| Notes | Deceased playboy Henry Van Cleve (Don Ameche) presents himself to the outer offices of Hades, where he asks a bemused Satan for permission to enter through the gates of hell. Though the devil doubts that Henry’s sins qualify him for eternal damnation, Henry proceeds to recount a lifetime of wooing and pursuing women, his long, happy marriage to Martha (Gene Tierney) notwithstanding. Ernst Lubitsch’s Heaven Can Wait, nominated for Academy Awards for best picture and director, is an enduring classic that showcases the filmmaker’s trademark blend of wit, urbanity, and grace.
SPECIAL FEATURES
New, restored high-definition digital transfer
New video conversation between film critics Molly Haskell and Andrew Sarris
Creativity with Bill Moyers: A Portrait of Samson Raphaelson, a 30-minute 1982 program exploring the screenwriter’s life and career
Audio seminar with Raphaelson and film critic Richard Corliss recorded at the Museum of Modern Art in 1977
Home recordings of director Ernst Lubitsch playing the piano
Trailer
PLUS: An essay by film scholar William Paul
Cover by Caitlin Kuhwald |
