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Death Takes a Holiday (1934)Death decides to take a holiday from his usual business to see what it is like to be a mortal. Posing as Prince Sirki, he spends 3 days with Duke Lambert and his guests at his dukal estate.... See full summary » Director:Mitchell Leisen |
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Title: Death Takes a Holiday (1934)
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Cast
| Complete credited cast: | |||
| Fredric March | ... | ||
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Evelyn Venable | ... |
Grazia
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Guy Standing | ... |
Duke Lambert
(as Sir Guy Standing)
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Katharine Alexander | ... |
Alda
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Gail Patrick | ... |
Rhoda
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Helen Westley | ... | |
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Kathleen Howard | ... |
Princess Maria
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Kent Taylor | ... |
Corrado
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| Henry Travers | ... | ||
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G.P. Huntley | ... |
Eric
(as G.P. Huntley Jr.)
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Otto Hoffman | ... |
Fedele
(as Otto Hoffmann)
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Plot Summary
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Storyline
Death decides to take a holiday from his usual business to see what it is like to be a mortal. Posing as Prince Sirki, he spends 3 days with Duke Lambert and his guests at his dukal estate. Several of the women are attracted to the mysterious prince, but shy away from him when they sense his true nature. But Grazia, the beautiful young woman whom the Duke thought was to marry his son, loves him even when she knows who he is. Written by John Oswalt <jao@jao.com>
Taglines:
No woman ever had such a lover...the whole world paused...waited breathlessly while he wooed with the ardor of a man tasting love for the first time. See more »Parents Guide:
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Details
Country:
USARelease Date:
30 March 1934 (USA) See more »Also Known As:
Strange Holiday See more »Company Credits
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Technical Specs
Runtime:
Sound Mix:
Mono (Western Electric Noiseless Recording)Color:
Black and WhiteAspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1
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(1903) (uncredited)
from "Kuolema, Op.44"
Music by Jean Sibelius
Performed offscreen by an orchestra, and also during the end credits
See more »
Did You Know?
Trivia
Edward Van Sloan was in studio records/casting call lists for the role of "Doctor Valle," but he never appears in the movie. See more »Quotes
Death: Can you conceive how lonely I am - when there is nothing that doesn't shrink from me?See more »
Soundtracks
"Valse Triste"(1903) (uncredited)
from "Kuolema, Op.44"
Music by Jean Sibelius
Performed offscreen by an orchestra, and also during the end credits
See more »
Many contemporary viewers will find the dialogue here hard going, for the film shows its stage origins; the heightened rhetoric and often extended speeches that have the characters speaking at, rather than to one another, create a rather wooden effect on the screen. This film could not have come from any studio other than Paramount during the 1930s: the only studio that produced what might be called today art films, including this one. From Mae West, W.C. Fields and the Marx Brothers; to the Lubitsch musicals with Maurice Chevalier and Jeanette Macdonald and his European-like sophisticated romantic comedies; to an occasional deMille spectacular; Paramount provided the most diversified output of the early studio era. Yet,with the exception of the occasional action costume drama, most Paramount films seem to have been made on a relatively low budget, with only one or two sets, including this film. However, since set design was always done with some elegance, economy is not as noticeable as with the Warner films. (Where a devotee has seen the same apartment set so often that s/he feels right at home).I notice that most IMDB reviewers give positive comments. Perhaps I was just not ready for this one last night (I recall having enjoyed it more years ago); but for me the components never jelled so as to provide a consistent development of plot or characterizations.