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65% Critic Match
Heaven Only Knows
“For an angel... this buckaroo is some guy! He's on a rootin' tootin' mission from above... looking for a lost soul!”
6.5 / 10• 1947• 1h 40m•NR• English
ComedyFamilyFantasyWestern
Storyline
Also released as Montana Mike, Heaven Only Knows is an offbeat western with fantasy overtones. Hard-bitten gambling boss Brian Donlevy rules his frontier community with brawn and bullets. To his dismay, Donlevy discovers that he has a guardian angel (Robert Cummings), who shows up in the guise of an Eastern tenderfoot. The angel has been sent from Above to save Donlevy's soul, and to that end encourages the one-time villain to squire a minister's daughter (Jorja Curtwright) rather than his usual dance-hall girls. Donlevy is also given tips on winning against his enemies without resorting to gunplay. The gambler finally redeems himself with Heaven by rescuing the angel from a lynch mob (how can you lynch an angel?) Heaven Only Knows deserves an "E" for Effort for bringing a fresh twist to the venerable western genre.
Cast & Crew
Robert Cummings
Michael, aka Mike
Lead
Brian Donlevy
Adam 'Duke' Byron
Marjorie Reynolds
Ginger 'The Copper Queen'
Jorja Curtright
Drusilla Wainwright
Bill Goodwin
Bill Plumber
John Litel
Reverend Wainwright
Stuart Erwin
Sheriff Matt Bodine
Gerald Mohr
Treason
What People Are Saying
4.0
“A staggering achievement of craft and ambition. Albert S. Rogell's vision lands with breathtaking precision.”
3.0
“Every frame feels alive. Heaven Only Knows is the rare release that takes its audience seriously.”
