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Truly Dreadful Film

hyped garbage

Let me be very fair here, this is not the best movie in my opinion. But, this movie is fun, it has purpose and is very enjoyable to watch.

The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

"Heaven Can Wait" is a 1943 Technicolor comedy from Ernst Lubitsch with a sterling cast of popular comedy actors from the 40s. Unfortunately, the film never goes beyond its origins as a play, and a New York centric film at that (e.g, Brentanos, Wanamakers, etc. Moreover it is shot entirely on the back lot.The film does have the virtue of featuring Laird Cregar (1913-44) often played villains in films like "I Wake up Screaming" (1941) and "The Lodger" (1944) but he could also play effectively in comedies like "Charley's Aunt" and "Rings on Her Fingers" (1942). Cregar was often over 300 pounds, but lost weight for some of his films, and he shows up much slimmer in this one. The dramatic changes in weight contributed to his early death at 31. Director John Brahm described him as "a quiet, sad, aloof sort of man who saved it all for the camera" and called his on screen work "amazing". Cregar plays a devil like character who sits in judgment of the philandering Don Ameche (1908-1933).One could miss this film and not consider it a major loss.

In the old days, they produced a lot of movies that made light of a man's infidelity, such as "The Women" (1939), "The Philadelphia Story" (1940), and, of course, "Heaven Can Wait." Perhaps it was because a divorce was harder to get in those days, or maybe it was that women had a much harder time supporting themselves when they did get a divorce. But the moral of such stories seems to be that women should forgive their philandering husband because their indiscretions are not serious, that their husbands really loved them deep down, and that such men are really just like cute, little, mischievous boys. Such movies helped women accept the fact that they were stuck in a loveless marriage, and they undoubtedly assuaged any feelings of guilt men might have for having been unfaithful. Now that divorces are easier to get, and women are better able to support themselves, we don't see such movies any more. Instead, a modern movie is more likely to treat adultery as being as painful and insulting as it really is.They may have cast creepy Laird Cregar in the role of the Devil, nattily attired, with the appropriate beard and mustache neatly trimmed, so as to make him look the part, but he is so kind and sympathetic that we can only wish most people were as considerate and caring as he is. The idea of giving us a Devil who is not really evil is to underscore the idea that adultery (on the part of a man, of course) is not really a sin. We don't believe that Henry Van Cleve should burn for eternity in the fires of Hell, but we don't believe he deserves a forgiving wife like Martha either.

From Oscar nominated director Ernst Lubitsch (To Be or Not to Be), I spotted this film because it starred the actor who voiced Chance in Homeward Bound, it sounded good, and it was rated well by the critics, so I was up for it. Basically recently deceased and aged playboy Henry Van Cleve (Cocoon's Don Ameche) has entered the reception area of Hell, and is meeting His Excellency - The Devil (Laird Cregar) to see if he qualifies entering into eternal damnation or into Heaven. So in flashback we see his story that he tells to prove his worthiness, going back to Manhattan in the 19th Century, where Henry grew up as a spoilt and naive child, living with rich parents Randolph (Louis Calhern) and Bertha Van Cleve (Spring Byington), as well as his Grandmother (Clara Blandick) and grandfather Hugo (Gentlemen Prefer Blondes' Charles Coburn). Henry becomes a man with an appetite for beautiful showgirls, and he one day overhears the voice of and follows a woman who he finds very beautiful and wants to get to know better, Martha (Gene Tierney). He does find out she is engaged, but he persists in flirting with her, and later when his irritating cousin Albert (Allyn Joslyn) introduces his new fiancée, he is surprised to find out it is her again, but she is only marrying him because she was scared of remaining a spinster in Kansas City. Henry convinces Martha that she does not truly love Albert and that she should marry him instead, everybody apart from supportive granddad Hugo is shocked by the revelation, but eventually they are accepted. They have a son together and remain happy for ten years, but it is on this anniversary that Martha finds out that her husband has been messing about with another woman, so she goes back to her parents, but he and Hugo follow her home and he begs her forgiveness and suggests remarrying. So after this they remain happy together for the rest of their lives, until Martha tragically passes away shortly after their twentieth wedding anniversary party, while Henry remains a few more years and dies in the care of a nurse. After hearing the whole story by Henry there does not seem to be any real evidence that he was ever really bad, His Excellency denies him entry and suggests he should go to the "other place", upstairs, where Martha will be waiting for him. Also starring Marjorie Main as Mrs. Strable and Signe Hasso as Mademoiselle. Ameche gives a likable performance as the charming and not sure about himself man, and Tierney is also really good as his loving and beautiful wife, the going to Heaven or Hell concept is interesting, the romantic love story element is nicely done, and with the help of bright colour and good scripting the film is very charmingly, warm and honest, a most watchable classic fantasy comedy. It was nominated the Oscars for Best Cinematography and Best Picture. Very good!

I have loved Gene Tierney since Laura and The Ghost and Mrs Muir, and Ernst Lubitsch is a brilliant director, I am especially fond of The Shop Around the Corner and The Merry Widow. Heaven Can Wait is a wonderful film, and another one of Lubitsch's best. The production values are impeccable, with stunning costumes and beautiful photography and sets and the Technicolour is as radiant now as it was then. Alfred Newman's score is wonderful, and the soundtrack choices are perfectly chosen and incorporated. The script is filled with warmth, charm, wit and honesty, while the story is never dull and Lubitsch's direction superb. Don Ameche is perfectly cast, Gene Tierney looks gorgeous, Laird Cregar is very effective in his satanic role and Charles Coburn is hilarious as the wise-cracking grandfather. So all in all, a classic. 10/10 Bethany Cox