Audiences understandably had death a lot on the mind during the early 1940s, hence the unusually large number of fantasies produced by Hollywood which had reassuring visions of the afterlife: The Horn Blows at Midnight, Here Comes Mr Jordan, Between Two Worlds, and this one.
Surprisingly, this film is most effective in its dramatic moments – Don Ameche finds his true love in Gene Tierney but is unable to remain faithful to her. This is true, honest depiction of a character – he’s the sort of romantic that would encourage Tierney to elope, and would love her madly, and cheat on her at the same time. (NB when later on Tierney tells Ameche she learned to relax about his infidelities after he got a bit of a gut you can’t help thinking “hmmm, that’s not necessarily going to stop him.”) It’s also very moving when Tierney gets ill.
Because it covers such a long time span and is narrated by a dead person, it has a feeling of wistful sadness. I started getting a little teary in places. Indeed, when the film ended I actually started crying something which hardly ever happens (I think the last time was United 93). Maybe the central concept resonated with me on a level – man loves his wife, but still neglects her at times; and it’s all fleeting and sad.
Once Tierney dies though, the film becomes less interesting – although it had a moving last scene between Ameche and the Devil (I did like the idea that there is a small annexe to Heaven as well as actual Heaven NB though it’s never clear that Ameche manages to get in).
Beautiful colour photography and some excellent aging make up (among the best I've ever seen in a movie). Excellent performances from a stunning cast. Ameche was fine, though his all-so-careful elocution got on my nerves every now and then (it’s like taste overload – too much deftness and light touch or something). Eugene Pallette and Marjorie Main are hilarious as Tierney’s sparring rich Kansas meat packing parents and Laird Cregar is a stylish devil. I loved the little girl who cons the young Henry out of a beetle. The guy who plays Ameche’s son isn’t much.
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