A Little Bit of Heaven (1940 film)

A Little Bit of Heaven is a 1940 musical film starring teenage soprano singer Gloria Jean. The story casts Gloria as a young member of a large Irish working-class family who becomes a singing sensation on a local radio station. The family's new-found wealth causes some discord until the family realizes that their closeness is what they value the most.

A Little Bit of Heaven
Film poster
Directed byAndrew Marton
Produced byJoe Pasternak
Screenplay byDaniel Taradash
Gertrude Purcell
Story byGrover Jones
StarringGloria Jean
CinematographyJohn F. Seitz
Edited byLásló Benedek
Production
company
Universal Pictures
Distributed byUniversal Pictures
Release date
  • October 11, 1940 (1940-10-11)
Running time
87 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

The film's title comes from a traditional Irish song that Gloria Jean sings at a family gathering. Her 2005 biography is similarly titled: Gloria Jean: A Little Bit of Heaven. The film is an unofficial sequel to 1939's The Under-Pup, featuring several cast members from that film, but as different characters. The group of girls in The Under-Pup was called "The Penguins", and Gloria Jean sings the group's song early in this film.

Cast

Production

In January 1940 Universal announced that Gloria Jean's third movie would be Our City, the tale of two sisters, based on a story by Grover Jones. Loretta Young was to play the sister and the cast would include Robert Cummings, Eugene Pallette, Lewis Howard and Billy Gilbert.[1]

By May the title had been changed to Straight from the Heart and Young was replaced by Nan Grey.[2] Then it became A Little Bit of Heaven and Cummings was replaced by Robert Stack. Filming began in June.[3]

References
  1. SCREEN NEWS HERE AND IN HOLLYWOOD: Pasternack to Make 'Our City' at Universal New York Times 22 Jan 1940: 17.
  2. SCREEN NEWS HERE AND IN HOLLYWOOD New York Times 13 May 1940: 23.
  3. SCREEN NEWS HERE AND IN HOLLYWOOD. New York Times 11 May 1940: 20.


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