Half Way to Heaven
About Half Way to Heaven
Nick, the catcher in a trapeze act, wants Greta Nelson. She favors Tony, the flyer, so Nick lets him fall and Tony is killed. Novice Ned Lee joins the troupe. Greta knows the drop was deliberate, hides with Ned, and falls in love with him. She stays in the act to keep Ned alive. Nick tries the same miss. Ned swings past him and hangs by his feet. After the show a fight gets Nick fired, and Ned and Greta stay together.
Cast & crew
More about Half Way to Heaven
George Abbott directed and shared the script with Henry Leyford Gates and Gerald Geraghty. The story comes from Gates's 1928 novel Here Comes the Bandwagon. Paramount released the film on 14 December 1929. Charles 'Buddy' Rogers plays Ned. Jean Arthur plays Greta. Paul Lukas plays Nick.
Themes
Music
"Louise," lyric by Leo Robin and music by Richard A. Whiting, is the song credited to the picture.
Notes
- Helen Ware plays Madame Elsie. Oscar Apfel is the circus manager. Irving Bacon plays Slim. Edna West plays Mrs. Lee.
- A circulating copy is timed at 1 hour 5 minutes 53 seconds against the 66-minute listing.
- Paramount shot other-language versions at Joinville, outside Paris, including a Swedish version under the same title and a Spanish version, Sombras del circo.
- The song "Louise" is credited to Leo Robin and Richard A. Whiting.
- Film Daily noticed it on 8 December 1929, the New York Times on 7 December, and Variety on 11 December.
Scenes
- Nick fails to catch Tony, and Tony dies in the ring.
- Ned swings past Nick and hangs by his feet.
- A fight after the show gets Nick thrown out of the troupe.
Influenced by
- Henry Leyford Gates's novel Here Comes the Bandwagon (1928)
Also available
- Wikimedia Commons (Half Way to Heaven (1929).webm)
