Death Takes a Holiday

This movie is a wonderful, romantic remake of the original of the same name. Monte Markham gives one of his best performances and Yvette Mimieux is both able and breathtakingly beautiful playing the woman with whom Death becomes infatuated.

This movie isn't as dark as the original with Frederic March, but it makes the same bold choice in the ending.

A definite "two thumbs up," "must see."

It is easy to dismiss this film as a cheap remake of the original Fredric March vehicle, but there is so much more here than simple recapitulation!

The story is timeless. It takes a very definite philosophical stance on a subject which will always be relevant to all of us. Namely, how shall we cope with our own deaths when the reality confronts us?

What impressed me most about this production was the way in which death was presented. Death appears here as a gentle, benign presence. This presentation is a far cry from the monstrous horror we have come to expect from death. Death in this film is not a Grim Reaper wishing to engulf us in his inevitability. He wishes only to present himself as a fact of life. To understand himself and be understood by others as an experience which has a unique time and place for everyone. Occurring not one moment sooner nor later than necessary, and then as something not to be feared, but rather embraced in its turn.

There are other reasons to watch this rare production of the story. The fine cast: the beautiful Yvette Mimieux is in her prime here and perfect for the title role. I say "title role" because there is actually a dual title role here. It is the interaction between Yvette Mimieux's character and Monte Markham as Death that sets up the central dilemma that drives the picture. Myrna Loy and Melvyn Douglas are fine in supporting roles. Laurindo Almeida's haunting score creates an atmosphere of romantic suspense even while it facilitates contemplation.

So why doesn't this production have a better reputation? I suspect it's because, while the actors fulfill their roles admirably, they do so in a nuts and bolts manner which lacks drama. This production of the story is therefore out of step with the prevailing value in Hollywood: entertainment. For maximum entertainment value, a picture with greater dramatic impact is preferable.

Nevertheless, it is testimony to the dramatic impact and eternal relevance of this story that it has been remade several times since with great success, most notably in "Meet Joe Black." "Death Takes A Holiday" is a fine, underrated film which I give three stars!

One of my sci-fi/horror/fantasy reviews written 50 years ago: Directed by Robert Butler; Produced by George Eckstein, for Universal TV, telecast by ABC-TV. Screenplay by Rita Lakin; Photography by Michael Margulies; Edited by Michael Economou; Music by Laurindo Almeida; Art Direction by Eugene Lourie; Assistant Director: James Fargo. Starring: Yvette Mimieux, Monte Markham, Melvyn Douglas, Myrna Loy, Bert Convy, Kerwin Mathews and Priscilla Pointer.

Poor TV rehash of a classic, which dissipates all of the story's value by stressing pretentious, pseudo-contemporary. Nauseatingly contrived dialogue. Death, personified as a man, coming to Earth and falling in love, and then returning home, thereby breaking the spell of no death in the world while he is here. It's a plot that should be put to rest,

Death Takes a Holiday (1971)

*** (out of 4)

Peggy Chapman (Yvette Mimieux) is out swimming when she begins to struggle under the sea. Moments later she wakes up on the beach with David Smith (Monte Markham) standing there. She invites the man back to her family's home but soon her father (Melvyn Douglas) begins to think that the man might just be Death himself.

DEATH TAKES A HOLIDAY is a classic play that has been filmed many times over the decades including a wonderful version from 1934 that featured Fredric March. While this made-for-TV version isn't nearly as great, this film is certainly highly entertaining and manages to hit on all the key parts of the play as well as featuring some excellent performances from the cast.

I've always found the idea of Death taking a vacation and not collecting any souls to be quite fascinating and this film manages to make all the strong points in only 74 minutes. There are so many fascinating things dealing with the story including the discussion on why people fear Death so much and why many will fight it even if they are unhappy on Earth. There are so many interesting things discussed here and it's truly the type of story that makes you think and wonder about your own life.

The performances are certainly a very strong point here with both Mimieux and Markham doing an excellent job in their roles. Both of them certainly make you believe in these characters and there's no doubt that they make for a great couple. Douglas is simply wonderful as the old man who begins to suspect that Death is near but not quite sure who for. Him and Markham have a sequence where they go back and forth on the subject and it's wonderfully performed. Myrna Loy also appears as the wife and Bert Convy is on hand as well.

The 1934 version of the play is still the best that I've seen but this television movie is certainly worth checking out.

What a gorgeous film this is, and how it tugs at the heartstrings. Though quite different in tone from the Frederic March film of the same name, Death Takes a Holiday still tells the same story.

Death takes human form and comes to earth to find out, as he puts it, "why people claim so tenaciously to life." Like the angel in "The Bishop's Wife," he falls for a mortal, played by Yvette Mimieux. Of course, while Death is on vacation, so to speak, nobody dies. And that has repercussions for Mimieux's family.

The cast is absolutely superlative - Melvyn Douglas, Yvette Mimieux, Monte Markham, Myrna Loy, and Bert Convy.

If you have a chance to see this film, don't miss it. I remember it so vividly. Make sure you have a box of tissues next to you.