life and have time to joke and laugh. Of course this ideal image doesn't change even as the circumstances evolve. It is such a family that the voice of God coming over the radio would have had great appeal in 1950 as they look for inspiration to deal with the problems of work, a pregnancy,raising their child or just the daily frustrations of life. I was very impressed with James Whitmore as the father and the delightful young actor who played the son. Nancy Davis as the pregnant wife and mother played a patient and good humoured anchor for the family. I would really look forward to viewing this movie again.

Deus ex Machina

[writers_reign · 5/10 · 18 August 2008]

This is one of those entries in which it is possible to read anything to support a point of view so that for academics 'teaching' film it is manna from heaven. Made at the height of the Cold War when titles like The Iron Curtain were tumbling off the assembly lines an obvious reading is a metaphor for Light versus Might. In retrospect rather a lot is being made of Nancy Davis - Reagan to be - when at the time she was just another ungifted actress on the way down. The film loads the dice in electing to portray an 'Everyfamily' almost too good to live who need virtually no coaxing to 'do better'. James Whitmore, more at home as hard-bitten Sergeants (Battle Cry) epitomizes decency in the way Alan Ladd and Jack Lemon did and so is an excellent choice for the patriarch. Director Wellman was equally more at home in masculine situations but makes a decent enough fist of this offbeat entry.

Much Loved To Have Been So Rarely Seen!

[Ainsley_Jo_Phillips · 10/10 · 15 June 2004]

I'm frustrated that they don't show this more on TV!

I've only gotten to see it once--and saw when it was on at another time several years later, but, sadly, not when I would be able to watch it.

Let me tell you about the summer I saw it.

It was 1972 (summer), and I'd just finished my freshman year of college.

One of the powers-that-be at my college would have been perfectly content had this turned out to be my LAST year of college (long story--which I'll be writing about in a book before long. . .that is, currently working on the book now).

My paternal grandma was struggling with widespread cancer. Just when it seemed as if she had beaten it, signs that she still had it lurking in her body disappointed us time and again.

This was a time of unrest in our country--throughout the whole world, in fact.

When the movie was made, the woman who played Mary was two years away from marrying a remarkable man--one who would reach out to the president of the USSR and ask him to tear down that wall.

Sixteen-plus years later, the Cold War would come to an end--but it was now 1972 and still part of our reality.

I saw this movie on my TV schedule and thought it would be an interesting film to watch.

With all of the unrest in the Middle East, there was a lot of speculation that we were, indeed, living in "the last days."

Would this be a movie about The Second Coming, as seen through the eyes of those who created this movie 22 years or so before I would be watching it?

What would be the treatment of the relationship between God and humanity in this movie?

In short, I found a lot of comfort in this movie.

There was cancer in the world, Cold War, war in Vietnam, rumors of war, unrest, campus riots, my own personal campus conflict. . .but, most importantly, there was our loving God who has wanted nothing more throughout the ages than to gain our trust and love.

This tenderhearted and wise movie did a wonderful job in getting across this wonderful news!!!

WHAT IF ALL FILMS WERE APPROVED BY LUTHERANS?

[dalehoustman · 1/10 · 11 October 2021]

I recently saw this "film" on TCM, mildly intrigued by t its central premise, and thought it might be, at the very least, an amusing bit of 1950s culture, with stereotypical (yet charming) characters from a mythically "simpler" time, such as one sees in the entertaining fluff of the "Andy Hardy" series. But...no...

This film plays as if it were produced by a small-town (and vastly untalented and humorless) church group who had accidentally come across some film equipment. The cinematography is dull, and the time crawls by like sludge through a small tube, as we are constantly barraged with limp and cliché bits of supposed divine wisdom which appear to come down to such gems as "take it easy" and "don't rock the boat". One wonders why sedatives weren't simply poured into the water supply to achieve such conservative ends, until you consider the acting of James Whitmore and the equally flat Nancy Davis, whose role here explains why she got out of the business. There is a lot of moping, an aggravating child actor, a seemingly insane aunt, and--to these eyes--some of the worst "acting as a drunk" bits I have ever seen.

The utter "preachiness" of this film, combined with its dull look, its duller acting, and a humorlessness that borders on the criminal combine to make it an excruciating viewing for anyone who thinks the "old time virtue" was mainly a matter of skewed nostalgia.

When they say such films as "Plan 9 from Outer Space" are the worst films of all time, they must exclude from consideration such draggy fare as this film.

Horrid...

He moves in mysterious ways

[dbdumonteil · 30 June 2008]

Funny how James Whitmore resembles Spencer Tracy! He is ideally cast as the guy-next-door with his sweet wife and their lovable little boy.

"Next voice you hear" is one of Wellman's weirdest movies ,but he had already displayed his faith in God :for instance ,Carl the sailor in "Safe in hell" (what a title!) tells her love Gilda that He did help them (and He did in a way).

The good idea is that we (the audience) never hear HIS voice :it's all in reported speech .There's nothing spectacular,no end -of -the world-trick (although mom hints at Orson Welles and his "war of the worlds"),just every day life and the fact that God speaks to the world using the different languages .

Mrs Smith is expecting a child ;the boy seems to be afraid of losing his mom to his new brother/sister;the father wants to go to confession.And on the seventh day...

Like this?try this....

"Teorema" Pier Paolo Pasolini 1968

If you Believe; good film; if you Don't; bad film

[arthur_tafero · 5/10 · 30 July 2018]

I will to be the center of the wheel here. This is one of those rare films that you must have a certain mindset to really like or hate. Religious people will more than likely like the film, and those who are not religious will most likely not like it. That is where I got my rating from, roughly. The rest of the rating comes from the director, Wellman, who was a top-notch craftsman of fantasy films. Some would say this was another of his fantasy films, while others would say it was real. The actors Whitman and Mrs. Reagan, did a good job. Whitman is the real heavyweight actor in this group. Mrs Reagan was always pretty much a lightweight. The other actors go through their paces and the scenes are well-directed by Wellman. Interesting to view, but not really a good film.

Sweet! Sweet! Sweet!

[jlmaness · 10/10 · 11 April 2007]

I love this sweet, underestimated little film. First of all, you never actually hear God's voice. They work it so that you never get the chance. But that's as it should be, because I am certain His voice could never be duplicated in such a way that would be worthy. This postwar film, set in Los Angeles I believe, is nothing short of wonderful. It's family situation is realistic and heartwarming. Let me give an overview. Mr. Joe Smith and his pregnant wife and young son live in a modest little home in suburban Los Angeles. He works as an aircraft mechanic and gets his weekly kicks on bowling night with his friends. The problem with Joe is that he is very short tempered, not with his family so much as the little things that go wrong. He is unsatisfied with life. Then God comes on the radio and speaks to the world. He does so each night at 8:30, and it changes Joe's life. I can't say enough about this wonderful movie. I own it and never get tired of watching it. I love the simple life of Joe and his family. They're normal and imperfect and I think typical of the day. I love the radio era when TV wasn't in every home yet. I love the era when women kept a warm and comfortable home providing nurturing love and attention to the family. We'd all be better off in today's society if more women lived like this. I know I'm angering a lot of people by saying that, but I believe it's true!