A Door Will Open (1940)

USA, 1940
11m, 300 metres
35mm film, black and white
mono (Western Electric Sound System), English

An American short fantasy film directed by George Sidney.

Plot Summary

Pianist and composer Arthur Campbell performs his most famous work with a book, This Gentle Thing Called Sleep, by his side. He had earlier given the book to his landlady Mrs Gorten with a note inside promising to pay his rent arrears soon. Later, a neighbour, Carl Lawrence, sues Arthur alleging plagiarism and the recently deceased Mrs Gorten returns to earth to help him.

Credits

Crew
Directed by: George Sidney
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Producer: Jack Chertok
Written by: Julian Hochfelder [real name: Julian Harmon], Carey Wilson
Story: Chandler Sprague
Director of Photography: Harold Rosson
Editor: Adrienne Fazan
Musical Director: David Snell

Cast
Carey Wilson (narrator)
Dalies Frantz (Arthur Campbell)
Lynne Carver (Sally Campbell)

References

Periodicals

  • Kinematograph Weekly no.1717 (14 March 1940)
  • Today’s Cinema vol.54 no.4381 (23 February 1940)

Books

  • The Palgrave Encyclopedia of American Horror Film Shorts 1915-1976 by Gary D. Rhodes and David J. Hogan p.445