Expert: Jim Kason - 1/9/2011

Question
Sometime in the 80's, I remember watching a black and white movie (on TV) in which children were living in heaven and were waiting to be born.  When it was time for new parents on earth to deliver a child, one of the children in heaven would be selected and left their friends in the heavens, and became a new baby.  All the heaven children were waiting for their chance to become a new baby, although it was a sad and scary for them when it happened. That's really all I can remember. Thanks for your help.

Answer
Hi Sarah,

Yes,...I know the film you've described.  It was the movie that 20th Century Fox's Darryl Zanuck made, ...starring Shirley Temple,...to try to "out do"
MGM's Judy Garland's "Wizard of Oz".    Tho' it's a charming film, which I like very much,...it wasn't very successful for the studio.

It came out in 1940, and was titled, "The Blue Bird".   Like "Oz", the first part's in B&W, and then turns into color.  ( The "unborn children " sequence is towards the end of the film.)     It's available on VHS and DVD at:       www.amazon.com

Also, for the complee story-line,  go to :   http://www.tcm.com:80/tcmdb/title.jsp?stid=69197      and click on :  " {+} read full synopsis"

Sincerely,

Jim K