Directed by William Castle, Texas, Brooklyn and Heaven is a whimsical, offbeat romantic comedy based on Barry Benefield’s 1943 novel Eddie and the Archangel Mike. It stars Guy Madison and Diana Lynn, and blends small-town charm, urban eccentricity, and a dash of surrealism in a story that’s as meandering as its title.
Plot Summary
Eddie Tayloe (Guy Madison) is a bored Dallas newspaper reporter who dreams of becoming a playwright. When he inherits $6,000 from his grandfather, he quits his job and sets off for New York. Along the way, he picks up Perry Dunklin (Diana Lynn), a spirited hitchhiker with a love for horses and a knack for fixing cars.
Their journey takes them through Brooklyn, where they encounter a cast of quirky characters: a bartender named Mike, a pickpocket named Mandy, three eccentric sisters, and a sleepy old man who runs a mechanical menagerie. Though Eddie and Perry part ways in New York, fate—and a few oddball coincidences—bring them back together in Texas, where they decide to build a horse ranch and chase a quieter kind of happiness.
Cast Highlights
- Guy Madison as Eddie Tayloe
- Diana Lynn as Perry Dunklin
- James Dunn as Mike the bartender
- Florence Bates, Lionel Stander, and Margaret Hamilton in colorful supporting roles
- Look out for Audrey Totter and Joe Sawyer in brief appearances
Behind-the-Scenes Trivia
- The film was shot in early 1948 and released on July 16, 1948
- It was cut from 89 minutes to 76 minutes for release, which led to abrupt transitions and dangling plot threads
- In the UK, it was retitled The Girl from Texas
- A Brooklyn premiere featured a contest to crown the “Most Heavenly Miss” from both Brooklyn and Texas
- The Balboa Theatre in San Francisco once promoted it as one of “The Year’s Two Worst Pictures”—and sold out the show
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