Liliom (1930)

A carnival barker (Charles Farrell) in Budapest marries a servant girl (Rose Hobart, 1932's DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE) but he treats her abominably, both physically and emotionally. After he commits suicide rather than go to jail, he's given an opportunity by the heavenly powers that be to return to Earth and redeem himself. Based on the 1909 play by Ferenc Molnar, this was also made in France in 1934 by Fritz Lang and, of course, the 1956 film version of Rodgers & Hammerstein's CAROUSEL which is based on Molnar's play. For me, the source material has always been problematic with the character of Julie basically being a doormat to an abusive brute and the film/play's cringe inducing lines: "He hit me but it felt like a kiss" and "Someone can beat you and beat you and you don't feel a thing". This being an early sound film, it's rather stilted and the actors (with the exception of Lee Tracy as a slimey thug) are pretty stiff. But the entire lengthy train to Heaven and Hell sequence is very impressive. Directed by Frank Borzage. With Walter Abel, H.B. Warner, Estelle Taylor, Guinn Williams and a young Anne Shirley.