Acensbart Excellent but underrated film

StyleSk8r At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

Derrick Gibbons An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

Juana what a terribly boring film. I'm sorry but this is absolutely not deserving of best picture and will be forgotten quickly. Entertaining and engaging cinema? No. Nothing performances with flat faces and mistaking silence for subtlety.

MartinHafer "Death Takes a Holiday" was a Broadway play, a 1934 film (starring Frederic March) and was remade a few years ago as "Meet Joe Black". In between, it was an installment of "The ABC Movie of the Week"-- starring Yvette Mimieux, Monte Markham, Myrna Loy and Melvyn Douglas. Because it's such a familiar story, there is a good chance you, the reader, are already familiar with it...but here goes:The Angel of Death (Markham) sees a dying girl (Mimieux) but instead of taking her soul, he brings her back to life. After all, he really is not a person and doesn't understand us. And, through the young lady, he hopes to experience, for a brief time, what it is to be human. The young lady falls for him...though over time, her father starts to realize who their strange house guest might be...especially since from the time he arrived, no one...not a single soul on Earth has died!! And, while this might SEEM to be a good thing...it really isn't as mangled and twisted bodies inexplicably cannot be released through death.Monte Markham is an actor most folks who grew up in the 60s and 70s would recognize...at least his face. And, as death, he does a nice job. It's also nice to have Douglas and Loy on hand to offer the film a real sense of quality and class. I still prefer the original and urge you to try this first, but this TV version is still worth your time because the story is so strong.

Michael_Elliott Death Takes a Holiday (1971)*** (out of 4) Peggy Chapman (Yvette Mimieux) is out swimming when she begins to struggle under the sea. Moments later she wakes up on the beach with David Smith (Monte Markham) standing there. She invites the man back to her family's home but soon her father (Melvyn Douglas) begins to think that the man might just be Death himself.DEATH TAKES A HOLIDAY is a classic play that has been filmed many times over the decades including a wonderful version from 1934 that featured Fredric March. While this made-for-TV version isn't nearly as great, this film is certainly highly entertaining and manages to hit on all the key parts of the play as well as featuring some excellent performances from the cast.I've always found the idea of Death taking a vacation and not collecting any souls to be quite fascinating and this film manages to make all the strong points in only 74 minutes. There are so many fascinating things dealing with the story including the discussion on why people fear Death so much and why many will fight it even if they are unhappy on Earth. There are so many interesting things discussed here and it's truly the type of story that makes you think and wonder about your own life.The performances are certainly a very strong point here with both Mimieux and Markham doing an excellent job in their roles. Both of them certainly make you believe in these characters and there's no doubt that they make for a great couple. Douglas is simply wonderful as the old man who begins to suspect that Death is near but not quite sure who for. Him and Markham have a sequence where they go back and forth on the subject and it's wonderfully performed. Myrna Loy also appears as the wife and Bert Convy is on hand as well.The 1934 version of the play is still the best that I've seen but this television movie is certainly worth checking out.

Uriah43 While snorkeling in the ocean, "Peggy Chapman" (Yvette Mimieux) gets tangled up in some underwater kelp. She wakes up on the beach and sees a man sitting next to her named "David Smith" (Monte Markham) who she thanks for saving her life. He is then invited to spend the weekend with her family and it becomes obvious that there is something different about him. Not only that, but the elderly patriarch of the family named "Judge Earl Chapman" (Melvyn Douglas) feels extremely uneasy in his presence. Coincidently, nobody in the entire world dies during the time he is a guest at the house. Anyway, rather than divulge the rest of the story and risk spoiling it for those who haven't seen it, I will just say that this wasn't bad for a made-for-television movie. I enjoyed the performance of Melvyn Douglas who seemed to harbor a genuine fear of death. Likewise, Yvette Mimieux seemed tailor made for the part of the rich and attractive young woman who lives life to the utmost. On the other hand, while Monte Markham's performance was adequate, I thought his image could have used a couple of scenes where he inspired a bit more horror. Additionally, while there was certainly quite a few conversations about death and dying, I felt that most of them were empty and vague when they should have been richer and more meaningful. In other words, it seemed that deep philosophical or religious topics were glossed over or not fully addressed. Be that as it may, this was a decent film which I rate as slightly above average.

ckightfyfe This movie is a wonderful, romantic remake of the original of the same name. Monte Markham gives one of his best performances and Yvette Mimieux is both able and breathtakingly beautiful playing the woman with whom Death becomes infatuated.This movie isn't as dark as the original with Frederic March, but it makes the same bold choice in the ending.A definite "two thumbs up," "must see."