While snorkeling in the ocean, "Peggy Chapman" (Yvette Mimieux) gets tangled up in some underwater kelp. She wakes up on the beach and sees a man sitting next to her named "David Smith" (Monte Markham) who she thanks for saving her life. He is then invited to spend the weekend with her family and it becomes obvious that there is something different about him. Not only that, but the elderly patriarch of the family named "Judge Earl Chapman" (Melvyn Douglas) feels extremely uneasy in his presence. Coincidently, nobody in the entire world dies during the time he is a guest at the house. Anyway, rather than divulge the rest of the story and risk spoiling it for those who haven't seen it, I will just say that this wasn't bad for a made-for-television movie. I enjoyed the performance of Melvyn Douglas who seemed to harbor a genuine fear of death. Likewise, Yvette Mimieux seemed tailor made for the part of the rich and attractive young woman who lives life to the utmost. On the other hand, while Monte Markham's performance was adequate, I thought his image could have used a couple of scenes where he inspired a bit more horror. Additionally, while there was certainly quite a few conversations about death and dying, I felt that most of them were empty and vague when they should have been richer and more meaningful. In other words, it seemed that deep philosophical or religious topics were glossed over or not fully addressed. Be that as it may, this was a decent film which I rate as slightly above average.
Review of Death Takes a Holiday
