The Next Voice You Hear...
The Next Voice You Hear... is a 1950 drama starring James Whitmore and Nancy Davis.[2] It was based on a short story of the same name by George Sumner Albee.[3][4] An exhaustive description of the making of the film is the subject of producer Dore Schary's book "Case History of a Movie."
| The Next Voice You Hear... | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | William A. Wellman |
| Screenplay by | Charles Schnee |
| Based on | The Next Voice You Hear 1948 story inHearst's International Cosmopolitan by George Sumner Albee |
| Produced by | Dore Schary |
| Starring | James Whitmore Nancy Davis |
| Cinematography | William C. Mellor |
| Edited by | John Dunning |
| Music by | David Raksin |
| Distributed by | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer |
Release date |
|
Running time | 83 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $421,000[1] |
| Box office | $788,000[1] |
Plot
The voice of God is heard on the radio, preempting all programming throughout the world and causing widespread hope and alarm. The story is told through Joe and Nancy Smith, a typical American couple, and the positive and negative reactions of other people.
The six messages (one for each day, Tuesday through Sunday, but "on the seventh day He rested.") that God speaks on the radio are read aloud, for the benefit of the film audience, by different characters in the film. The voice of God is never heard.[5]
Cast
- James Whitmore as Joe Smith
- Nancy Davis as Mary Smith
- Gary Gray as Johnny Smith
- Lillian Bronson as Aunt Ethel
- Art Smith as Fred Brannan
- Tom D'Andrea as Harry "Hap" Magee
- Jeff Corey as Freddie Dibson
Reception
The New York Times review called the film "a compound of humor, sentiment and romance—and that element of mysticism which the average person can seldom resist." The reviewer praised the performances of Whitmore, Davis and Gray, who played their young son, but criticized the film's "smug and easy clichés that are used to propel the plot."[5]
Variety called the film an "unusual picture experience" that was "beautifully handled in the understanding writing, direction and playing."[6]
Box office
According to MGM records, the film earned $668,000 in the U.S. and Canada and $120,000 overseas, resulting in a profit to the studio of $367,000.[1]
Music
The film's score was composed by David Raksin and conducted by Raksin and Johnny Green. The hymn-like theme used for the main and end titles would later be published as "Hasten the Day", with lyrics by Norman Corwin.[7]
Surviving portions of Raksin's score, excluding some source music, were released on compact disc in 2009 on the Film Score Monthly label.
References
- The Eddie Mannix Ledger, Los Angeles: Margaret Herrick Library, Center for Motion Picture Study.
- THOMAS F. BRADY (Feb 17, 1950). "METRO IS TESTING LOW-BUDGET PLAN: STUDIO ALLOWING $600,000 FOR NEW DORE SCHARY PICTURE, 'NEXT VOICE YOU HEAR' OF LOCAL ORIGIN ADMISSION TO PLAY: CAN OF FOOD". New York Times. p. 29.
- "George Sumner Albee – Summary Bibliography". isfdb.org. Retrieved 9 May 2015.
- Hughes, Scott (June 20, 2003). "God – The Hollywood Years". The Guardian (arts.guardian.co.uk). London. Retrieved 2008-06-02.
- Crowther, Bosley (1950-06-30). "THE SCREEN IN REVIEW; 'The Next Voice You Hear ..., Dore Schary Production, Opens at Music Hall". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-05-13.
- "The Next Voice You Hear …". Variety. 1950-01-01. Retrieved 2021-05-14.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - Kaplan, Alexander (2009). David Raksin. "David Raksin at MGM (1950–1957)". Film Score Monthly (CD online notes). Los Angeles. 12 (2).