Beyond Tomorrow (1940)
Also known as Beyond Christmas (1940)
Directed by A. Edward Sutherland, with a story by Mildred Cram (Love Affair (1939)) and associate producer Adele Comandini (Three Smart Girls (1936)), who also wrote the screenplay, this sentimental Christmastime fantasy boasts a pretty cast that includes: Harry Carey, C. Aubrey Smith, Charles Winninger, Maria Ouspenskaya, Helen Vinson, Richard Carlson, and Jean Parker (among others). Carey, Smith, and Winninger play three lonely older gentleman who work together in their own successful engineering firm. They also live together in a New York townhouse; their servants are Russian immigrants, played by Alex Melesh and Ouspenskaya, who dotes on them.
When the men learn that their Christmas Eve guests have cancelled and aren't coming, Winninger has an idea for each of them to put $10 in their wallet, along with their business card, and throw it out the window onto the city streets (e.g. to see what happens and/or who turns up). Winninger plays the most cheery, optimistic of the three (he may even be their business's owner); Smith plays his typical, affable former British military officer (e.g. The Four Feathers (1939)) role, while Carey plays the cynical, gruff & grumpy one. Naturally, Carey's wallet is not returned - it's contents being taken by someone who doesn't appear to need the money. But the other two wallets are returned: one by a budding country singer, played by Carlson, and the other by a demure Parker. Both from more modest backgrounds, Carlson and Parker are delighted to accept the trio's invitation to dinner. By the end of the evening, after all have participated in singing Christmas carols, the men notice that the two young people have formed a simple attraction to one another.
However, shortly thereafter, against the advice of a concerned Ouspenskaya, the three businessmen decide to travel in winter weather conditions, and are killed in a plane crash. Meanwhile, Carlson's singing and appealing looks are "discovered" by Vinson. Recently divorced, she promotes his career and moves in on the attractive young man, coming between he and Parker. The three old gentleman return to their apartment, not realizing at first that they're dead, as ghosts. Though each has to face their own "demons", they decide to do what they can to further the relationship between the two young persons they'd met, and effectively introduced, on Christmas Eve.
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