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Such a frustrating disappointment

Very interesting film. Was caught on the premise when seeing the trailer but unsure as to what the outcome would be for the showing. As it turns out, it was a very good film.

It was OK. I don't see why everyone loves it so much. It wasn't very smart or deep or well-directed.

It's funny, it's tense, it features two great performances from two actors and the director expertly creates a web of odd tension where you actually don't know what is happening for the majority of the run time.

Lionel Barrymore keeps the Grim Reaper at bay and up a tree in this film, "On Borrowed Time." Sir Cedric Hardwicke plays the gentleman who comes a calling when it's time for people to die. He tries to tell people it's a natural stage of life that's peaceful and is a release of pain; it's just a case of letting go. But old cantankerous Lionel ain't having any of it. He wants to stay here and raise his grandson, Pud, who lost his parents at the beginning of the movie. Some may call this film a charming fable with a tendency to be whimsical. But my history with this film is as follows: I saw this years ago in the late 1990s and don't remember liking it all that much. Feeling it needed another viewing, I saw it around Thanksgiving and had this reaction. It felt too dated to me. Granted, old people act old. But Lionel Barrymore seemed to overdo it, in my opinion. He always did have a tendency to ham things up a bit, along with his brother John. Plus, I think the writing had a lot to do with it. Had this been made in the last few decades, I don't think it would accentuated on his confounded exasperations all the time and wouldn't have kept calling people pismires. The film mired itself down with old-man eccentricities, making itself feel old. The predicament of the old man and boy only gets worse, despite the fact Lionel tricked Death into going up a tree. With Death up a tree, no one in the film could die. All at the hospital would be at death's door but not going any further. When Lionel convinced others that Death was up his tree, he was told people needed death. Some people want it, need it; it's a comfort to them. But cantankerous Lionel won't budge. Only when certain events happen, does he give in and the ending is far from happy. For such a family or holiday film as it may be purported to be, this certainly has a downbeat ending. All in all, one's enjoyment of this film depends entirely on the old man's grouchy disposition and his growl towards those around him. "On Borrowed Time" is a well-meaning but otherwise downbeat film that doesn't really fit in with other family films seen this holiday season or really for any time.

Appearing as the personification of "Death", well-groomed hitch-hiker Cedric Hardwicke (as Mr. Brink) passes on a convertible ride with coughing Hans Conried. You may be thinking tuberculosis, but it must only a cold and not yet Hans' time. The real target is a physician and his wife, who quickly die in a car crash. This leaves orphaned "Bobs" Watson (as John Gilbert "Pud" Northrup) in the care of loving grandparents Lionel Barrymore (as Julian "Gramps" Northrup) and Beulah Bondi (as Nellie "Granny" Northrup). However, they are both getting older, and closer to death...On the brink, Mr. Barrymore receives one special wish. He uses it on an apple tree in his back-yard...This parable is surprisingly effective, and blurs the perception of "good" (god) and "evil" (devil) in a manner uncommon in films of the era. It's better to see this for yourself, and not read anymore about it here. Meanwhile, pis-mired aunt Eily Malyon (as Demetria "Demmy" Riffle) wants to take young Watson from Barrymore, desiring the lad's $50,000 inheritance. Barrymore learns she plans to send the boy to a school for girls and fears this will "make a sissy out of Pud," which must have been considered a fate worse than death, considering this film's startling but satisfying outcome...******** On Borrowed Time (7/6/39) Harold S. Bucquet ~ Lionel Barrymore, Bobs Watson, Eily Malyon, Cedric Hardwicke

There's really not much that hasn't already been said about the plot of this incredible movie.One of my favorite scenes in the movie is when Gramma Nellie's household help (Marcie) asked her if she wanted her to shut the radio off for her so she could rest.Gramma Nellie says "No dear, they're playing Stephen Foster tunes and I'm hoping they'll play Beautiful Dreamer.. it's my favorite".If you notice, when Mr. Brink enters the room and has his chat with Gramma Nellie, the tunes are still softly playing in the background during their conversation and even while she briefly finished knitting the sock she had been working on earlier.And just as she reaches out to accept Mr. Brink's hand, you'll notice that the second their hands touch, Gramma Nellie's radio immediately begins to play Stephen Foster's "Beautiful Dreamer". It's eerie, but beautiful.The movie is precious, sad, and even at times has a little chuckle. Most of all though, it is a movie about how much we love our families to the very end.I love this movie!

When I first saw the film in 1981, I felt that I had just watched a classic. Enough has been written here to describe the plot line so I skip ahead to some of the reasons why this film was overlooked when it was released and why it continues to be overlooked today. First of all, it came out in 1939 which is probably the greatest year in Hollywood history. Such huge color releases like Wizard of OZ and Gone With The Wind made some smaller black and white films less appealing. The USA was still fighting the economic hangover from the great depression and the movie going public was spending it's money on more upbeat fare like Gunga Din and not on a movie that deals with death as it's main theme. And this leads to why, for me, the movie was really overlooked. It dealt with death and perhaps the world's political and economic condition doomed this movie to it's relative obscurity.