Tough Assignment: One Foot in Heaven

Tough Assignment: It's comparatively easy to find locations for highways that lead down in Movietown, but the Warner Brothers aerial location scout had a heck of a time finding a mile-high cloud band for the forthcoming production, One Foot in Heaven.

One Foot in Heaven, released in 1941, stars Fredric March, Martha Scott, Gene Lockhart, Beulah Bondi, and Laura Hope Crews. It follows the struggles to be relevant in the 20th century of Minister William Spence (played by Fredric March) and his wife Hope Morris Spence (played by Martha Scott). Set in 1917, it sounds like a sweet picture. Anyone wanting to check it out, it is playing October 12th at 1am est on Turner Classic Movies.

What is wrong with Constance Bennett?

According to our masseuse Madame Sylvia, the studio believed there was something wrong with Constance Bennett. They thought she looked sick, but was afraid to say anything. To try to figure out what was going on, Sylvia and her crew, set a trap. Joe Kennedy had a dinner party with Gloria Swanson, Laura Hope Crews, some gents, and Constance Bennett. Sylvia was invited, so she could try to figure out what was wrong with Connie.

The problem was she looked sick, her face was skinny, and her vertebrae showed. These days Hollywood would give her a medal, not be concerned about her! Because of her appearance, Connie's first talkie Rich People (1929), was postponed.

According to our Masseuse to the Stars, Madame Sylvia, Constance Bennett was "high-bred, high-strung, restless, and jumpy as a flea" (Hollywood Undressed, Page 137) before she started working on her. Madame Sylvia started giving her nightly rubdowns to help Connie sleep.


And it's no surprise, Gloria Swanson and Connie Bennett hated each other. To keep Madame Sylvia on her side, Connie offered to introduce Sylvia to royalty and invited Sylvia to accompany her to Europe. Gloria Swanson freaked out and Joe Kennedy chewed poor Constance out!

Madame Sylvia decided not to go on the European trip, even though Connie also tried to bribe her with her Sapphire ring! Who could say no to a European trip and a fabulous Sapphire Ring? I know I couldn't! Poor Constance went to Europe without Sylvia and came back with a child.


Up next - Grace Moore tries to upstage Gloria Swanson

Sound transition sparks cattiness

Hollywood Undressed was written during the transition between silent and sounds pictures, so there was naturally some practical things that needed to be done with the starts to make them sound ready. One of these was finding a voice coach to aid voices that were not ideal for sound pictures.

Actors and Actresses grabbed for Italian voice coaches. They believed they were the best. Norma Talmadge, got one from New York as did Laura Hope Crews.

Gloria Swanson did not get a vocal coach. Instead she stressed out gained a little weight.

Gloria Swanson, like many film stars, had a lisp. This definitely needed correction for the translation to sound films. Gloria asked Norma Talmadge if she could borrow her vocal coach, Laura Hope Crews. Norma agreed and so Hope Crews coached Gloria Swanson for her first talkie, Edmund Gouldings' "The Trespasser."

*Note - All photos on this page are of Norma Talmedge

Up next, Gloria Swanson, Queen of her household