Texas, Brooklyn and Heaven

Director: Michael Gordon, William Castle Michael Gordon

Overview

Texas, Brooklyn and Heaven deserves a historical footnote as director William Castle's only comedy western. Future Wild Bill Hickok star Guy Madison plays Eddie Taylor, a lonesome cowboy who falls in love with city-gal Perry Dunkin (Diana Lynn). The couple "meets cute" in Brooklyn, where the two have migrated to seek their fortunes. The plot veers into Runyonesque territory as Eddie tries to write the Great American Play, while Perry "adopts" pickpocket Mandy (Florence Bates) to pose as her mother. The loosely structured storyline permits several entertaining diversions, including a trip to Coney Island and a wild episode at a Brooklyn riding academy which hero and heroine have been conned into purchasing. Audie Murphy makes his second film appearance in a near-microscopic role. Based on a Saturday Evening Post story by Barry Benefield, Texas, Brooklyn and Heaven was released in England as The Girl From Texas.

Product Details

Release Date:	07/09/2015
UPC:	0644827323029
Original Release:	1948
Source:	Reel Vault
Language:	English
Sales rank:	49,914

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Guy Madison	Eddie Taylor
Diana Lynn	Perry Dunklin
Florence Bates	Mandy
James Dunn	Mike
Lionel Stander	The Bellhop
Michael Chekhov	Gaboolian
Margaret Hamilton	Ruby Cheever
Moyna MacGill	Pearl Cheever
Irene Ryan	Opal Cheever
Colin Campbell	MacWirther
Clem Bevans	Capt. Bjorn
William Frawley	The Agent
Alvin Hammer	Bernie
Roscoe Karns	Carmody
Erskine Sanford	Dr. Dunson
John Gallaudet	McGonical
James Burke	Policeman
Guy Wilkerson	Thibault
Audie Murphy	Copy Boy
Tom Dugan	Bartender
Jesse White	Customer
Frank Scannell	Barker
Dewey Robinson	Sergeant
Jo Gilbert	Lady,Lady
Ralph Peters	Cop On Phone
Herb Vigran	Man in Subway
Mary Treen	Wife
Charles Williams	Reporter

Technical Credits

William Castle	Director
Robert S. Golden	Producer

Editorial Reviews

"Zany" is a comedic quality that can't simply be manufactured, as the strained Texas, Brooklyn and Heaven amply demonstrates. Texas certainly tries hard for zaniness, but the result at best is silliness and all too often is simply dull. Certainly a great deal of the problem lies with the screenplay, which confuses being loosely plotted with being random and haphazard. Still, a decent film can be created from a jumbled plot, but only if the writer comes up with some captivating characters and bring them to life through dialogue that surprises. That's simply not the case here; what we get instead is pretty stock characters in pretty stock situations spouting stock words and phrases. Director William Castle would later exert some creativity in his horror films, but here there's little inventiveness to his work; it's strictly by the book. What Texas does have is a very game cast. Granted, Guy Madison is fairly wooden, but he's at least easy on the eyes. Even easier on the eyes and a much better actor is Diana Lynn, who does as much as she can with the material she's given. The supporting cast includes such troupers as Margaret Hamilton, Irene Ryan, Lionel Stander and Florence Bates, who bring their unique talents to the project.

All Movie Guide - Craig Butler