On Borrowed Time (1939)

SPOILER ALERT !!I thought the end should have been, Mr. Brink agrees to let Pud live if Julian goes with him, and Julian sees to it that Pud gets to be with Marcia and Bill. When he scares off the Sheriff and Demetria, that would be the time to fix it for Pud. The Sheriff tears up the court order, and he could have made them agree to let Marcia and Bill have Pud right then. Also, he could have gotten rid of Demetria earlier, before anyone believed the tree held Death, by getting her to touch it or pick an apple.All else is wonderful, Lionel Barrymore is a treat, the dialogue is fun and colorful, Nellie and Marcia are as lovable as Demetria is despicable. The scene where Mr. Brink is first trapped in the tree and he makes the wind blow, makes you think he could have easily made the tree die too, or break up, get hit by lightning.

After his parents die in a car accident, a young boy goes to live with his grandparents. When the grandmother also dies, the boy's shrewish aunt tries to gain custody of him so she can get her hands on the money his parents left him. As the grandfather fights to keep the boy, Death comes calling for him. But Gramps has a trick up his sleeve and manages to trap Death up a tree (!), thus preventing him from claiming any lives.In many ways, the movie does feel like a filmed play (it is based on one). But the story is so involving and the cast so extraordinary that things stay lively and interesting throughout the picture. Lionel Barrymore, an expert at making crotchety lovable, is in rare form here. The boy is played by Bobs Watson, a child actor who specialized in being cute and crying on cue. Some of you may remember him from being hit by a car in Boys Town. His scenes with Barrymore are all golden. Cedric Hardwicke plays Death, named here Mr. Brink (get it?). Hardwicke always brought class to every film he was in and this is no exception. Fine support from Beulah Bondi as the loving grandmother and Eily Malyon as the meddlesome aunt. The rest of the cast includes greats like Henry Travers, Grant Mitchell, Nat Pendleton, and Una Merkel. Despite the bizarreness of the story (and maybe because of it), this is a very entertaining picture. It has several fun twists and a leisurely pace and pleasant tone that belies its rather dark subject matter. I guess whether you call it dark or not is part of the movie's message. It's a fantastic fable where death is (literally) around every corner. A curious mix of heartwarming and heartbreaking, this is a one of a kind film.

Not even the elements of a future "Death Takes A Holiday" and "Harvey" can save this piece. Why? The film is pretty morbid when you think about it.Lionel Barrymore, that usual irascible character, does display a heart here but the ending where Death shows that it still has the upper hand is not very pleasant. This film is certainly not suitable for children.The film would have been far better if it had been all about that wicked aunt, so similar to Margaret Hamilton, in "The Wizard of Oz," attempting to get the nephew after the tragic death of his parents. Instead, the film takes on new meanings with Cedric Hardwicke, who portrays death in its usual way.Everyone literally starts going and you have to wonder why this was their fate!Despite what the writer wanted to convey, you certainly can't have that feel good feeling at the film's end.

I have watched a lot of movies in my life but this movie have it all. It will make you laugh and cry, have your emotions racing as you watch. There is such a great love from a grandfather for his grandson in this movie, a love that the world should use for one another. As i sit and watched i was spell bound with the story line the things that took place in the world as death sit in that tree. Everyong pleading for this man to release death so he could his job. Grandfather knowing it that happen it would end the love and relationship he has with his grandson. The tree dying and world life going on without death. I could feel his pain and understand why he didn't want his life to end. It's just a hard reminder of me and the love i have for my grand-kids. This is a great movie, one of the best of all times.