In 2011, I announced I was trying to see every film released in 1939. This new series chronicles films released in 1939 as I watch them. As we start out this blog feature, this section may become more concrete as I search for a common thread that runs throughout each film of the year. Right now, that’s difficult.

1939 film:
East Side of Heaven (1939)

Release date:
April 7, 1939

Cast:
Bing Crosby, Joan Blondell, Mischa Auer, Irene Hervey, C. Aubrey Smith, Robert Kent, Jerome Cowan, Baby Sandy, Jane Jones, Helen Warner, Rose Valyda, Jack Powell, Matty Malneck, Chester Clute (uncredited), Phyllis Kennedy (uncredited), Sterling Holloway (uncredited), J. Farrell MacDonald (uncredited),
Specialty Acts: The Music Maids

Studio:
Universal Pictures

Director:
David Butler

Plot:
Denny Martin (Crosby) is a singing cab driver is engaged to telephone operator Mary Wilson (Blondell), but they have had to postpone their wedding four times. Their nuptials are again in danger of being put on hold when Denny is saddled with a baby (Baby Sandy). His friend Mona Barrett (Hervey) is in the process of divorcing her alcoholic husband Cyrus Barrett Jr. (Kent). In response to the split, her father in law Cyrus Barrett, Sr. (Smith) decides Mona and Junior’s baby (Baby Sandy) needs to stay in his care and tries to legally take the baby away from her. To protect her baby, Mona leaves him with Denny who tries to secretly care for the baby with his roommate Nicky (Auer), while the whole town is searching for the baby.

1939 Notes:
• First film of Baby Sandy, who appeared in films between 1939 and 1942. Baby Sandy was in three films in 1939.
• This was the only film role of Helen Warner and Rose Valyda appeared in. They were in the singing cooks during the “Hang Your Heart on a Hickory Limb.”
• First film appearance of the Music Maids
• By the numbers:
– Bing Crosby was in three movies released in 1939.
– Joan Blondell was in five movies released in 1939.
– Mischa Auer was in three movies released in 1939.
– Irene Hervey was in five films released in 1939.
– C. Aubrey Smith was in eight films released in 1939.
– Robert Kent was in seven films released in 1939
– Jerome Cowan was in eight films released in 1939.
– Jane Jones was in two films released in 1939.
– Chester Clute was in 15 films released in 1939.
– J. Farrell MacDonald was in 11 films released in 1939.

Notable Songs:
• “Sing a Song of Sunbeams” performed by Bing Crosby
• “Hang Your Heart on a Hickory Limb” performed by Bing Crosby, Jane Jones and the Music Maids

Other trivia:
• Working title was “Three’s Company.”
• Baby Sandy was an 11-month-old little girl named Sandra Lea Henville. She was a daughter of a milkman who put his daughter’s photos with the milk of a Universal executive when he heard they were looking for a baby to play a role in a film. After testing several babies, director David Butler, thought Sandra was the cutest and didn’t even ask if the baby was a boy or a girl.
• One of two films Bing Crosby made at Universal.

My review: Searching for the “1939 feature”:
Well after seeing this movie, now I want to see every movie with Baby Sandy!

EAST SIDE OF HEAVEN (1939) probably isn’t high on anyone’s “must see” films of 1939, but it is a sweet, fun film with legitimately humorous moments.

Denny (Crosby) and Mary (Blondell) are sweethearts who keep having to put their wedding on hold. When they think it’s finally time, Denny is fired from his singing telegram job, prompting Mary to postpone their marriage until he finds another job. When Denny finds a job as a singing cab driver, their wedding is again postponed when he is saddled with a “hot” baby. Mona (Hervey) — a friend of Denny’s — fleas with her baby son (Baby Sandy) after her father in law (Smith) says that he has to raise the baby if she divorces his son. Mona leaves the baby in the back of Denny’s cab and he doesn’t realize until he delivers a note to him that she is leaving the baby with him. Denny and his astrology-loving roommate Nicky (Auer) care for the baby when she returns. Since the whole city is searching for the baby, Denny tries to keep it a secret from Mary, who overhears him talking to the baby and believes he’s cheating.

Overall, EAST SIDE OF HEAVEN is a pleasant film, but the plot feels like it really gets going 42 minutes into the 90-minute film. That’s when Baby Sandy takes over the story — and I don’t mean that in a negative way.

Little Sandra Lea Henville, aka Baby Sandy, is an adorable scene stealer. I love moments when an actor is holding a baby and the baby is just … being a baby, touching microphones, Bing Crosby’s tie, etc (which all happens at the end of the film).

Director David Butler hired 11-month-old Henville, the daughter of a milkman, after seeing her photos. Dubbed Baby Sandy in the credits, she was so successful in the role that she was signed to a contract and retired from acting at age five. Now I have to seek out her other films! As an aside, the censorship office wanted a joke focused on a wet baby diaper removed from the film, according to Crosby’s biographer.

As for our leads, Joan Blondell and Bing Crosby as an interesting pair and well-cast, though their romantic scenes are light. Blondell said in an interview that Crosby was distant, but professional.

In a contrast, Crosby said in a letter to Johnny Mercer thathe “never engaged in a movie more pleasant.”

Mischa Auer, as always, was delightfully funny and C. Aubrey Smith is always a favorite of mine.

The film also includes entertaining music, and The Music Maids performing as singing waitresses are a good time.

Though EAST SIDE OF HEAVEN felt like it took some time to get to the point of plot, it’s still a good time. And it launched the (brief) career of Baby Sandy!

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