ON BORROWED TIME
US, 1939, 99 minutes, Black and white dot
Lionel Barrymore, Cedric Hardwicke, Beulah Bondi, Una Merkel, Bobs Watson, Nat Pendleton, Henry Travers, Grant Mitchell, Eily Malyon, James Burke, Ian Wolfe, Philip Terry.
Directed by Harold S. Bucquet.
On Borrowed Time is in the vein of the popular Death Takes a Holiday, filmed in 1941 with Fredric March and later as a television film with Melvyn Douglas.
Lionel Barrymore, already in his wheelchair with arthritis though standing at the end, portrays a genial but crusty old grandfather, caring for his grandson Pud, played with emotional conviction by Bobs Watson. Beulah Bondi is the kindly grandmother.There is quite a strong supporting cast including Henry Travers and Grant Mitchell with Eily Malyon, looking somewhat like Margaret Hamilton, as the censorious and avaricious aunt. Una Merkel plays a nice role as the maid.
Death is played by Sir Cedric Hardwicke, the same year that he played the villain in The Hunchback of Notre Dame.He is a gentlemanly death, suit and tie and hat, getting a lift with people on the highway and their crashing, coming to a house to take the grandparents, but being trapped up a tree by the grandfather’s wish.
Eventually, the local lawyer, doctor, sheriff, aid from a mental hospital, all become involved when the grandfather and everyone thinks he is gone mad and he tells them that the tree where they have trapped Death will cause them all to die. And the solution? Gramps and Pud dying and going to meet their grandmother.
The film was directed by Harold S. Bouquet who directed a great number of the doctor kill death films, Lionel Barrymore, at this time.
1. A 1930s fantasy? Folksy? The introduction and the relation to the tales of Geoffrey Chaucer?
2. MGM production values, the 1930s, black-and-white photography, country town, home, Church, the countryside? The musical score?
3. Blend of realism and fantasy? Cedric Hardwicke as Mr Brink? Death, stone, gentleman? Hitching a ride, refusing the driver as not ready, waiting for the doctor and his wife, the crash and deaths? His arrival at the house, wanting grandma? The interchange with Gramps, with Pud, their trapping him in the tree with the wish? Keeping him there? Discussions, letting him down, the bargain and his taking them in death?
4. The family story, the doctor and his wife, their death? Pud, his age, his always been with Gramps, with nearly? His dislike of his aunt? His life at home, mimicking his grandfather, emotional, life in the house, outside, playing, saying his aunt was a pismire? Love of his dog? The prospect of his aunt adopting him? The effect of Nellie’s death? Meeting Mr Brink, his dog’s death, his wanting to run away, Mr Brink persuading him to stay? The discussion with Gramps, their deaths?
5. Lionel Barrymore as Gramps, crusty, in his wheelchair, his pipe and his tonic, his love for Ms Nellie, Pud? His dislike of the aunt? Bringing up Pud, care for him? Making a wish to trap unwanted people in the tree? Going to visit the lawyer, the documents? The doctor and his health? The sheriff? Meeting Mr Brink, the discussions? Building the fence? The argument with Mr Brink? Relying on Marcie? The sheriff, the doctor, fear of the tree? The bargain with Mr Brink? Going to death with Pud, meeting Nellie?
6. Nellie, a nice grandmother? Loving wife? Discussions with the aunt?
7. Marcie, work, the aunt disapproving, love for her fiance? Saying that she could see Mr Brink?
8. The aunt, comic, prim, censorious, hearing about the inheritance, wanting to adopt Pud, pushy, being ousted?
9. A film which was able to name death – with hope?
