Fresh and Exciting

Beautiful, moving film.

Absolutely brilliant

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

In order to clean up the play and make it suitable for all, M-G-M have reinforced what were originally only passing similarities to Cecil B. DeMille's old Broadway warhorse "The Return of Peter Grimm" which opened at the Belasco in 1911 and was subsequently filmed by RKO in 1935 with of course Lionel Barrymore in the lead. Because of these changes it's now difficult to separate the two movies. In fact, I always thought "On Borrowed Time" was a re-make of "Peter Grimm". Getting back to Paul Osborn's 1938 stage play, it's worth noting that chiefly because of its bad language (from both the old man and the young boy) but also no doubt because of its anything-but-traditionally-Christian view of the after-life, the play was banned in both England and Australia. Because of its derivation, the movie was banned also, although the British censor relented in 1946. It's hard to imagine the play upsetting people today, let alone the film. Certainly a very stagey affair, the movie does boast some exciting performances - particularly Beulah Bondi, faultlessly altering the timbre of her voice and superbly made up to look more than twice her real age - though Bobs Watson tends to outstay his ability. Direction is as dull as you might expect from the usually uninspired Harold S. Bucquet (pronounced Biew "to rhyme with view" Kay), and the photography by Joseph Ruttenberg, outside of a few exquisite moments at the very beginning, is surprisingly flat. Likewise the sets are unnecessarily drab, the special effects poor. Having shelled out a fortune to buy the hugely successful play, M-G-M were obviously determined to make the screen version on the cheap. Barrymore lets loose with an exaggerated reprise of his 1935 Peter Grimm, which emphasizes the fact that the writers have done almost nothing to disguise the script's stage origins. (The screenwriters based their script on the play by Paul Osborn, rather than on the original novel by Lawrence Edward Watkin). Nevertheless, as the Prologue is quick to point out, the story does have a certain fascination in itself, which no amount of incompetence can entirely dim.

Directed by Harold S. Bucquet, based on a play by Paul Osborn, with a screenplay co-written by Claudine West, this above average fantasy drama with comedic elements features a recognizable cast that includes wheelchair-bound Lionel Barrymore, Cedric Hardwicke, two time Supporting Actress nominee Beulah Bondi, Una Merkel, Nat Pendleton, Henry Travers, Grant Mitchell, Eily Malyon, James Burke, and Ian Wolfe.The story is most compelling, about a man and his grandson who trap "Death" up a tree in their yard, so that no one can die until he's let down. Its execution is also very good, with excellent characterizations all the way around. Barrymore's loving relationship with child actor Bobs Watson, who plays his character's devoted grandson, and Hardwicke's calm and confident, soft spoken Death are particularly noteworthy.Dr. James Northrup (Truman Bradley) and his wife (Barbara Bedford, uncredited) pick up a passenger on their way home to their son, who's staying with his grandparents Julian (Barrymore) and Nellie (Bondi) Northrup. Unbeknownst to them, their passenger is Death (Hardwicke), and the car soon drives through a guard rail and crashes, killing both. So, their son John, nicknamed 'Pud' (Bobs Watson) by his grandfather who spoils him, must stay with 'Gramps' and Nellie. Town gossip and John's Aunt Demetria Riffle (Malyon) hears that Dr. Northrup had a large life insurance policy, and schemes to figure out she can gain custody of John to control the $50,000 he was left.Meanwhile, Gramps and Pud do everything together, including avoiding going to church when they can go fishing instead. However, Julian does give a significant donation from the inheritance money to Reverend Murdock (Charles Waldron) with which to help others. Ian Wolfe plays the Reverend's assistant. On their way home, Pud tells Gramps he's entitled to a wish for his good deed, per something he'd heard said. Later, when Gramps chases a boy out of his large backyard apple tree, he wishes that he could keep whomever climbs the tree to steal one of his apples would have to stay there until he decides to let them get down - Pud tells him that he's made his wish. But Gramps doesn't think anymore about it until another boy (Dickie Jones, uncredited), and then Pud, gets stuck and are unable to climb down until he gives them permission.After Aunt Riffle fails to succeed in getting Nellie to sign custody of Pud over to her, Death (who calls himself Mr. Brink) visits John's grandmother and, tired, she goes with him willingly. Gramps meets with his lawyer Ben Pilbeam (Mitchell), but is unable to assign custody of Pud to their maid Marcia (Merkel, playing a much younger woman than her 35 years), who Demetria had earlier accused of scandalously kissing her beau Bill (Phillip Terry) in a public park! When Mr. Brink visits Gramps, a second time actually, in Pud's presence, the two conspire to get him to climb the tree to get an apple. Of course, he is now unable to get down to "take" Gramps without his permission. Gramps learns that anything that touches the tree will die instantly, so he hires some men to build a fence around it that very day. Demetria hears of this, and the reason for it, and brings Dr. Evans (Travers) and Ben to witness Julian's "insanity". Gramps, and Pud, can talk to, hear and even see Mr. Brinks, but no one else can.Later, Dr. Evans returns with an assistant (Pendleton) to take Gramps to an asylum, but Gramps proves quite dramatically that nothing can die while Death is treed in his backyard. Dr. Evans comes to believe what Gramps has said, but then urges Julian to let him down lest the natural order of things be disrupted. In fact, he tries to force Gramps to allow Mr. Brink to come out of the tree. James Burke plays the Sheriff. Without spoiling the ending, one should know that Death will eventually be invited to come down out of the tree by Julian/Gramps.

After his parents die in a car accident, a young boy goes to live with his grandparents. When the grandmother also dies, the boy's shrewish aunt tries to gain custody of him so she can get her hands on the money his parents left him. As the grandfather fights to keep the boy, Death comes calling for him. But Gramps has a trick up his sleeve and manages to trap Death up a tree (!), thus preventing him from claiming any lives.In many ways, the movie does feel like a filmed play (it is based on one). But the story is so involving and the cast so extraordinary that things stay lively and interesting throughout the picture. Lionel Barrymore, an expert at making crotchety lovable, is in rare form here. The boy is played by Bobs Watson, a child actor who specialized in being cute and crying on cue. Some of you may remember him from being hit by a car in Boys Town. His scenes with Barrymore are all golden. Cedric Hardwicke plays Death, named here Mr. Brink (get it?). Hardwicke always brought class to every film he was in and this is no exception. Fine support from Beulah Bondi as the loving grandmother and Eily Malyon as the meddlesome aunt. The rest of the cast includes greats like Henry Travers, Grant Mitchell, Nat Pendleton, and Una Merkel. Despite the bizarreness of the story (and maybe because of it), this is a very entertaining picture. It has several fun twists and a leisurely pace and pleasant tone that belies its rather dark subject matter. I guess whether you call it dark or not is part of the movie's message. It's a fantastic fable where death is (literally) around every corner. A curious mix of heartwarming and heartbreaking, this is a one of a kind film.

Appearing as the personification of "Death", well-groomed hitch-hiker Cedric Hardwicke (as Mr. Brink) passes on a convertible ride with coughing Hans Conried. You may be thinking tuberculosis, but it must only a cold and not yet Hans' time. The real target is a physician and his wife, who quickly die in a car crash. This leaves orphaned "Bobs" Watson (as John Gilbert "Pud" Northrup) in the care of loving grandparents Lionel Barrymore (as Julian "Gramps" Northrup) and Beulah Bondi (as Nellie "Granny" Northrup). However, they are both getting older, and closer to death...On the brink, Mr. Barrymore receives one special wish. He uses it on an apple tree in his back-yard...This parable is surprisingly effective, and blurs the perception of "good" (god) and "evil" (devil) in a manner uncommon in films of the era. It's better to see this for yourself, and not read anymore about it here. Meanwhile, pis-mired aunt Eily Malyon (as Demetria "Demmy" Riffle) wants to take young Watson from Barrymore, desiring the lad's $50,000 inheritance. Barrymore learns she plans to send the boy to a school for girls and fears this will "make a sissy out of Pud," which must have been considered a fate worse than death, considering this film's startling but satisfying outcome...******** On Borrowed Time (7/6/39) Harold S. Bucquet ~ Lionel Barrymore, Bobs Watson, Eily Malyon, Cedric Hardwicke