The Twinkle in God's Eye

In its last years Republic Pictures after losing its biggest asset John Wayne did a number of interesting films to try and keep the studio going. One of them was this film, The Twinkle In God's Eye. It's the story of a newly minted minister wanting to take up where his deceased father left off and rebuild his church in the western town of Lodestone.

The casting is a bit unusual with Mickey Rooney, a bit old to play the idealistic young minister, but still giving a decent performance as the idealistic if a big ingenuous lead.

His biggest foe in the town is Hugh O'Brian saloon owner who sees a church cutting in on his business. Rooney wants to build his church on a hill above O'Brian's saloon and O'Brian even offers him money to go somewhere else in the town. But that's where Dad built his church and where Dad was killed. On that he's firm.

Rooney is a George Bailey type hero who in the end realizes just how much of an impact he's had on the people of Lodestone just as Bailey's impact is on Bedford Falls. His biggest impact might just be on Coleen Gray individually who is paralyzed as a result of a fall from a horse, but now won't give up. And life takes a funny old bounce for Hugh O'Brian in that he gets all he wants and more.

In fact everyone gets what they want and/or deserve in The Twinkle In God's Eye including the audience for this film.