This week’s mystery movie was the 1934 MGM picture This Side of Heaven, with Lionel Barrymore, Fay Bainter, Mae Clarke, Tom Brown, Una Merkel, Mary Carlisle, Onslow Stevens, Henry Wadsworth, Eddie Nugent, C. Henry Gordon and Dickie Moore.
Adapted by Zelda Sears and Eve Greene. From a novel by Marjorie Bartholomew Paradis. Screenplay by Edgar Allan Wolfe and Florence Ryerson.
Musical score by Dr. William Axt. Recording by Douglas Shearer.
Art direction by Frederic Hope. Interior decorations by Edwin B. Willis.
Photographed by Hal Rosson. Edited by Frank Hull.
A William K. Howard Production.
Directed by William K. Howard.
Produced by John W. Considine Jr.
This Side of Heaven has apparently never been released commercially. It last aired on TCM in 2019.
More on the history of the film is available from the AFI catalog.
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I picked This Side of Heaven as another Fay Bainter vehicle after last week’s Journey for Margaret. In fact it’s her movie debut. It’s mostly remarkable for the “movie within a movie” sequence – perfect for being sneaky with the mystery movie!
I’m going to guess The New York Times hated it.
I’m going to guess it was Mordaunt Hall or Andre Sennwald reviewed it.
Well, we have Mordaunt Hall…
And he liked it! (Feb. 10, 1934):
The Capitol’s current picture, This Side of Heaven, an adaptation of Marjorie Bartholomew Paradis’ novel It Happened One Day, is a sincere and affecting piece of work, one of the best vehicles in which the popular Lionel Barrymore has appeared. It has the further distinction of serving as the screen debut for Fay Bainter, who gives a sterling portrait of an affectionate and thoroughly sensible wife and mother.
For Monday, we have a mysterious gent. His companion has been cropped out due to insufficient mysteriousness and will appear later in the week. If you’re a fan of belted-back suit coats you will enjoy this week’s mystery movie. They are the ultimate in men’s fashions!
Update: For “Hm Wednesday,” our mysterious interior decorator gets a mysterious companion.
Update: This is Mae Clarke and Bobby Watson.
For Tuesday, we have a mystery woman.
Update: This is Helen Hayes in our mysterious movie within a movie Another Language.
Brain Trust roll call: Howard Mandelbaum (Monday’s mysterious fellow), Mike Hawks (Monday’s mysterious fellow) and Sheila (Monday’s mysterious fellow).
Also for “Hm Wednesday,” we have these mysterious fellows.
Update: This is Tom Brown, left and Sumner Getchell.
Brain Trust roll call: Mike Hawks (mystery movie, Monday’s mysterious interior decorator and Tuesday’s mystery guest and movie within a movie) Howard Mandelbaum (mystery movie, Tuesday’s mystery guest and movie within a movie) and Mary Mallory (Tuesday’s mystery guest and movie within a movie) were not tricked by “Tricky Tuesday.” Jenny M. (Tuesday’s mystery guest), Sheila (Tuesday’s mystery guest), Sylvia E. (Tuesday’s mystery guest) and Diane Ely (Tuesday’s mystery guest).
As for the trap for Tricky Tuesday: Megan and Thom (Tuesday’s mystery guest and original film), Roget-L.A. (Tuesday’s mystery guest and original film), and Anne Papineau (Tuesday’s mystery guest and original film).
For “Aha Thursday,” we have this mystery lad.
Update: This is Dickie Moore.
We also have this mystery woman. She spends most of the movie on the telephone, which seems like a waste of her talent.
Update: This is Una Merkel.
Brain Trust roll call: Mary Mallory (mysterious movie within a movie, Monday’s and Wednesday’s mystery guests), Benito (Tuesday’s mysterious woman from the movie within a movie), Jenny M. (mystery movie and Monday’s and Wednesday’s mystery guests), Megan and Thom (mystery movie and Monday’s mystery woman), Howard Mandelbaum (Monday’s mystery woman and Wednesday’s mystery guests and Back of the Head Guy), Incredible Inman (mystery movie, Tuesday’s mysterious movie within a movie, that movie’s star, this week’s mystery star and Wednesday’s mystery man No. 1), Sheila (mystery movie, Monday’s mystery woman and Wednesday’s mystery man No. 1), Mike Hawks (Wednesday’s mystery gents), Sylvia E. (mystery movie, Monday’s mystery guests, mysterious movie within a movie and mystery star, and Wednesday’s mystery fellow No. 1), Roget-L.A. (mystery movie and Wednesday’s mystery guests), Suzanne Stone (Wednesday’s mystery fellow No. 1) and Blackwing Jenny (mystery movie and all mystery guests).
For Friday, we have a mystery woman.
Update: This is Mary Carlisle.
Also a mysterious couple.
Update: This is Lionel Barrymore and Fay Bainter.
Brain Trust roll call: Mary Mallory (Thursday’s mystery guests), Howard Mandelbaum (Thursday’s mystery guests), Mike Hawks (Thursday’s mystery guests), Gary (Thursday’s mystery woman), B.J. Merholz (Thursday’s mystery guests), Suzanne Stone (mystery movie and Thursday’s mystery guests), Roget-L.A. (mystery movie and Thursday’s mystery guests), Anne Papineau (mystery movie and Thursday’s mystery guests), Blackwing Jenny (Thursday’s mystery woman), Beach Gal (mystery movie, all mystery guests, movie within a movie and that movie’s star, peering into the future for Friday’s mystery guests), Sylvia E. (Wednesday’s mysterious fraternity pledge and Thursday’s mystery guests).
ladailymirror.com 
Bobby Watson.
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The Young Donald McBride.
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Excellent guess, but alas….
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Bobby Watson (the best known Hitler impersonator in movies)
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Bobby Watson for Monday?
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Another “Monday – Just for grins” guess (and only because of the scarf our ‘cropped for lack of mysteriousness guy’ is wearing)
Andy Hardy Meets Debutante 1940 and the ‘cropped’ guy is Mickey Rooney…maybe??
I think 1940 is too late for the mystery movie, but…that scarf
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Yes, the belted-back suit coats were out of style by 1940…. But an interesting guess!
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Today’s guest is Helen Hayes. I think our movie is Another Language.
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CRIME WITHOUT PASSION. Oscar Levant Monday and Helen Hayes today.
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With what’s going on, it’s actually THE SIN OF MADELON CLAUDET.
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Helen Hayes
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Helen Hayes in ANOTHER LANGUAGE 1933
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Helen Hayes in the movie within a movie ANOTHER LANGUAGE. Bobby Watson is in our mystery movie THIS SIDE OF HEAVEN.
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For Tuesday, Helen Hayes in Another Language (1933)?
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Looks like Helen Hayes, perhaps around the time of “Another Language”
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Tuesday’s pensive woman looks like Helen Hayes, but that seems unlikely on a Tuesday.
Looking forward to “Hmmmm…Wednesday.”
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This Side of Heaven.
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Helen Hayes for Tuesday?
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Did Helen Hayes have an actress sister? (I don’t think you’d have HH herself on a Tuesday.)
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ANOTHER LANGUAGE is the title of the film of the Hayes clip. Mae Clarke and Bobby Watson Monday, and Tom Brown and Sumner Getchell today.
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Helen Hayes?
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Monday – Mae Clarke and Bobby Watson.
Wednesday – Tom Brown and Sumner Getchell.
Movie – This Side of Heaven (1934)
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Our mystery lady from Monday is Mae Clark, and the movie is This Side of Heaven.
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Mae Clarke; Tom Brown, Sumner Getchell. Back of head: Onslow Stevens.
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It’s the old Fay Bainter crossover trick! Movie is “This Side of Heaven,” with Tom Brown as one of today’s mystery men, Helen Hayes on Tuesday and — wait for it — Fay Bainter on Thursday?
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Mae Clarke and Tom Brown, ‘This Side of Heaven’?
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Tom Brown and Sumner Getchell.
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I’ll be darned, it was Ms Hayes!
Using your clues from the rundown, I’m going to guess that the movie within a movie is “Another Language” 1933. After researching that film, I’ll guess that this week’s mystery movie is “This Side of Heaven” 1934.
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Wednesday: Tom Brown and Sumner Getchell in This Side of Heaven (1934)
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Young Tom Brown to the left, I don’t know the other guys or gals.
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Tracking onward for This Side of Heaven 1934:
Monday – Bobby Watson (interior decorator) and Mae Clarke holding the drapes that are “a little…too much)
Tuesday – Helen Hayes on screen at the movies
Wednesday – Tom Brown and Buddy Messinger
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“This Side of Heaven”, with Mae Clarke and Bobby Watson on Monday; Helen Hayes on Tuesday; Tom Brown and Sumner Getchell on Wednesday.
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The creepy Dickie Moore and Una Merkel.
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Dickie Moore; Una Merkel.
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Dickie Moore and Una Merkel.
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This would be Una M. and Jackie C. traveling From Broadway to Hollywood…where they did well. What a beautiful child he was!
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Dickie Moore
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“This Side of Heaven” 1934 with Una Merkel, Dickie Moore revealed today.
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Thursday: Dickie Moore and Una Merkel in This Side of Heaven (1934)
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Dickie Moore and Una Merkel in “This Side of Heaven”
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It took me all morning to remember Una Merkel’s name. and achieve a measure of salvation.
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Una Merkel!
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Our movie is – This Side of Heaven
Monday – Bobby Watson with Mae Clarke
Tues. – Helen Hayes in a movie within the movie. This Helen Hayes film is “Another Language.”
Wen. – Tom Brown with Onslow Stevens
Thurs – Dickie Moore in #1 screen shot and Una Merkel in #2 on the phone.
Fri we should see Lionel Barrymore and Fay Bainter
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Thursday: Dickie Moore and Una Merkel
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Wednesday’s guy #2 must be Sumner Getchell (what a mouthful that is!)
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Lionel Barrymore, Una Merkel and Dickie Moore in THIS SIDE OF HEAVEN 1934
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Fri – #1 is Mary Carlisle. #2 are Lionel Barrymore and Fay Bainter
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Mary Carlisle, Lionel Barrymore and Fay Bainter.
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Whoops! Dickie Moore. This Side of Heaven.
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Friday – Mary Carlisle / Lionel Barrymore and Fay Bainter.
Fun puzzle again. Looking forward to the breakdown
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Mary Carlisle; Lionel Barrymore, Fay Bainter.
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