Figure 1.--

"This Side of Heaven" is the story of a businessman driven to suicide. Deceived by a business manager, an otherwise scrupulously honest accountant helps him to embezzle company funds. An audit reveals the misdeed, and the accountant, Turner, must take full responsibility for it after the manager leaves the country. Turner considers suicide to be his only option, and he takes an overdose of his medication. When a car accident puts his son in the hospital, Turner, though weakening from the drug, goes to see his son. His son will be all right, and doctors save Turner just in time. All ends well when police arrest the manager and clear Turner. Dickie Moore has a small part.

Filmology

Cast

Lionel Barrymore gave a poignant and realistic performance of the accountant--Turner. Dickie Moore, about 8 and a half years old when the film has a small part as Freddie, a schoolboy. Turner has two other children, both daughters.

Plot

Turner deceived by a business manager, an otherwise scrupulously honest accountant helps him to embezzle company funds. An audit reveals the misdeed, and the accountant, Turner, must take full responsibility for it after the manager leaves the country. Turner considers suicide to be his only option, and he takes an overdose of his medication. When a car accident puts his son in the hospital, Turner, though weakening from the drug, goes to see his son. His son will be all right, and doctors save Turner just in time. All ends well when police arrest the manager and clear Turner. Turner's older daughter is an elementary school teacher who has kept Freddie after school for hitting another boy. Freddie explains that the boy called him a sissy because he didn't kiss a girl. The teacher tells him that's no reason to hit someone, that he could have knocked out all the boy's teeth. Freddie answers, "Awww, half his teeth are out anyway!" To console Freddie the teacher gives him an apple. About this time her boyfriend enters the classroom to ask her for a date. Seeing Freddie, he asks, "So the teacher gave you an apple?" To which Freddie answered, "GAVE nothin'! It's the same apple I gave her this morning. Found it in the gutter." The horrified teacher grabbed the apple away and dismissed Freddie.

Costuming

Dickie wore a medium color short pants suit with ankle socks and a white shirt with the collar spread over the lapels of his coat. He wore no tie, and his shoes looked to be dark lace-ups. Some other boys are seen very briefly, exiting the classroom. One wore a dark short pants suit with gray knee socks. Another wore a long trousers suit. As the film opens, a delivery boy, who appears to be about 12 - 13 years old, comes in wearing a knickers suit, long stockings, lace-up shoes, a necktie, and a cap. I'm not sure what to call the cap's style, but it resembles the cap worn by the delivery boy resembled the kind usually worn by police officers or military officers.

Created: 2:52 AM 5/1/2006
Last updated: 2:52 AM 5/1/2006