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Title: A Matter of Life and Death (1946)
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1 win & 2 nominations.
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Edit
Cast
| Complete credited cast: | |||
| David Niven | ... | Peter Carter | |
| Kim Hunter | ... | June | |
| Robert Coote | ... | Bob Trubshaw | |
| 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 | ... | Dr. Frank Reeves | |
|
|
Robert Atkins | ... | The Vicar |
|
|
Bob Roberts | ... | Dr. Gaertler |
| Edwin Max | ... | Dr. McEwen | |
|
|
Betty Potter | ... | Mrs. Tucker |
| Abraham Sofaer | ... | The Judge | |
| Raymond Massey | ... | Abraham Farlan | |
Edit
Plot Summary
|
Plot Synopsis
Storyline
Returning to England from a bombing run in May 1945, pilot 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 U.S. Army Air Forces, 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 mix-up in heaven. They couldn't find him in all that fog. By the time his "Conductor" catches up with him twenty 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. Written by John Oswalt <jao@jao.com>
Taglines:
The Most Wonderfully Romantic Fantasy on Earth ... or Anywhere Else See more »Parents Guide:
View content advisory »
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See more on IMDbPro »
See full technical specs »
Details
Country:
UKRelease Date:
March 1947 (USA) See more »Also Known As:
A Matter of Life and Death See more »Edit
Box Office
Budget:
GBP320,000 (estimated)Cumulative Worldwide Gross:
$124,241Company Credits
Show more on
IMDbPro »
Technical Specs
Runtime:
Sound Mix:
Mono (Western Electric Recording)Aspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1
Edit
(1842) (uncredited)
from "A Midsummer Night's Dream, Op.61"
Written by Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy
Played on a record at the Shakespeare rehearsal
See more »
Did You Know?
Goofs
June's voice is heard before Peter's and she is then seen before Peter is, but the closing credits "in order of appearance" begin with Peter ('David Niven'). See more »Crazy Credits
Foreword (Scrolled up the screen at the start of the film): This is a story of two Worlds the one we know and another which exists only in the mind of a young airman whose life & 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. See more »Alternate Versions
The US release was cut to avoid showing the naked shepherd boy in the sand dunes. See more »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
See more »
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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".