Heaven Can Wait

Heaven Can Wait (Criterion #291). 1943 20th Century Fox.
Starring: Gene Tierney, Don Ameche, Charles Coburn, Marjorie Main, Laird Cregar, Sprung Byington, Allyn Joslyn, Eugene Pallette, Louis Calhern
Director: Ernst Lubitsch
Available at Amazon.

This is not to be confused with the 1978 film of the same name starring Warren Beatty, which is a remake of 1941's Here Comes Mr. Jordan, which was based on a 1938 stage play originally called Heaven Can Wait.

An aged Henry van Cleve (Ameche) enters Hell's extravagant (!) reception area, where he is greeted by "His Excellency" (Creger). Henry asks to be admitted into Hell, but there are some doubts about his qualifications. So, Henry sits down and begins telling his life story, where it seems that every milestone of his apparently wicked life takes place on a birthday. Henry is the spoiled, only child of upper class parents Randolph and Bertha (Calhern & Byington), and he has a free spirit for a grandfather, Hugo van Cleve (Coburn).

On his fifteenth birthday, Henry gets loaded with, and seduced by his family's French maid; six years later, he elopes with Martha Strabel (Tierney), stealing her from a stuffy fiance and his cousin, Albert Van Cleve (Joslyn). Being married doesn't stop Henry from flirting with other women, and Martha goes home to her parents (Pallette & Main) after ten years. Hugo orders Henry to not let her go. Henry wins back Martha, and they stay together for the next twenty years, until Martha's death shortly after their 25th anniversary. Henry lives many more years, and dies under the care of an attractive nurse.

"His Excellency" hears him out, and tells Henry that his story isn't worthy enough to admit him to Hell, and he suggests that Henry try "the other place", where Martha is waiting for him. Hey, there might be a small room vacant in the annex for the two of them.

Another great old movie, beautifully shot and restored by the Criterion Collection. Highly recommended.