Extremely slight film-version of Harry Segall's play "Heaven Can Wait" stars Robert Montgomery as a boxer who receives an unexpected transfer of his soul by a novice angel who thought the boxer was to die in a plane accident. Exposition-heavy fantasy keeps stressing the same trivial points over and over, and Montgomery is rather tepid in the lead (the whole film depends upon his performance, but Montgomery hasn't that much charisma as an actor to carry the weight). Some sweet scenes, but the rest is innocuous. Remade by Warren Beatty (as "Heaven Can Wait") in 1978; there's something about this material that none of the writers were able to solve: the circumstances of the plot work against our sympathies for several supporting characters, who are ultimately left out of the happy ending. ** from ****
Review of Here Comes Mr. Jordan
