The Next Voice You Hear... (1950)

After a batch of cynical and abrasive contemporary films, some 1950s Hollywood homilies about "creating for yourself the miracles of kindness, goodness and peace" can be surprisingly palatable and (whisper it) even a little bit inspiring. The premise of William Wellman's The Next Voice You Hear ... (1950) - a voice claiming to be that of God broadcasts messages over the radio - may not sound particularly promising, but, helped out by a neat script by Charles Schnee, Wellman creates an involving and touching film here; what's beguiling about the movie is the way it combines a fantastic scenario with a sure-footed feel for the details of lower-middle-class American life. James Whitmore is sympathetic as the ordinary "Joe" through whose jaded eyes we experience the miracle; Nancy Davis and Gary Gray give good support as his wife and son. Thanks to Michal over at Last Seat on the Right [http://oleszczyk.blogspot.com/] for supplying this one.