The Next Voice You Hear

That voice on the radio, claiming to be God? Must be a prank by a kid on his ham radio. Or maybe it's something by Orson Welles. Or perhaps the Russkies have a secret transmitter. But as occurrences mount worldwide, people become convinced: the voice claiming to be God... is God. The Smiths of suburban Los Angeles - husband Joe (James Whitmore), wife Mary (future U.S. First Lady Nancy Davis) and son Johnny (Gary Gray) - find their lives challenged by the mysterious radio encounters in this movie parable directed by William A. Wellman.

Frustrated in his airplane factory job and stressed by the day-to-day routine of his average life, Joe Smith (James Whitmore) struggles to cope and care for his pregnant wife and their son. He and his family soon share a renewed faith in life when God broadcasts a message of peace over the radio. The family then hears the word of God for six consecutive days, explaining that the man upstairs wants every human to get his or her act together and coexist harmoniously. For Joe's family this means patching up all the gaps in their relationships, inside the house and out. Because old habits die hard, it's uncertain the Smiths will be able to follow the Lord's instruction. If they cannot, their fate will become even more uncertain. Based on a story by George Sumner Albee, this beautiful and subtle drama is perfectly pitched by director William Wellman. Nancy Davis is wonderfully understated as Joe's faithful wife, Mary, and Lillian Bronson turns in a splendid cameo as Ethel, the family's frigid maiden aunt.