It Happened Tomorrow (1944)

A lot of people seem to think that if a film has some humor in it, then it's a comedy. I quite disagree, and this film is a good example. Yes, there's a goodly share of humor here, but really, the film is a fantasy. It's sort of a different take on the old time travel theme, although here it's only a 24 hour trip for a newspaper reporter who gets into some odd adventures through reading the next day's newspaper today (got it?). But rather than call it a comedy, I prefer to look at it as a story that doesn't take itself too seriously.What makes this picture work so well is the cast. Reportedly, Cary Grant was wanted for the lead, and I certainly can see him in it. But Dick Powell does very nicely. Personally, the Powell films of this time period are improving as he moved from light comedy into drama; you might say that for him this was a transitional piece.I've never thought much of Linda Darnell, but she does quite nicely here as the corny female half of a fortune telling act, and as the love interest for Powell.Jack Oakie is quite entertaining as the uncle of Darnell, and the other half of the fortune telling act.A number of familiar faces fill in the supporting cases, including Edgar Kennedy, but I found John Philliber -- who brings the future newspapers to Powell -- to be most interesting here. I wasn't at all familiar with him, but apparently he did more work in the theatre than in films.This is a very entertaining film. Recommended. You'll have a few laughs, but if you think about it, it's NOT exactly a comedy.

This Sometimes Charming Movie is Almost Ruined by the Bombastic, Over the Top Irritations by Jack Oakie. He is Insufferable Most of the Time and is Saved Only by the Beauty of Linda Darnell, Dick Powell's Engaging Performance, and a Good Story.It's Been Done Quite Often, this "knowing the future will do you no good" Plot in Countless Books, TV Shows, and Movies, but it is Almost Always Intriguing. Just What Would You Do? Of Course, Those Lottery Numbers and Race Results are Surely Going to Bring in Lots of Cash Quickly and Just as Quickly...POOF!.Overall, the Movie is Worth a Watch because it is Lively, Funny At Times, and Well Done. But Only if You Can Stand the Buffoonery and Over Ripe Slapstick and Yelling of One Jack Oakie.

Dick Powell plays a reporter who is given a newspaper that correctly predicts the headline for the following day, allowing him to get the scoop on all the big news stories. This brings him more problems than he bargained for. Interesting, charming, sometimes funny fantasy that falls short of greatness because it lacks some 'kick.' I'm not sure why it was necessary to make the story take place at the turn of the 20th century. I think it would have worked better in a contemporary setting, particularly given the things going on in the world at the time. Still, it's enjoyable with a good cast. Powell is always likable and Linda Darnell is lovely. I even liked Jack Oakie and I'm not always a fan. As others have pointed out, the '90s TV series Early Edition used a similar premise. Not set in the same time period, of course.

Dick Powell is very good as an obituaries writer for a newspaper in 1899 who moves up to the valued reporters position after a wily old co-worker gives him a future edition of the paper; now, he's "predicting" the news and betting on the horses, but can he prevent his own reported demise? I'm not at all fond of director René Clair's wobbly timing; he is very adept at molding certain sequences for a somewhat surreal, ghostly-romantic effect, but only his smaller touches really hit home. Clair falters when it comes to big slapstick scenes or large-scaled comedic bits, allowing some actors (such as Jack Oakie) to overplay painfully while keeping others (like Linda Darnell) exasperatingly in check. Darnell is so enervated that she doesn't even react after new hubby Powell has been robbed--and when the crook runs right passed her, she doesn't even try to stop him. Powell's panache holds the flimsy premise together, although the construction of the plot is interesting and keeps promising to deliver a better movie than what we ultimately get. **1/2 from ****