Texas, Brooklyn and Heaven (1948)

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