A Matter of Life and Death (1946)

User Rating:

8.0/10   

Directors:

Michael Powell
Emeric Pressburger

Writers:

Michael Powell (written by) and
Emeric Pressburger (written by)

Release Date:

March 1947 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Fantasy | Romance | War

Tagline:

Neither Heaven nor Earth could keep them apart!

Plot:

A British wartime aviator who cheats death must argue for his life before a celestial court.

Plot Keywords:

Heaven | Trial | Love | Fog | England

Awards:

1 win

Cast

David Niven	...	Peter Carter
Kim Hunter	...	June
Robert Coote	...	Bob Trubshawe
Kathleen Byron	...	An Angel
Richard Attenborough	...	An English Pilot
Bonar Colleano	...	An American Pilot (also as Bonor Colleano)
Joan Maude	...	Chief Recorder
Marius Goring	...	Conductor 71
Roger Livesey	...	Doctor Frank Reeves
Robert Atkins	...	The Vicar
Bob Roberts	...	Dr. Gaertler
Edwin Max	...	Dr. McEwen
Betty Potter	...	Mrs. Tucker
Abraham Sofaer	...	The Judge / The Surgeon
Raymond Massey	...	Abraham Farlan
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Robert Arden	...	GI Playing Bottom (uncredited)
Robert Beatty	...	US Crewman (uncredited)
Tommy Duggan	...	American Policeman (uncredited)
Erik	...	Spaniel (uncredited)
John Huntley	...	Extra in Celestial Courtroom (uncredited)
John Longden	...	Narrator of introduction (uncredited) (voice)
Howard Marshall	...	Cricket commentator on radio (voice) (uncredited)
Lois Maxwell	...	Actress (uncredited)
Wally Patch	...	ARP Warden (uncredited)
Roger Snowden	...	Irishman (uncredited)
Spangle	...	Spaniel (uncredited)
Wendy Thompson	...	Nurse (uncredited)
Geoff van Rijssel	...	Extra in Celestial Courtroom (uncredited)
Joan Verney	...	Girl (uncredited)

Directed by
Michael Powell
Emeric Pressburger

Writing credits
Michael Powell		(written by) and
Emeric Pressburger		(written by)

Produced by
George R. Busby	....	assistant producer (as George Busby)
Michael Powell	....	producer
Emeric Pressburger	....	producer

Original Music by
Allan Gray

Cinematography by
Jack Cardiff		(photographed by)

Film Editing by
Reginald Mills

Casting by
Pat MacDonnell		(uncredited)
Adele Raymond		(uncredited)

Production Design by
Alfred Junge

Costume Design by
Joseph Bato		(uncredited)
Hein Heckroth		(uncredited)

Makeup Department
George Blackler	....	makeup artist
Ida Mills	....	hair stylist

Production Management
Robert C. Foord	....	unit manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Parry Jones Jr.	....	assistant director
Paul Kelly	....	second assistant director (uncredited)
Laurie Knight	....	third assistant director (uncredited)
Pat Marsden	....	third assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Arthur Lawson	....	assistant art director
Joseph Bato	....	assistant painter (uncredited)
William Hutchinson	....	draughtsman (uncredited)
William Kellner	....	draughtsman (uncredited)
Terence Morgan II	....	assistant property maker (uncredited)
Don Picton	....	draughtsman (uncredited)
Roger Ramsdell	....	assistant art director (uncredited)

Sound Department
C.C. Stevens	....	sound recordist
Michael Colomb	....	assistant boom operator (uncredited)
Peter Davies	....	dubbing sound camera (uncredited)
Roy Day	....	sound maintenance (uncredited)
John Dennis	....	pre-dubbing (uncredited)
Desmond Dew	....	dubbing crew (uncredited)
David Hildyard	....	boom operator (uncredited)
Harold Rowland	....	sound camera operator (uncredited)
G. Sanders	....	assistant boom operator (uncredited)
Alan Whatley	....	dubbing crew (uncredited)

Special Effects by
W. Percy Day	....	additional effects (as Percy Day)
Henry Harris	....	special effects
Douglas Woolsey	....	special effects
William C. Andrews	....	special effects (uncredited)
George Blackwell	....	special effects (uncredited)
Stanley Grant	....	special photographic effects (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Peter Ellenshaw	....	assistant matte artist (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Geoffrey Unsworth	....	camera operator
Bill Wall	....	chief electrician (as William Wall)
Dick Allport	....	clapper loader (uncredited)
Eric Besche	....	focus puller (uncredited)
Jim Body	....	focus puller (uncredited)
Christopher Challis	....	second assistant camera (uncredited)
Fred Daniels	....	still photographer: portraits (uncredited)
Eric Gray	....	still photographer (uncredited)
George Minassian	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
Johnnie von Klotze	....	assistant camera (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Hein Heckroth	....	costumes

Editorial Department
David Powell	....	assistant editor (uncredited)

Music Department
Walter Goehr	....	conductor
Lambert Williamson	....	assistant conductor (as W.L. Williamson)

Other crew
Joan Bridge	....	associate color control
Michael C. Chorlton	....	motor-bike shots (as Michael Chorlton)
Natalie Kalmus	....	color control
John Seabourne Jr.	....	liaison editor
Alan Brook	....	advisor: table tennis (uncredited)
Alan Brook	....	trainer: table tennis (uncredited)
Andrew Donally	....	support team (uncredited)
Bernard Kaplan	....	technical advisor: operating theatre (uncredited)
Vivienne Knight	....	publicist (uncredited)
Ainslie L'evine	....	assistant continuity (uncredited)
Bunny Parsons	....	continuity (uncredited)
Bill Paton	....	assistant: Mr Powell (uncredited)
Maggie Unsworth	....	continuity (uncredited)
Jack Whitehead	....	projectionist: back projection (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Archers, The
• Independent Producers

Distributors

• Eagle-Lion Distributors Limited (1946) (UK) (theatrical)
• Universal Pictures (1946) (USA) (theatrical)
• CBS Television Network (1977) (USA) (TV)
• Carlton Visual Entertainment (2001) (UK) (DVD)
• Columbia Pictures Industries (1994) (USA) (all media) (restored version)
• Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment (2005) (USA) (DVD) (restored version)
• Epix Media (2005) (Germany) (DVD)
• EuroVideo (2005) (Germany) (DVD)
• PVB Editions (2003) (France) (DVD)
• Pickwick Video (1995) (UK) (VHS)
• Sony Pictures Television (????) (USA) (TV)

Special Effects

• Technicolor Limited

Also Known As:

Stairway to Heaven (USA)

MPAA:

Rated PG for thematic elements.

Runtime:

104 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English | French

Color:

Black and White (Dye-Monochrome) | Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

Portugal:M/12 | USA:PG (1995) | USA:TV-PG (TV rating) | USA:Approved (PCA #11724) | Finland:K-16 | Spain:T | UK:U (video rating) (1995) (uncut) | UK:A (original rating) (cut) | Ireland:G

Filming Locations:

D&P Studios, Denham, Buckinghamshire, England, UK

Company:

Archers, The

Trivia:

Lois Maxwell's debut.

Goofs:

Factual errors: In the end credits, Bonar Colleano's name is misspelt Bonor Colleano.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Narrator: This is the universe. Big, isn't it.

Movie Connections:

Featured in The Colour Merchant (1998) (V)

Soundtrack:

Scherzo

Timeless Classic

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".