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Heaven Can Wait [VHS]

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At last, this timeless romantic comedy has gotten the Criterion "treatment" and is being released on dvd. Don Ameche stars as Henry Van Cleve, an over-the-hill former playboy who has died and gone to Hell. But Satan, or "His Excellency" (Laird Cregar, giving one of his very best performances!) isn't convinced that Van Cleeve belongs there, so Henry tells him the story of his life (through flashbacks of course).

Growing up a Van Cleeve wasn't easy, and young Henry had no one to turn to for help (both his parents are somewhat out of touch with reality!) except his wild grandfather (Charles Coburn), who is obviously not a very good role model for Henry. As Henry becomes a man, he starts pursuing young and beautiful women, and finally meets a respectable young lady, Martha (Gene Tierney). The problem is that Martha is already engaged to a relative of Henry's! But, he wins her over and they elope and begin their life together.

After ten years of marriage, Martha walks out on Henry because of his flirtations with other women. With the help of his granfather, Henry finally convinces her to come back to him, and somehow they manage to stay married. Eventually, in an ironic twist of fate, middle-aged Henry finds his son facing the same problem with women (he can't stop chasing them!) that he suffered with for decades. Henry and Martha's bond together gets only closer as they grow older together, but sadly death seperates them...but only temporarily. Needless to say, after hearing the story of Henry's life, His Excellency knows that Van Cleeve belongs with Martha in Heaven!

This wonderful Ernst Lubitsch film from 1943 is a bold-for-its-time look at marriage and infidelity, and the fast-paced script is packed with witty dialogue. Don Ameche plays a cad, true, but he does it with such charm, humor, and sophistication that you can't help but like him. And of course, the beautiful Gene Tierney in technicolor is not something to be missed by any movie buff! The supporting cast was equally superb, especially Charles Coburn and Laird Cregar, whose film career was sadly cut short by a fatal heart attack at the age of 28. With a great mixture of romance, humor, and drama, this excellent classic is highly recommended.

"As Henry Van Cleve's soul passed over The Great Divide, he realized that it was extremely unlikely that his next stop could be Heaven. And so, philosophically, he presented himself where innumerable people had so often told him to go."

Henry (Don Ameche) is greeted courteously by His Excellency (Laird Cregar). "I presume your funeral was satisfactory?" the devil asks. "Well...there was a lot of crying," Henry says, "so I believe everybody had a good time." His Excellency explains that while he will consider Henry's request, there must be good reasons to avoid going Up There. "If you meet our requirements, we'll be only too glad to accommodate you. Would you be kind enough to mention, for instance, some outstanding crime you've committed " "Crime...crime...I'm afraid I can't think of any," Henry says. "But I can safely say my whole life was one continuous misdemeanor."

Heaven Can Wait is the witty, nostalgic, gentle and surprisingly thoughtful tale of Henry Van Cleve, philanderer, wealthy lay-about and a man far from noble. Under Ernst Lubitsch's direction and with Samson Raphaelson's screenplay, Heaven Can Wait is, as critic Andrew Sarris says, "a hidden masterpiece."

His Excellency is intrigued and asks Henry to tell him his story. Henry believes that he can do this only through the women in his life, and, in one linear flashback, he does, starting as a babe in a bassinet. Henry loves women, he loves the pursuit, he loves the pleasures of the chase, the theater, the champagne, the supper clubs. He's spoiled, he's optimistic, he's endlessly inventive in finding ways out of being discovered. He may be innocently selfish, but it's in an almost childlike way. "Oh, Henry," his wife, Martha (Gene Tierney), says to him after being exasperated once too often, "I know your every move. I know your outraged indignation. I know the poor weeping little boy. I know the misunderstood, strong, silent man, the worn-out lion who is too proud to explain what happened in the jungle last night."

Henry had eloped with Martha the day he met her, under the nose of her fiance, his cousin Albert (Allyn Joslyn), a straight-laced lawyer who believes "marriage isn't a series of thrills. Marriage is a peaceful, well-balanced adjustment of two right-thinking people." Henry loves Martha deeply, but can't resist a beautiful face or a well-turned leg. Even as a widower, with a grown son, his old habits remain a part of his character. Yet he is so likeable and charming, Henry Van Cleve rarely hurts anyone.

After listening to Henry's story and despite all of Henry's tales of waywardness, His Excellency sends him on his way...but in an elevator going up, not down. He tells Henry, you'll find many people up there who love you and have been waiting for you. They will intercede for you...because despite everything you made people very happy.

This is a delightful movie that must have seemed either a relief or irrelevant to it's time. It was made in 1943 and was popular, yet it ostensibly is about nothing much at all. The setting is the 1870's through the start of the 1940's. There is no reference to any outside forces in Henry's life, no World War I, no Great Depression, no rise of fascism, no moral messages. Yet as the movie goes on we meet characters we come to either find amusing or to like, or both, and they disappear from the screen. Their time has passed and, out of sight, they've died while Henry's story continues. I was left, almost without realizing it, feeling optimistic and a little sad. Life does pass us by, and it's best savored by enjoying life without damaging others.

Among these characters are Henry's grandfather (Charles Coburn), irascible and secretly (and not so secretly) envious of Henry's outlook on life; Henry's father and mother, played by Louis Calhern and Spring Byington, obliviously stern and clueless and loving and clueless, respectively; and Mabel's parents from Kansas, played by Eugene Pallette and Marjorie Main, who have a great Sunday breakfast scene battling over the comic pages while their butler is the intermediary. Laird Cregar, only 29 when he made this movie and dead little more than a year later, brings great, amused authority to the role of His Excellency. Gene Tierney with her overbite was never more luscious. She did a skilled job as Mabel, loving Henry, understanding of his ways but only willing up to a point to be tolerant. The movie, however, is Don Ameche's. He might have been a bland actor, but he is just about perfect as Henry Van Cleve, well-intentioned, charming, constantly tempted and often frustrated.

The movie seems to me to be just about a perfect collaboration between director Lubitsch and writer Raphaelson. They had collaborated earlier on two other great movies, the incomparable Trouble in Paradise and The Shop Around the Corner. Trouble in Paradise has one of the most amusing screenplays you can find, and Lubitsch brought to it all the urbanity and style he was known for. If you could choose only one Lubitsch movie to own, I'd unhesitatingly say to make it Trouble in Paradise. But I think Heaven Can Wait would be second choice.

The Criterion DVD features a sumptuous picture transfer with rich color. The extras include a discussion of the film by movie critics Andrew Sarris and Molly Haskell and an interview with Raphaelson by Bill Moyers. The case has an informative brochure with an essay about Lubitsch and the film.

This was Don Ameche's finest film. For once, he had a first rate director and script and a chance to take the centre stage in a comedy. He plays a lifelong flirt who, in spite of his love for his wife, can't help himself when he encounters a pretty woman. Whether it be due to the Production Code or otherwise, his actions are very genteel and neither the audience nor his wife take him very seriously but his charm and humour create a warm and funny character.

All the other actors shine in their roles. Gene Tierney is subtle, versatile and graceful as Ameche's wife. It is a mystery to me why she is sometimes singled out as mediocre. She has some very complex dialogue which she delivers faultlessly, her timing is excellent and she ages very convincingly. Charles Coburn as grandpa has the best lines, Signe Hasso as a French maid steals every scene in which she appears and Eugene Pallete as Tierney's father-in-law, Mr Strable, is very funny. There is a memorable scene between Pallette and harridan wife Marjorie Main at their breakfast table which ranks as one of the funniest scenes ever. The great Laird Cregar creates a superbly ambiguous and attractive devil and lastly, special mention of Allyn Joslyn as cousin Albert. Watch his straight back and smug grins. This is brilliant comic acting.

Two criticisms - the film sags after the Gene Tierney character dies and the 1940s styled lacquered cuties who appear make us long for Tierney's grace and poise. Samson Raphaelson, who wrote the film, comments on how the film loses momentum at this point in his interviews. Finally,the wig which Tierney wears as a middle aged woman is just plain weird.

The DVD offers a perfect print with glorious Fox technicolour, overstuffed sets and the usual high standard of photography. The extras focus mainly on the director Ernst Lubitsch and the writer Samson Raphaelson. First off is a discussion of the film by 2 critics. While they are able to provide some interesting background information, they tend to interrupt each other and come across as eager fans rather than commentators. The effect was irritating. Molly Haskell, in particular, is pretentious, always looking for a feminist angle if possible.

The interviews with Samson Raphaelson are unusual. One of the interviews is really a lecture to film students so you have to concentrate hard to follow his train of thought. His comments are at their best when he dismisses loaded questions about the motivation of Lubitsch and himself e.g. Lubitsch's use of doors. As Raphaelson says, if an actor leaves a set, it is 99% likely to be through a door - end of discussion!

There is also a charming monologue from Lubitsch's daughter about growing up in a house full of music. This is followed by some wonderful photos from her personal albums with some accompanying tunes played by Lubitsch himself on the piano. The music is upbeat and in combination with the photos, you get a very personal insight into their lives. She has also provided a copy of the film's original pressbook which is dry and ironic in the best Lubitsch sense.

Overall, this is another excellent comprehensive Criterion package which would have been improved by a good commentary to replace that dumb conversation between the film critics.

Ernst Lubitsch's "Heaven Can Wait" - written by Lubitsch's long time collaborator Samson Raphaelson - is, quite simply, one of the sublime experiences of classic Hollywood cinema. Easily one of the Lubitsch's greatest accomplishements. As expected of a Lubitsch classic, "Heaven Can Wait" is a sheer delight full of grace, glory, and gaiety. Not to mention, every shot, every gesture, and every movement is close to perfection. Rarely has a classic used the Technicolor in such a stunningly beautiful manner. And what a terrific cast! Don Ameche, Gene Tierney, Charles Coburn, Marjorie Main, Eugene Pallette, and Spring Byington are nothing short of brilliance. Keep your prejudices to yourself - this is a film that needs to be judged in its own terms.

A deft, subtly brilliant romantic comedy by the great Lubitsch, "Heaven" examines a privileged man whose boyish love of courtship colors his devotion to his wife, making his life "one continuous misdemeanor." Penned by the gifted Samson Raphaelson and shot in lavish Technicolor, "Heaven" marries urbane wit and bittersweet themes about youth and aging, folly and regret. Ameche and Tierney are a handsome, appealing pair from their first meeting in a bookshop, while Charles Coburn (as scampish Grandpa Hugo) and Allyn Joslyn (as Henry's strait-laced cousin Albert) round out a fabulous supporting cast. Delicate, charming, and almost effortlessly moving.

Heaven Can Wait is a sweet story about a mischievous man (Don Ameche) whose death prompts him to arrive at the gates of hell. Although the man is enthusiastic about his admittance and his supposedly doomed life, the receptionist is not so sure. Thus ensues the tale of his life. It begins with plenty of trouble, but basically good deeds done on his part and ends in happiness with his beautiful wife (Gene Tierney).

This story is simple but highly enjoyable. The acting is subtle but effective and the actors are all likable, even the imperfect characters. This is a perfect example of a quality family film of yesteryear filled with humor and feeling.

There is an extra feature included on this disk of Ernst Lubitsch playing piano set to a series of photographs. It really is not very entertaining.

I had seen this movie in a list of 'must see' classics and, I admit, having read the plot summary I was dubious. I'm a modern woman and don't condone cheating in a relationship; but after coming across "Heaven Can Wait" several times, I thought I'd give it a try.

For me the movie was a happy, delightful surprise.

The movie looked old-fashioned even in the 40s- this is a story set in ages of leisure made in the middle of WW II when cinemas were full of war hero and action movies. We also share their problem of categorizing the movie. Not an action film. Is it a comedy? No. Romance? Not full on. Drama? Not really. You get the idea. The movie's interest and its problem is that it defies any label.

Director Lubitsch also had a problem on his hands making the film: censors. He had more freedom with his movies in the 20s and 30s, but there were a growing number of important story elements he simply couldn't show anymore. How to show audiences a story about a playboy then? Lubitsch cleverly got around this problem by making a movie of all the scenes *in between* the infidelities. The story then become not the infidelities themselves, but how they affect the family and how individual members react to them.

In my 20s, I'd've hated this movie. The protagonist Henry would've upset me so much that I wouldn't have cared for the rest of the story. But I'm 40 now, and although I've not had the burden's of Henry's wife, I've had two decades of bumping up against human foibles, some of them my own. I know what it's like to be disappointed by people and have to re-adjust my ideas about when to draw a line and when to forgive.

"Heaven Can Wait" appeals to me not on moral ground (how people should be) but on reflective ground (how people are).

There is a light, ironic humor throughout the movie. Important I think as otherwise the topic would be too sad and bitter to sit through. Also, it does have the old gender hypocrisy- men get a wink and a nod while the women are condemned. As much as this hypocrisy drives me crazy in real life, it is a testament to how good the movie is that it only detracted a little from my enjoyment of it. And much to my surprise- I enjoyed the movie greatly.

There are no pratfalls, slaps or screams, but what Heaven Can Wait lacks in low comedy it more than makes up for with charm, wit, elegance and grace. It may be one of America's most under-rated comedies for that very reason: it is rarely laugh-out-loud hilarious. Rather, it is nostalgic, creative and quite sophisticated, an entirely different kind of comedy, and another prime example of the Lubitsch Touch.

The story concerns Henry Van Cleve, recently deceased, who presents himself at the Gates of Hell, where "His Excellency" (presumably Satan or another one of the Hades' head honchos) must decide whether or not to admit him. Henry has come to the place where "so many people had told him to go" because he feels he has lived a life of sin. "His Excellency" asks Henry to describe just why he feels he qualifies for entry, and, via flashback, we get the story of his life.

As the film proceeds, we witness several birthdays throughout Henry's life, spanning his childhood through his death. Each episode faithfully recreates a bygone era, with some of the most subtle touches ever committed to film. Nothing ever calls attention to itself here, and every time you watch this picture, you'll see another delightful nuance you've never before noticed. Perhaps my favorite touch is the "disappearance" of one supporting character at each new birthday, indicating that in the years between the last birthday, a family member has passed away. Lubitsch even manages to make death into something sophisticated and witty.

As his life unfolds before our eyes, we realize that Henry has actually lived quite an average life, with everyday problems, everyday joys and everyday loves. It seems his self-image of an evil roué might be just a little inflated. He likes to think of himself as a bad boy, but he has lived a decent life, been a good father and become a beloved husband.

Heaven Can Wait is a film of small pleasures and suprises, and it is a complete joy to behold. It's really indescribable just how charming the film is; you simply have to see it. Lubitsch was a master of his craft, and he is at his peak here. Admittedly, the film is not as widely-appealing or well-known as Ninotchka, The Shop Around the Corner, To Be or Not To Be or Trouble in Paradise. Those films are all more obviously funny. But this is one of those rare comedies that can give you a lump in your throat and make you appreciate the fragility and beauty of life. I suppose you still have to label it a comedy, but it's more witty than funny.

Aside from Lubitsch, the film has several other people who greatly contribute to its success. Of course there is Don Ameche, who carries the film effortlessly from beginning to end. It would be a crime not to give him credit for his magnificent characterization. The always-lovely Gene Tierney also turns in a wonderful performance, developping her character as the decades wear on. Her Martha is one of the most endearing female characters in the Lubitsch canon.

Laird Cregar (who died tragically of a heart attack at 28 years old the following year) truly shines as "His Excellency." Although he merely bookends the film and only has about 8 minutes of screentime, his performance is a perfect example of how an actor can turn even the smallest part into greatness. It's one of cinema's all-time greatest supporting roles. Signe Hasso has a featured spot as the naughty French maid known simply as "Mademoiselle." And the other family members are all memorably played as well.

The color cinematography is stunning, especially in the Criterion transfer. There are no brash colors screaming for attention; it's more as if an old tinted photograph of Old New York has somehow come to life. Subtlety is the word of the day in every part of this film. It doesn't try to grab attention, and, for better or for worse, it rarely gets any, neither from movie historians nor fans. Although it was a major success upon its release, and was even nominated for the Best Picture and Best Director Oscars in 1943, it has quietly slipped into the background of the moviegoing conscience. It seems quite content to sit in the shadow of Lubitsch's other films, appreciated by the few who love it. But in all, this is a perfect little comedy. I'd highly suggest giving it an attentive screening or two.

Ernst Lubitsch's sweet biography of a love story holds up remarkably well. The story begins in an antechamber of Hell, where aged Henry Van Cleve (Don Ameche) is pleading his case to His Excellency (Laird Cregar.) Henry recounts his life story to His Excellency and, through a nearly movie-long flashback, seeks to explain why he doesn't deserve to spend eternity Up There.

Henry's great sin, it seems, was in being a bit of a wandering rake during his long marriage to Martha (Gene Tierney.) HEAVEN CAN WAIT was made in 1943, and whatever wandering Henry was guilty of is so muted, because of censorship probably, combined with Lubitsch's refined taste, that it's practically invisible. In any event, the impression is that it had something to do with Broadway showgirls and bauble gifts. The movie doesn't loiter long enough with Henry-the-tomcat to make any of it explicit. Simply enough to show that Henry and Martha's marriage was, as we'd put it today, `stressed,' and that Martha was possessed of a great capacity to forgive. Doesn't sound like much of a comedy, does it?

I guess that's where the `Lubitsch touch' everybody talks about comes into play. Yeah, there's a deep and serious current flowing underneath, but actually HEAVEN CAN WAIT is often sparklingly humorous. Ameche has the right mixture of near-sophistication and graceful charm to keep him likeable and sympathetic. If Henry is quaintly old fashioned, Martha is practically a saint. Tierney has the tough task of playing a warm and wise woman who responds with common sense and compassion to events that could have sent her character into a tongue blistering tirade. The result is that we like both characters very much, and worry when their marriage encounters problems. In fact, the only character I found myself disliking somewhat was Charles Coburn, who plays Henry's Gramps. Coburn was a great character actor who normally raised the level of a movie by a couple of notches. Here, his curmudgeony geriatric grates more than gratifies. Worse, his character comes across false and contrived. For instance, when he first meet Martha's parents, played by veteran character actors Eugene Pallette and Marjorie Main, his honeyed, veiled insults produce a groan rather than a smile. They're supposed to sound witty, but they came across as mean. It might have helped if they had said something - anything - insulting first.

The Criterion print is in very good shape, with the Technicolor vibrantly restored. The conversation between critics Molly Haskell and Andrew Sarris was a welcome, informed talk on the movie. Screenwriter Samson Raphaelson, who wrote the scripts for a number of Lubitsch movies, is the subject of a couple of extras. Bill Moyer's Portrait from 1982 is an interesting snapshot of the octogenarian Raphaelson, who was still writing and teaching at the time. Also of interest was the Raphaelson appearance at the Museum of Modern Art in 1977 for a screening of HEAVEN CAN WAIT. The audio of his conversation with film critic Richard Corliss and members of the audience are interesting.

HEAVEN CAN WAIT isn't a perfect movie, but it'll make you laugh and draw you close to its main characters. Well worth the time of anyone who appreciates warm, gentle, and smart humor.

Maybe it shows a weakness in character to fall for this movie, but this is one of my favourites. It's up there with the best of the great mocking yet warm-hearted comedies of Sturges, Mankiewicz, Mamoulian etc. Fantastic dialogue and character acting. Sure, it should have wound up more quickly after the Martha slides off the plate. Sure, the moral message is a bit different to most romantic comedies, but that's one of the reasons it's interesting. The scenes with Eugene Pallette and Charles Coburn are priceless. Don Ameche is hilariously transparent. Gene Tierney is, of course, the most gorgeous actress ever and this movie suits the best qualities of her light acting style. I can't wait for the DVD, it'd better be a good print.