Harry Segall’s 1938 stage play Heaven Can Wait has proven over the course of over ninety years to have longevity. Very few of us, when we meet our inevitable demise, would feel like the time is right, especially if that demise was sudden and in our youth. Segall took that idea and crafted a comedy about the afterlife and second chances, sprinkled in a plot about murder and deceit, and even found a way to include a blossoming romance. That formula worked so well that it was quickly snapped up to be made into a feature film. That film got a sequel, a remake in the 1970s with Warren Beatty, and another remake in the early 2000s with Chris Rock. The film adaptations have long since eclipsed the original play and when Segall tried to revive it under a new title, Wonderful Journey, it failed, shuttering after just nine performances.
When the original play was being translated for the silver screen it was retitled Here Comes Mr. Jordan, a title that has a whimsical edge to it. The title Heaven Can Wait carries with it a more serious tone as well as religious connotations that some could misinterpret. Someone just walking in off the street, knowing nothing about the film, might elect to see a film called Here Comes Mr. Jordan but shy away from Heaven Can Wait. By the time we got to 1978 the mindsets of the youth of the world had radically shifted and a film that may challenge our views of heaven and the afterlife mattered less. Warren Beatty’s film, which also makes the list for Academy Award Nominations, took the original title but maintains the comedic tones of the original.
The film stars Robert Montgomery as Joe Pendleton, a boxer, pilot, and amateur saxophone player who is preparing for a prize fight. While flying his small aircraft to New York for his next bout disaster strikes and his plane crashes back to earth. Suddenly Joe finds himself being escorted through a cloudy landscape by a strange man known only by his number, 7013 (Edward Everett Horton). Messenger 7013 is there to put Joe on the next flight into the afterlife. But Joe insists that he can’t be dead and, upon seeing the plane to heaven and the people boarding it, he renews his protests.
He appeals his situation to the man officiating the boarding, a Mr. Jordan (Claude Rains), who appears to have more authority than 7013. Mr. Jordan pulls up the records and discovers that Joe indeed was supposed to survive that crash and Messenger 7013 pulled his spirit out too early. The simple solution is to take him back to earth and put his spirit back into his body again. The problem is, enough time has passed that his body has already been cremated. This leaves only one other solution, find another body, one that is just about to die, and put Joe’s spirit in that one, instead. After a long search, Joe is placed inside the body of a crooked, wealthy investment banker, Bruce Farnsworth, who has just been drugged and drowned in a bathtub by his wife, Julia (Rita Johnson), and his secretary, Tony Abbott (John Emery).
His sudden recovery from “death” sends shockwaves through the household, naturally. Joe is still intent of being a boxing champ and begins to train his new body to fight. He gets in touch with Corkle (James Gleason), his friend and boxing promoter, and convinces him that he is actually Joe Pendleton. Using Bruce Farnsworth’s wealth, he makes the arrangements for the championship fight. Meanwhile, he uses his money and influence to repair the damage done to a young woman’s family by his scheming wife and secretary. This woman, Bette Logan (Evelyn Keyes), becomes his love interest. But Mr. Jordan returns to warn Joe that some things are not to be and that he won’t be able to go through with the fight after all. As for Bette, Mr. Jordan can only say that if it is to be it will be.
This is the kind of film that can’t be taken seriously, nor should it. It’s a farce, pure and simple. I once sat in a philosophy class where we watched 1978’s Heaven Can Wait and discussed the greater philosophical meaning behind the story. Such an approach to this concept is not only ridiculous but asinine. It’s also pretentious, a high school teacher reaching for symbolism where none really exists. Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar, to pull from Freud.
While Robert Montgomery is the lead, I’m drawn to Claude Rains as the enigmatic Mr. Jordan. Rains is always a delight to see on screen and this is no exception. He seems to be channelling some of the energy he would later put to good use in Casablanca, exuding good humor while never hiding the authority behind that façade. This kind of performance served Rains well for many years. Even during the more serious moments, such as when he appears to Joe to stop him from going through with the bout, we are focused on him, not on Joe. Rains is used sparingly in this film and when he is offscreen he is sorely missed.
A sequel of sorts was released in 1947, titled Down to Earth. In this sequel, Mr. Jordan was played by Roland Culver. That film is fine for what it was but it lacked the charm and wit that Claude Rains brought to the affair. Edward Everett Horton and James Gleason return for this sequel, bringing their own unique brand of humor to the proceedings but ultimately it was not the same experience.
The murder plot is a bit under-served here. So much time is dedicated to Joe finding an ideal body and then molding it into fighting shape that very little time is left for the murder plot. Consequentally it is only touched on sparingly and is never an actual mystery. This film would have worked a little better had there been an element involving figuring how and why Bruce Farnsworth was killed. Instead it is a throwaway line early on and doesn’t really come back until the wife and secretary make another attempt at it.
This is a funny, light-hearted comedy with a unique premise. That made for an enjoyable experience for audiences at the time. When looking at it through a critical eye, though, it is innocuous enough but lacks any real depth. Joe is an interesting character in that while he is a bit self-centered he isn’t completely selfish. His ultimate decision to use the body of Bruce Farnsworth is made because of what is being done to Bette and her family by Bruce, his wife and the secretary. It’s not the strongest of motivations but it is enough to win us over to his character and keep us there. While this film was never going to win the Best Picture of the year, it still was an enjoyable ninety minute diversion.
Academy Award Nominations:
Outstanding Motion Picture: Everett Riskin
Best Directing: Alexander Hall
Best Actor: Robert Montgomery
Best Actor in a Supporting Role: James Gleason
Best Writing (Screenplay): Sidney Buchman and Seton I. Miller (won)
Best Writing (Original Story): Harry Segall (won)
Best Cinematography (Black-and-White): Joseph Walker
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Release Date: August 7, 1941
Running Time: 94 Minutes
Not Rated
Starring: Robert Montgomery, Claude Rains, Evelyn Keyes, James Gleason, Edward Everett Horton, Rita Johnson, and John Emery
Directed By: Alexander Hall
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