Let's watch.. ..HEAVEN CAN WAIT (1943)

Based on a play is one of my most favourite films ever:

HEAVEN CAN WAIT (1943)

Henry van Cleve (Don Ameche) always enjoyed his life – and had more than just an eye for female beauties. He even eloped with Martha (Gene Tierney) - the fiancée of his cousin (Allyn Joslyn).. So when he dies in his 70s he decides that Heaven can wait and reports in the anteroom to hell.  But “his Excellency” (Laird Cregar) isn’t convinced about Henry’s qualification – so Henry tells him about his "sinful" live.. – like so often the way we see ourselves differs a lot from other people’s view..

~ Henry (Don Ameche) reporting to His Excellency (Laird Cregar) ~

In this film Gene Tierney ages from a young woman to a middle-aged lady – and she always looks great. (I am ignoring one of her worst film-hairstyles ever here..) She and Don Ameche work great together and their onscreen love story is just wonderful.. And I confess that I get a bit teary eyed every time I watch this film..

~ I am really a bit uneasy with her hairstyle here.. ~

As I said: This is one of my favourite films of all time. It was directed by one of my favourite directors: Ernst Lubitsch – it is his only completed film in Technicolor and looks divine.. It also has a marvelous cast – with some of my favourite actors ever: Laird Cregar, Spring Byington, Marjorie Main, Louis Calhern and Don Ameche..

~ Eugene Pallette and Marjorie Main as loving Martha's parents. (gee.. I love this cast!) ~

Gene Tierney and director Ernst Lubitsch had some troubles in the beginning: According to her memoirs one day she finally told him that she couldn’t go on like that - with him shouting at her all day long. When he said that he was paid for shouting at her – she replied: “Yes, and I am paid to take it – but not enough..” When – after a tough pause – Lubitsch started to laugh the ice was finally broken.

Ernst Lubitsch also in the first wasn’t too happy with the casting of Don Ameche for the lead part – he would have preferred Frederic March or Rex Harrison. In the end he was actually very pleased with Don Ameche’s performance. Don Ameche himself later stated that this film was - of all the films he did - his favourite.

~ gorgeous in Technicolor.. ~

During the filming Gene Tierney discovered that she was pregnant – well.. the audience would hardly discover that – I for one didn’t: she is (as always) as slim as can be.

I could go on singing songs about this film - but I will close this post with this:

If you’re looking for a witty and elegant comedy – I highly recommend this film to you!

Thank you very much for listening!

Enjoy The Show!

Yours

Irene