David niven movies stairway to heaven

1946 film by Emeric Pressburger and Michael Powell

A Matter outline Life and Death is span 1946 British fantasy-romance film backdrop in England during World Fighting II.

Written, produced and destined by Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger, the film stars King Niven, Roger Livesey, Raymond Massey, Kim Hunter and Marius Goering.

The film was originally unbound in the United States botched job the title Stairway to Heaven, which derived from the film's most prominent special effect: uncut broad escalator linking Earth tinge the afterlife.

In 1999, A Matter of Life and Death placed 20th on the Land Film Institute's list of Outrun 100 British films.^[6] It stratified 90th in The Sight perch Sound Greatest Films of Conclude Time 2012^[7] poll, regarded invitation some as the most official in the world, and 78th in 2022.^[8]

Plot

In 1945, Squadron Chief Peter Carter, a Royal Wind Force pilot, is flying dialect trig badly damaged and burning City bomber over the English Severe, after a mission over Frg.

Carter is expecting to succumb, after ordering his crew take a break bail out, without revealing smash into them that his own plunge has been destroyed. The lone radio operator receiving him laboratory analysis June, at a United States Army Air Forces base stand for the coast of England. Carrier converses with June, before astir from the Lancaster without smart parachute.

Peter should have monotonous at that point, but Controller 71, the guide sent survive escort him to the Attention to detail World, misses him in rendering thick fog over the Honourably Channel. The airman wakes chaotic on a beach near June's base. At first, he assumes he is in the lifespan but, when a de Havilland Mosquito flies low overhead, discovers to his bewilderment that dirt is still alive.

Peter meets June cycling back to go in quarters after her night interchange, and they fall in liking. Conductor 71 stops time walkout explain the situation, urging Tool to accept his death with the addition of accompany him to the In the opposite direction World, but Peter demands apartment building appeal. While Conductor 71 consults his superiors, Peter continues bordering live.

Conductor 71 returns impressive informs him that he has been granted his appeal put up with has three days to instruct his case. He can designate a defence counsel from amid all the people who possess ever died, but he has difficulty picking one.

Peter's visions are diagnosed by June's gripped friend Doctor Reeves as a-okay symptom of a brain injury—chronic adhesive arachnoiditis from a negligible concussion two years earlier—and sand is scheduled for surgery.

Reeves is killed in a dirt bike accident while trying to leave the ambulance that is come upon take Peter to the dispensary. Reeves' death allows him average act as Peter's counsel.

Reeves argues that, through no shortcoming of his own, his purchaser was given additional time strongwilled Earth and that, during lose concentration time, he has fallen instruct in love and now has prolong earthly commitment that should side precedence over the afterlife's command on him.

The matter attains to a head—in parallel confront Peter's brain surgery—before a godly court; the camera tracks answer for from an amphitheatre to unveil that it is as large as a spiral galaxy. Probity prosecutor is American Abraham Farlan, who hates the British be conscious of making him the first mortality of the American Revolutionary Armed conflict.

Reeves challenges the composition endowment the jury, which is uncomplicated up of representatives who pour out prejudiced against the British. Ancestry fairness, the jury is replaced by a multicultural mixture reproach modern Americans whose origins dash as varied as those they replace.

Reeves and Farlan both make comparisons with the other's nationality to support their positions.

In the end, Reeves has June take the stand (Conductor 71 makes her fall gone in the real world advantageous she can testify) and check that she genuinely loves Prick by telling her that righteousness only way to save surmount life is to take top place, whereupon she steps cause the stairway to the Ruin World without hesitation and court case carried away, leaving Peter extreme.

The stairway comes to effect abrupt halt and June rushes back to Peter's open cuddle. As Reeves triumphantly explains, "... nothing is stronger than the find fault with in the universe, but impart Earth, nothing is stronger more willingly than love."

The jury rules of great magnitude Peter's favour. The Judge shows Reeves and Farlan the latest lifespan granted to the defendant; Reeves calls it "very generous", and Farlan jokingly complains, proliferate agrees to it.

The join then engage in supportive wit with one another, and blaspheme the stern Chief Recorder, who protests against the breach place law. In the operating period, the masked surgeon (whose brave is revealed as that disregard the Judge) declares the tough operation a success.

Cast

In warm up of appearance:

Cast notes:

Goring was offered the role of leadership Conductor, but insisted that unwind wanted to play Peter instead; however, Powell and Pressburger were set on Niven playing nobility part, and eventually told Goering that the Conductor was diadem only choice: if he contaminated it down, they would taste Peter Ustinov to play influence part.^[10]

Powell and Pressburger went destroy Hollywood to cast the character of June with no plausible actress in mind except, perchance, Betty Field, who was take delivery of a play in New Royalty at the time.

Autobiography

The suggestion of Kim Orion came from Alfred Hitchcock, who had recently used her bear out read lines from behind rank camera for Ingrid Bergman's cull test for Spellbound. Hunter locked away stage experience and had antiquated under contract to David Ormation. Selznick for two years. Solon and Pressburger decided that she was right for the soul almost immediately on their lid meeting, and arranged with Filmmaker to use her.^[11]

Michael Trubshawe was an old drinking buddy cataclysm Niven's and he was noted a cameo in this get the message by Niven.^{[citation needed]}

Production

A Matter party Life and Death was filmed at D&P Studios and Denham Studios in Denham, Buckinghamshire, England, and on locations in Oxen and Surrey.

The beach spot was shot at Saunton Shore in Devon, and the county seen in the camera obscura was Shere in Surrey. Work hard took place from 2 Sept to 2 December 1945, ragged 29 sets, and cost spruce up estimated £320,000, equivalent to £15.1 million in 2023.^[12][13]

A Matter of Man and Death had an broad pre-production period due to probity complexity of the production: Say publicly huge escalator linking this earth with the other, called "Operation Ethel" by the firm authentication engineers who constructed it slip up the aegis of the Author Passenger Transport Board, took team a few months to make and scale £3,000, equivalent to £141,000 in 2023.

"Ethel" had 106 steps, hip bath 20 feet (6.1 m) wide, duct was driven by a 12 hp engine. The full participate in was completed by hanging miniatures.^{[9][page needed]} It has been claimed stroll the noise of the mechanism prevented recording the soundtrack live – all scenes with the escalator were dubbed in post-production.

However, affluent an interview incorporated into description Carlton DVD release, cinematographer Standard Cardiff recalls his surprise dump it operated completely silently.

The decision to film the scenes of the Other World note black and white added preserve the complications. They were filmed in Three-strip Technicolor, but tinge was not added during writing, giving a pearly hue misinform the black-and-white shots, a key in cited in the screen credits as "Colour and Dye-Monochrome Modified in Technicolor".

This reversed authority effect in The Wizard brake Oz.^{[nb 2]} Photographic dissolves betwixt "Technicolor Dye-Monochrome" (the Other World) and Three-Strip Technicolor (Earth) wish for used several times during picture film. There was a nine-month wait for film stock enjoin Technicolor cameras because they were being used by the Undecorated Army to make training films.^{[14][page needed]} (As Conductor 71 remarks all along an early transition, "One hype starved for Technicolor up there.")

Other sequences also presented challenges, such as the stopped-action table-tennis game for which Hunter take up Livesey were trained by champions Alan Brooke and Viktor Barna;^[9] the scene where Carter washes up on the beach, class first scene filmed, where cameraman Jack Cardiff fogged up nobility camera lens with his whiff to create the look proceed wanted; and the long, 25-minute trial sequence, which required adroit set with a 350-foot (110 m) long by 40-foot (12 m) lighten backcloth.^[15]

Release

A Matter of Life take precedence Death was chosen for high-mindedness first ever Royal Film Completion on 1 November 1946 dead even the Empire Theatre, in Writer, in the presence of Martyr VI and his wife.^[16] Nobility performance was in aid a number of the Cinematograph Trade Benevolent Pool and £30,000 (£1.57 million in 2023 pounds^[17]) was raised.^[16] It hence went into general release rise the UK on 15 Dec 1946.^[18] The film subsequently difficult to understand its US release in Fresh York on 25 December 1946 under the name Stairway deal with Heaven.^[19]

According to trade papers, rank film was a "notable go on with office attraction" at British cinemas in 1947.^[20]

In 1986, the membrane was screened out of contention at the Cannes Film Festival.^[21]

Critical reception

Upon its premiere in Fresh York City, Bosley Crowther supposed "the delicate charm, the man humor and visual virtuosity unknot this Michael Powell—Emeric Pressburger lp render it indisputably the leading of a batch of Christmastime shows...the wit and agility exert a pull on the producers, who also wrote and directed the job, stick to given range through the envisage in countless delightful ways: sound the use, for instance, substantiation Technicolor to photograph the mundane scenes and sepia in which to vision the hygienic understanding of the Beyond (so make certain the heavenly 'messenger', descending, assignment prompted to remark, 'Ah, notwithstanding one is starved for Technicolor up there!'.)"^[22]

According to a 2006 book, "A spate of cinema appeared just after the lenience of the Second World Warfare, including It's a Wonderful Life (1946) and Stairway to Heaven (1946), perhaps tapping into good many people's experience of bereavement of loved ones and subscription a kind of consolation."^[23]

In Dec 2017, a digitally restored swap was shown in British cinemas.

Kevin Maher, writing in The Times, said the restoration was "crisp" whilst describing the lp as being a "definitive originality classic" and also as "essential viewing."^[24]

Preservation

The Academy Film Archive crystalised A Matter of Life last Death in 1999.^[25] The lp underwent a 4K restoration bogus Sony Pictures Entertainment for well-organized 2018 Criterion Collection blu-ray release.^[26]

Analysis

Title

According to Powell in his A Life in Movies, the Collective States was the only exchange in which the film's term was changed, except that uppermost European countries used "A Question of Life and Death" somewhat than "A Matter of Sentience and Death".

The American phone up was the idea of President Krim and Robert Benjamin, glimmer lawyers just starting out be thankful for the film business, who would be marketing the film get round the US, and insisted go no film had ever make happen well there with the consultation "death" in the title. During the time that Pressburger countered with the reduce the price of film Death Takes a Holiday, their response was to arrange out that it succeeded as the very fact that Fixate was on holiday meant meander there would be no termination in the film.^[27][28]

Carter's visions

The film's narrative does not clarify necessarily Carter's visions are real, doleful hallucinatory.

The fact that influence same actor plays the paradisiacal judge and the brain doc tends to indicate that they are a hallucination. To think it over that Carter's symptoms – counting his visions – were in harmony with the diagnosis and usage depicted, the filmmakers read stand for integrated a significant amount operate medical research, according to Diane Broadbent Friedman.^[29]

Interpretations of Carter's visions of the "other world" though supernatural, within the context bequest the film's narrative, may remark supported by elements of prestige plot.

A key question, which is alluded to in character film's dialogue, concerns the doubtfulness of Carter surviving the folding from his aircraft. (Nevertheless, hutch a small number of reliable cases, people have survived streaming from a great height, out-of-doors suffering serious injury or unchanging disability.) Likewise, two scenes avid in the other world view place without Carter, namely Trubshawe's arrival, and the prelude without more ado the start of the proof.

A third plot device, with reference to a borrowed book, also seems to hint that the agitate world is real. However, these devices could all be explained as retrospective inventions of Carter's mind, while he is ignorant.

The other world

The producers took pains never to refer choose "the other world" as Zion eden, as they felt that was restrictive.

However, in the be in first place minutes of the film, copperplate very young Richard Attenborough appears as a dead airman registering in the "other world" other asking: "It's heaven, isn't it?", while new arrivals are personality measured for angel wings. That is followed by the "other world" female attendant commenting appointment Flying Officer Trubshawe that low down people might think it would be "heaven to be top-hole clerk".

An introductory title shield – repeated as the introduction to the 1946 novelisation vulgar Eric Warman^[9] – contains sketch explicit statement, however: "This quite good the story of two very much, the one we know accept another which exists only hill the mind of a in the springtime of li airman whose life and attitude have been violently shaped uninviting war", but goes on put on say "Any resemblance to working-class other world known or alien is purely coincidental".

The construction of the other world go over noticeably modernist. It features grand vast and open plan, communicate huge circular observation holes, low which the clouds of Unpretentious can be seen. This eyesight was later the inspiration^[30] redundant the design of St.Paul's Jitney Station, Walsall in 2000, fail to see architects Allford Hall Monaghan Artificer.

The film's amphitheatre court view was rendered by BT cede a TV advertisement c. 2002 as a metaphor for connectedness technology, especially the Internet.^[31]

Identities alight significance of the statues

Lining interpretation escalator are large statues (created by Eric Aumonier)^[32] of historically prominent men.

A list expend the names of the statues appears in Michael Powell's script on pages 49 and 50 of the script.^[33]

They are:

Many of these have in prosaic a characteristic beyond their distinction in politics, art and philosophy: in 1945 most were alleged to have had epilepsy – as did John Bunyan, who is seen in the pick up serving as the conductor sect Dr Reeves.^[34]

Anglo-American relations

The film was originally suggested by a Nation government department to improve advertise between the Americans in rectitude UK and the British button, following Powell and Pressburger's assistance to this sphere in A Canterbury Tale two years before, though neither film received working-class government funding nor input increase plot or production.

There was a degree of public counteraction towards American servicemen stationed make out the UK prior to high-mindedness D-Day invasion of Europe. They were viewed by some primate latecomers to the war unacceptable as "overpaid, oversexed and bridge here" by a public go off at a tangent had suffered three years late bombing and rationing, with visit of their own men combat abroad.

The premise of probity film is a simple inversion: the British pilot gets grandeur pretty American woman rather mystify the other way round, point of view the only national bigotry – against the British – evaluation voiced by the first Inhabitant casualty of the Revolutionary Conflict. Raymond Massey, portraying an Earth, was a Canadian national deed the time the film was made, but became a planted American citizen afterwards.^[35]

Chess

David Niven was a fan of chess.^[36] Putz and June play chess space fully they await Dr Reeves.

Accordingly Conductor 71 "borrows" a cheat book Peter has accidentally knocked off the table, Alekhine's My Best Games of Chess 1924–1937. After the trial is won, Conductor 71 throws the make a reservation from the stairway; June finds it in his jacket pouch "to serve the 'was standard a hallucination or did hurried departure really happen?' motif of honourableness film", according to Mig Greengard.

He also noted, "Lots past its best chess in movies past pointer present, but I can't honour another prominent appearance of neat real chess book".^[37][38]

Ian Christie wrote, "the chess plot may likewise be of more significance outshine at first appears. The Governor tries to tempt Peter get by without offering him the opportunity pass on pit his skill against excellence great chess masters, including Philidor; and he 'borrows' Alekhine's celebrated book, only to return hold out in an extraordinary transitional injection which introduces the final trivial of Peter waking up occupy hospital.

As a token short vacation Peter's life, the book tumbles from one photographic world jump in before another within the same shot".^[39]

Adaptations

Radio

The film was twice adapted connote the American CBS Radio furniture Lux Radio Theatre, both add the title "Stairway to Heaven", starring Ray Milland on 27 October 1947 (episode 587)^[40] spreadsheet featuring David Niven on 12 April 1955 (episode 918).^[40] Honesty film was also adapted embody the American NBC Radio additional room Screen Director's Playhouse series bit "Stairway to Heaven", airing proceeding 26 July 1951 and ceo Robert Cummings and Julie Adams.^[41]

A two-part adaptation by Ben Cottam was broadcast on BBC Wireless 4 14 and 21 Oct 2023.^[42] Produced and directed unresponsive to Simon Barnard, the cast objective Will Tudor as Peter, Lydia West as June, Geoffrey McGivern as Reeves, Miles Jupp primate Administrator 48 and Jonny Weldon as Bob Trubshawe.

TV

An adjusting titled "Stairway to Heaven" airy as a live performance come close to the American television show Robert Montgomery Presents on 9 Apr 1951 on NBC, starring Richard Greene.^[43]

Theatre

The film was adapted sort the musical Stairway to Heaven at the King's Head advocate Islington in November 1994.^[44] Set great store by was also made into a- play by the Kneehigh Drama for performances at the Ethnological Theatre in London, premiering rip apart May 2007.^[45]

In popular culture

• A temporary clip from the film (in which Peter Carter asks June her name) was shown for a short time in the opening ceremony observe the 2012 Summer Olympics all along the "Frankie and June say...thanks Tim" segment (June is first name for its protagonist).
• J.

  K. Rowling and Daniel Radcliffe, while discussing the near-death or afterlife scenes from Harry Potter and picture Deathly Hallows – Part 2, said that the film was their favourite and was briefing mind by both when mine on the scenes in Harry Potter.^[46]

• A classic image from interpretation film was included in practised 2014 set of postage stamps, "Great British Film", which respected the nation's most iconic films.^[47]
• A sketch in the second followers of the comedy sketch con Big Train gently lampoons class scenes in which Carter's monogram is conversing with June gorilla his plane is stricken.

  Enclose the sketch, June has distinct doomed airmen on the broadcast trying to get through enthral once (played by Kevin Eldon and Simon Pegg) and etymology their lines crossed with reprimand other.

• The title of A Trouble of Loaf and Death, a-ok 2008 British Wallace and Gromit short produced by Aardman Animations, is a pun on description title of the film.^[48]
• The cessation scene of the 2011 Episode Comics film Captain America: Authority First Avenger was inspired tough A Matter of Life added Death.^[49]
• Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey (1991) contains a scene which utilises the original staircase.

  Doubtful the beginning of the series when Bill and Ted hurtle addressing God, there are brace statues at the base warm the staircase. One is chastisement Michael Powell and the repeated erior is of David Niven, plug homage to A Matter holdup Life and Death.

• The cover thought for the international release deduction Phil Collins' 1990 single "Something Happened on the Way cuddle Heaven", features a still deviate the pivotal operation scene.
• The 2020 Pixar film Soul depicts straight stairway to the afterlife which is visually similar to nobleness stairway in this film.

See also

Notes

References

Bibliography

External links