DEATH TAKES A HOLIDAY (1934) B/W 79m dir: Mitchell Leisen
w/Fredric March, Evelyn Venable, Guy Standing, Katherine Alexander, Gail Patrick, Helen Westley, Kathleen Howard, Kent Taylor, Henry Travers, G.P. Huntley, Otto Hoffman, Edward Van Sloan
From The Movie Guide: "Fredric March, as Death, becomes bored with his usual grim-reaping job and is puzzled that humans fear him so. To learn how he is perceived, he takes on human form as a handsome young prince and becomes the houseguest of an Italian nobleman (Guy Standing). Several guests are quickly repelled by the strange, mysterious prince who bluntly talks of their 'meeting with Fate,' but a lovely, mystical young woman (Evelyn Venable) is drawn to him. Not a living thing dies as Death dallies with love, and so his stay must be brief. But the unusual visitor fears that his new love will be repelled once he reveals his true identity.
"March is riveting as Death, and Standing is also fine as the nervous host. Surprisingly, Paramount assigned the direction of this film to Mitchell Leisen, who had only one previous credit, CRADLE SONG. He was given a sumptuous budget and made the most of it. His background as a set designer for Cecil B. DeMille is evident in the magnificent villa in which March frolicked with Venable. Leisen, who would go on to make HOLD BACK THE DAWN and LADY IN THE DARK, rarely equaled the splendor of this film. He let March have his head, and the actor played his part with ironic vigor, wearing a monocle and delivering his lines in a Balkan accent with great arrogance. Of course, March could do almost no wrong, having won an Oscar only two years earlier for his arresting performance in DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE. (He would win his second for THE BEST YEARS OF OUR LIVES.) The 21-year-old Venable, appearing in her second film, had previously starred in CRADLE SONG."
From the High-Def Digest website (www.highdefdigest.com), this 2019 review of the film by David Krauss:
"Mystical, thought-provoking, occasionally witty, and a bit weird, Death Takes a Holiday parlays a fascinating premise into a strangely compelling and spiritual film. If you’ve met --- and liked --- Joe Black, you should get to know the 1934 character who inspired him.
"Whether we admit it or not, we all fear death to some degree. It’s creepy, mysterious, largely unpredictable, and oh so final. Most of us don’t dwell on death; it’s too depressing and futile. Unless we’re suicidal or terminally ill, we can’t control when or how it will come, so we distance ourselves from it, foolishly convinced that the farther we keep death from our thoughts, the less chance it will have of catching up and overtaking us. Yet what if Death took a human form and walked among us, became our friend, or even romanced us? Would we fall under its spell and embrace it or recoil in horror and repel it?
"Death Takes a Holiday astutely examines such existential, metaphysical questions, but in a clever, elegant, and ethereal manner. Directed with grace and style by Mitchell Leisen and co-written by one of America’s greatest playwrights, Pulitzer Prize-winner Maxwell Anderson, the film is an affecting fantasy that mixes mysticism with light comedy, romance, philosophy, and serious drama. It doesn’t provide any answers (how could it?), but certainly piques interest about the nature of death while trying to allay the anxiety and dread surrounding it. Though none of us would ever deign to call death a friend, once you see this well-made film, you might not consider it such a frightening foe after all.
"After dogging a group of revelers over the course of an evening but failing to land a fatal blow, Death (Fredric March) presents itself in the form of a black apparition to Duke Lambert (Guy Standing), the patriarch of an aristocratic family. Loneliness, confusion, and bitterness spur this rash move, as Death, who feels misunderstood and misrepresented, poses a burning question to his nervous host. Why, it wonders, do men fear death when death provides rest and a relief from pain and suffering? The issue has baffled Death for an eternity, but now it believes it knows how to find the answer.
"Death thinks a vacation, a break from its Grim Reaper role, might produce the enlightenment it craves, and it asks Duke Lambert permission to be a guest in his home for three days. Death would take the form of a man, so it could glean at least a little understanding of the human condition. The masquerade would be a lark, a game, and Death promises no harm would come to the duke or his family as long as its true identity is never revealed. The Duke reluctantly agrees, and within minutes Death becomes the gallant and dashing Prince Sirki, who instantly enchants Lambert’s family and the guests at his country estate.
"As the prince embraces life and all of its seductive pleasures, he revitalizes everyone around him. He especially charms the single ladies, who all regard him as a lucrative catch. In addition, an array of miracles occurring with alarming frequency around the world dumbfound his admiring throng. A man jumps off the top of the Eiffel Tower and suffers no injuries; a ship explodes at sea and a school burns to the ground and no one is killed; a horrific horse racing accident and fiery race car crash yield no casualties. Death is indeed on holiday and the world is a better place because of it.
"Prince Sirki enjoys hobnobbing with the rich and privileged, but disapproves of their aimlessness, lack of purpose, and willingness to idly fritter away their precious existence. Their wars seem pointless to him and he deems their interests trivial. Yet the longer blood courses through the prince’s veins, the more his human soul takes root and demands fulfillment. Bound by his three-day commitment, the prince races to experience all that life has to offer --- most notably, love --- before his limited time on Earth runs out.
"Just as we cling to life, so does the prince, and just like us, he tries to stave off his inevitable return to the spiritual world. On his final night, he connects with Grazia (Evelyn Venable), a restless, intensely religious, rather strange young woman who sees in Prince Sirki something she’s never seen in any other man. Their mutual attraction buoys the prince, but threatens Grazia’s relationship with Lambert’s son, Corrado (Kent Taylor). As the clock ticks, questions linger. How can this impossible romance that must bridge the physical and spiritual worlds flourish? More importantly, will it lead to tragedy?
"If the plot sounds a tad familiar, it’s because Death Takes a Holiday served as the inspiration for the 1998 film Meet Joe Black with Brad Pitt and Anthony Hopkins. That movie, which runs almost three hours, more than doubles the 79-minute running time of Death Takes a Holiday, which is far simpler and more direct. Its highly literate and philosophical Maxwell Anderson/Gladys Lehman script (adapted from an Italian play by Alberto Casella that was inspired by his horrific experiences in World War I) packs plenty of provocative ideas into its framework, transforming the clever premise into a deep, meaningful film. Moments of whimsy and bits of comedy deftly lighten the tone and help make death an approachable, non-threatening presence.
"Surprisingly, Death Takes a Holiday was only Leisen’s second directorial effort, and it cemented his reputation. He would remain exclusively at Paramount for the next 17 years and helm such slick and memorable films as Easy Living, Midnight, Hold Back the Dawn, Lady in the Dark, and To Each His Own. Leisen was especially good with actors, and he wrings excellent work from the always marvelous March as well as the lovely, luminous Venable, who projects a purity and fragility that seem utterly natural. Though she never attained major stardom (Grazia would be her most famous and enduring role), Venable is always a striking presence, and thankfully, this film keeps her from becoming a forgotten star.
"Death isn’t a particularly cheery subject, but Death Takes a Holiday is an invigorating film filled with hope and insight. It might not provide a deeper understanding of the hereafter, but it makes the idea of embarking on the next phase of our spiritual journey a little less daunting and scary. As Prince Sirki says to one of the movie’s older characters, 'Has it ever occurred to you that death may be simpler than life and infinitely more kind?' If only it is so."