Stairway to Heaven (1946)
"A Matter of Life and Death" (original title)

A British wartime aviator who cheats death must argue for his life before a celestial court.

Directors:

Michael Powell, Emeric Pressburger

Writers:

Michael Powell, Emeric Pressburger

Stars:

David Niven, Kim Hunter, Robert Coote

3 wins.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
David Niven	...	Peter Carter
Kim Hunter	...	June
Robert Coote	...	Bob
Kathleen Byron	...	An Angel
Richard Attenborough	...	An English Pilot
Bonar Colleano	...	An American Pilot (as Bonor Colleano)
Joan Maude	...	Chief Recorder
Marius Goring	...	Conductor 71
Roger Livesey	...	Doctor Reeves
Robert Atkins	...	The Vicar
Bob Roberts	...	Dr. Gaertler
Edwin Max	...	Dr. Mc.Ewen
Betty Potter	...	Mrs. Tucker
Abraham Sofaer	...	The Judge
Raymond Massey	...	Abraham Farlan

Storyline

Returning to England from a bombing run in May 1945, flyer Peter Carter's plane is damaged and his parachute ripped to shreds. He has his crew bail out safely, but figures it is curtains for himself. He gets on the radio, and talks to June, a young American woman working for the USAAF, and they are quite moved by each other's voices. Then he jumps, preferring this to burning up with his plane. He wakes up in the surf. It was his time to die, but there was a mixup in heaven. They couldn't find him in all that fog. By the time his "Conductor" catches up with him 20 hours later, Peter and June have met and fallen in love. This changes everything, and since it happened through no fault of his own, Peter figures that heaven owes him a second chance. Heaven agrees to a trial to decide his fate.

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Plot Keywords:

heaven | love | fog | doctor | beach | 

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Taglines:

The Greatest Experience In The Emotion Of Love!

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Genres:

Drama | Fantasy | Romance | War

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG for thematic elements

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English French Russian

Release Date:

March 1947 (USA)

Also Known As:

Stairway to Heaven

Filming Locations:

D&P Studios, Denham Studios, Denham, Buckinghamshire, England, UK

Box Office

Budget:

£320,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Archers, The

Technical Specs

Runtime:

104 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Black and White (Dye-Monochrome) Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Richard Attenborough only has one line which is: "It's heaven isn't it."

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Goofs

When the table tennis game is frozen, the ball moves back a few inches from the first shot of the game to the second, and the position of Frank's left arm changes.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Narrator: This is the universe. Big, isn't it.

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Crazy Credits

Foreword (Scrolled up the screen at the start of the film): This is the story of two worlds, the one we know and another which exists only in the mind... of a young airman whose life and imagination have been violently shaped by war. [Pauses, then scrolls up to reveal] Any resemblance to any other world, known or unknown, is purely coincidental.

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Connections

Referenced in When Did You Last See Your Father? (2007)

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Soundtracks

"Scherzo"
(1842) (uncredited)
from "A Midsummer Night's Dream, Op.61"
Written by Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy
Played on a record at the Shakespeare rehearsal

User Reviews

Timeless Classic

Few movies can be viewed almost 60 years later, yet remain as engrossing as this one. Technological advances have not dated this classic love story. Special effects used are remarkable for a 1946 movie. The acting is superb. David Niven, Kim Hunter and especially Roger Livesey do an outstanding job. The use of Black and White / Color adds to the creative nature of the movie. It hasn't been seen on television for 20 years so few people are even aware of its existence. It is my favorite movie of all time. Waiting and hoping for the DVD release of this movie for so many years is, in itself, "A Matter of Life and Death".