Heaven Can Wait 1943

     Henry Van Cleve arrives at the gates of Hell and he finds out that he needs to be vetted on his qualifications for entry?  Henry is surprised and he thought there would not be any questions about his suitability?  He begins to recount his life and the women he has known starting with his mother.  He concentrates on talking about his twenty-five years of marriage to Martha.

      I thought this was good and didn't know until the end of Henry Van Cleve was going to stay in hell or he would be released and sent to heaven instead?  The clothing, hairstyles and social ethics of this time period is very interesting too.  Henry's parents are very doting and Henry carries that forward with his own son.  Martha's parents were not supposed to be funny but they were!!  I have also seen the 1978 version and I think this one is better.  3 1/2* (I liked this movie)

112 min, Comedy directed by Ernst Lubitsch with Gene Tierney, Don Ameche, Charles Coburn, Marjorie Main, Laird Cregar, Spring Byington, Allyn Joslyn, Eugene Pallette, Signe Hasso, Louis Calhern, Helene Reynolds, Aubrey Mather, Tod Andrews.

Note:  Imdb 7.5 out of 10, Rotten Tomatoes 92% critic 76% audience, Amazon 4.7 out of 5* with 44 reviews, Slant Magazine 4* out of 5* Jake Cole, Leterboxd average 3.6* out of 5*.

Special Note:  There is another film with the same title from 1978 with Warren Beatty, Julie Christie and James Mason.  Filmed on Stage 3, 20^th Century Fox Studios, Century City, Los Angeles, California.  Don Ameche said this movie was his favorite of all the films he worked on.  Originally, the lead was written for Fredric March or Rex Harrison.  Lubitsch was disappointed when 20^th Century Fox boss Darryl F. Zanuck insisted on casting Don Ameche for commercial reasons.  Later, Lubitsch changed his mind about Ameche because of his dedication and professionalism.  Gene Tierney said that Lubitsch was a tyrant on the set, the most demanding of directors and one scene took from noon until five PM to finish.  There was a LOT of shouting and Tierney talked to him about the shouting!!  This is Lubitsch’s only completed film in Technicolor.  Marjorie Main as Mrs. Strabel, Martha’s mother, has been in many films from 1929 until 1958, she is best known as Ma Kettle and Pa Kettle was played by Percy Kilbride.