El difunto protesta

Boxer Joe Pendleton is killed in an airplane crash, while training for a championship match, however Joe wasn't to die for sometime far into the future. In order to make things right, Mr. Jordan (in charge of all arrivals for the hereafter) searches for another body that Joe can use until his time is up. The body of financier Bruce Farnsworth is the selection after he is killed by his wife and secretary in order to continue their romance and get ahold of his finances. Betty Logan appears to get Farnsworth to settle the matter concerning her father, who was sent to prison in a deal swindled by Farnsworth, and Joe frees her father, but falls for her as well. In the meantime, Joe (as Farnsworth- everyone sees Joe as Farnsworth but Joe sees himself as his true being-) starts training for the championship fight (it was Joe's natural destiny to become champ), with the help of Joe's trainer, Max Corkle. This upsets Julia Farnsworth, who then decides to make certain that Joe/Farnsworth is killed. Joe and Mr. Jordan work to make sure Joe can find another body in order to become boxing champ, bring Julia and Abbott to justice, and keep the romance alive between Joe & Betty. This film has such a beautiful charm (even though it seems hokey at times, but it has the ability to bridge gaps between audiences easily. An excellent script, crisp direction, and excellent performances by the cast (Gleason standing out as the befuddled trainer Corkle.) The ending is both brilliant and touching. Rating, 9.

Joe Pendleton dies prematurely when a heavenly messenger takes him before his time. This film examines how that messenger and his supervisor try and placate Mr. Pendleton with other bodies. This is a charming, fun, almost innocent film from a bygone era. Robert Montgomery is very good as the saxaphone-playing boxer who outwardly seems rough but inwardly has a heart of gold(okay, it gave me cliches too). The cast in this film excels. Montgomery is ably assisted by Claude Rains, James Gleason, Evelyn Keyes, and, my personal favourite, Edward Everett Horton. Rains plays the heavenly Mr. Jordan trying to fix Horton's heavenly blunder. Rains is as always very good, and his scenes in particular bring a warm glow to the screen. My favourite moments, however, are the scenes with rains and Horton talking "shop" and the ones with Horton and Montgomery bantering back and forth. Horton is a forgotten mine of comedic ability. Many reviewers seem obligated to make comparisons between this film and its most famous remake Heaven Can Wait. I like them both. Both films have qualities that exceed the other. Why we have to say one is better solely because it is older(or newer) is beyond me sometime.

This story has made it to the screen three times so far -- HERE COMES MR. JORDAN with Robert Montgomery, HEAVEN CAN WAIT with Warren Beatty, and DOWN TO EARTH with Chris Rock. This one is the best of the three with Claude Rains stealing all his scenes -- a knack he had in most of his films. The movie deals with premature death, reincarnation, murder, and other serious topics, but all of it is handled with a charmingly light touch. This is a delightful classic.

Boxer Joe Pendleton is days away from his championship bout when his private plane goes down and the agents of death take him away to heaven. Unfortunately for Joe, the agent acted too fast and, had he waited he would have seen Joe recover the crashing aircraft and make it away safely. Problem is in the time taken to sort this out (which has involved top agent Mr Jordan), Joe's earthly remains have been cremated with no chance of him just being returned to his body. So begins a search for another body for Joe, a search that ultimately leads to millionaire Farnsworth – who has just been murdered by his wife and her lover.

Looking at the basic plot (and even the detail of the ending) it does strike me as rather amazing that this did get made as a studio picture because it does have a dark streak to it that could easily have undercut any comedy, whimsy or romance and alienated the audience. Watching it again recently it does still surprise me that it pulls it off but somehow it is light, funny and with plenty of charm and somehow even the rather ambiguous ending comes off as lifting and happy. A big part of this for me is the cast because they get the delivery just right – in particular Robert Montgomery. Some have said that Rains dominates his scenes but I totally disagree, Montgomery owns the film because the tough but kind nature of his character is the engine that drives it to success. He is note perfect and his performance kept me with the tone of the film. Rains is nearly as good but is more of a cool presence in each scene.

Hall's direction holds it together and makes the tone so that we never lose the slight hint of darkness but prevents it ever getting in the way of the comedy and fantasy of the piece. Here Comes Mr Jordan has been remade several times recently and you can see why because this original is charming and fresh with solid comedy and whimsy held together by a couple of great performances.

Hollywood would probably be better off in looking to its past than at its future. The late 30s and early 40s produced a string of films that will not be equaled, or surpassed in a very foreseeable future.

Take this film. It has been re-adapted a couple of times and sadly to say, those new movies pale in comparison. There are no stars with the caliber of a Robert Montgomery, Claude Rains, Edward Everett Horton, or Evelyn Keyes, actually, or in the horizon. To get actors of this caliber in a film today, would be a monumental task to accomplish.

This film, an adaptation of a stage work, translates to the screen with such ease that is hard to surpass. Directed by Alexander Hall, with panache, is a pleasure to sit through it and enjoy.

The cast is absolutely flawless. The great Robert Montgomery is very charming in his triple 're-incarnation'. Claude Rains is perfect, as is Edward Everett Horton as heavenly figures on earth. Evelyn Keyes is so beautiful. How about Rita Johnson? She cuts such a sophisticated figure. John Emery is oily enough as the evil secretary Abbott. And James Gleason's appearance has the right amount of know how and bewilderment in understanding the situation.

This picture makes us realize how ahead of her time the brilliant Edith Head was. Her costumes are a perfect touch to enhance the appearance of the stars of that era. Wow! What style and sophistication she had! No one can come close to her.

This is an original to be savored by discerning film aficionados.