The Cockeyed Miracle

The Cockeyed Miracle
Directed by S. Sylvan Simon
Produced by Irving Starr
Written by George Seaton (play)
Karen DeWolf
Starring Frank Morgan
Keenan Wynn
Cecil Kellaway
Music by David Snell
Production
company
Release dates
  • October 24, 1946 (1946-10-24)
Running time
 81 minutes
Country United States
Language English
Budget $663,000[1]
Box office $846,000[1]

The Cockeyed Miracle is a 1946 fantasy film about a ghost who, with the help of his father (also a ghost), stops his best friend from leaving his family penniless. The ghosts are played by Frank Morgan and Keenan Wynn, the villain by Cecil Kellaway. The film was based on the play But Not Goodbye by George Seaton.

Plot Summary

Aging shipbuilder Sam Griggs (Frank Morgan) is near the end of his career due to health problems. With the help of his friend Tom Carter (Cecil Kellaway) he has invested all of his family's money in a shaky real estate venture which he hopes will provide a large return. The rest of his family is happily unaware of the deal, preoccupied with their own future prospects.

Sam's health soon fails fatally and he is met by the youthful ghost of his father Ben Griggs (Keenan Wynn), eager to shepherd his son into the afterlife. Sam insists on lingering to help his family as best he can, first persuading Ben to use his supernatural power to cause storms to help a romance between his daughter and an oblivious lodger, and then to aid the success of his investment by impressing the potential buyer.

Having discovered his death and their own financial situation (but not the nature of his venture), Sam's wife Amy (Gladys Cooper) encourages her children to remember their father fondly. Tom arrives at their home prepared to give the grieving family Sam's share, but succumbs to greed after writing the check and attempts to leave without informing them of their new inheritance.

Though Sam invisibly berates his former friend he and his father seem helpless to prevent the betrayal. However, one last storm cast by Ben leads to Tom himself dying from a lightning strike. Knowing that the authorities will find the check on his body, Sam and Ben finally leave for the afterlife with Tom in tow.[2]

Cast

Reception

The film earned $619,000 in the US and Canada and $227,000 elsewhere causing a loss of $182,000.[1]

References

  1. 1 2 3 The Eddie Mannix Ledger, Los Angeles: Margaret Herrick Library, Center for Motion Picture Study.
  2. ↑ http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/1990/The-Cockeyed-Miracle/
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