A British wartime aviator who cheats death must argue for his life before a celestial court, hoping to prolong his fledgling romance with an American girl.A British wartime aviator who cheats death must argue for his life before a celestial court, hoping to prolong his fledgling romance with an American girl.A British wartime aviator who cheats death must argue for his life before a celestial court, hoping to prolong his fledgling romance with an American girl.
- Awards
- 5 wins & 2 nominations total
Bonar Colleano
- An American Pilot
- (as Bonor Colleano)
Robert Arden
- GI Playing Snout
- (uncredited)
Robert Beatty
- US Crewman
- (uncredited)
Eric Cawthorne
- Goatherd
- (uncredited)
- Directors
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThe first scene shot was David Niven washing up on the beach. Originally planned to fade in from black, Michael Powell decided on the spot that the effect would be too cheesy. When Jack Cardiff told him to look through the camera, Cardiff then deliberately breathed onto the lens, which fogged the glass for a few seconds until it evaporated. Powell loved the idea and had him use it for the shot.
- GoofsAfter Peter's second encounter with the Heavenly Messenger, this time in Frank's library, the doctor and June desperately attend to Peter's condition. June kneels in front of Peter and begins to giggle uncontrollably, then expertly hides herself behind Frank to avoid the camera.
- Quotes
Doctor Frank Reeves: A weak mind isn't strong enough to hurt itself. Stupidity has saved many a man from going mad.
- Crazy creditsForeword (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.
- Alternate versionsThe US release was cut to avoid showing the naked shepherd boy in the sand dunes.
- ConnectionsFeatured in The Story of Making the Film They're a Weird Mob (1966)
- SoundtracksScherzo
(1842) (uncredited)
from "A Midsummer Night's Dream, Op.61"
Written by Felix Mendelssohn
Played on a record at the Shakespeare rehearsal
Featured review
Amongst the classic movies, this is one of the hardest to pigeonhole. It imaginatively combines several genres into one story, with plenty of drama, romance, and fantasy, plus some good dry humor sprinkled in liberally. The story, characters, and settings are all creative, and the way that Powell and Pressburger put it all together into a cohesive whole shows an expert touch.
Many things about it defy expectations, and keep you just enough off-balance to make you pay close attention to each new development. David Niven and Kim Hunter work well as the young couple in the midst of a bizarre situation, making their responses believable and their characters sympathetic. Marius Goring, Roger Livesey, and Raymond Massey each get some good moments.
The story is easy to summarize, but to do so could make it seem rather trivial. The basic setup could easily have led into a rather routine and predictable romance movie, but instead it takes some interesting turns and brings out some worthwhile ideas. It's an unusual and enjoyable film, not flawless but quite imaginative, and one that those who enjoy classic cinema will want to see for themselves.
Many things about it defy expectations, and keep you just enough off-balance to make you pay close attention to each new development. David Niven and Kim Hunter work well as the young couple in the midst of a bizarre situation, making their responses believable and their characters sympathetic. Marius Goring, Roger Livesey, and Raymond Massey each get some good moments.
The story is easy to summarize, but to do so could make it seem rather trivial. The basic setup could easily have led into a rather routine and predictable romance movie, but instead it takes some interesting turns and brings out some worthwhile ideas. It's an unusual and enjoyable film, not flawless but quite imaginative, and one that those who enjoy classic cinema will want to see for themselves.
- Snow Leopard
- Nov 16, 2004
- Permalink
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Languages
- Also known as
- Escalera al cielo
- Filming locations
- Saunton Sands, Devon, England, UK(beach: The Burrows)
- Production company
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- £320,000 (estimated)
- Gross worldwide
- $179,059
- Runtime1 hour 44 minutes
- Aspect ratio
- 1.37 : 1
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