IMDb > A Matter of Life and Death (1946)
A Matter of Life and Death
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A Matter of Life and Death (1946) More at IMDbPro »

Videos
A Matter of Life and Death (1946) -- Virgin.net Movies - Trailer (WMP)

Overview

User Rating:
8.0/10   5,803 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 13% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Writers:
Michael Powell (written by) and
Emeric Pressburger (written by)
Contact:
View company contact information for Stairway to Heaven on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
March 1947 (USA) more
Genre:
Drama | Fantasy | Romance | War more
Tagline:
Neither Heaven nor Earth could keep them apart! more
Plot:
A British wartime aviator who cheats death must argue for his life before a celestial court. full summary | add synopsis
Plot Keywords:
more
Awards:
1 win more
User Comments:
Timeless Classic more (100 total)
US TV Schedule:
Mon. Nov. 164:00 AMTCM   

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

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
more
Create a character page for: ?

Additional Details

Also Known As:
Stairway to Heaven (USA)
more
MPAA:
Rated PG for thematic elements.
Runtime:
104 min
Country:
UK
Language:
English | French
Colour:
Black and White (Dye-Monochrome) | Colour (Technicolor)
Aspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono (Western Electric Recording)
Certification:
Portugal:M/12 | USA:PG (1995) | USA:TV-PG (TV rating) | USA:Approved (PCA #11724) | West Germany:16 | Finland:K-16 | Spain:T | UK:U (video rating) (1995) (uncut) | UK:A (original rating) (cut) | Ireland:G
Company:
Archers, The more

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
Dr Reeves quotes from Lord Byron's poem, "CLXXIII: She walks in beauty like the night" when noting June's arrival. more
Goofs:
Factual errors: When the prologue shows the Earth and moon, the sunlight is falling on them from different directions. Also, their motion is in the wrong perspective with that of the stars as the viewpoint moves; some stars seem to be farther away than the Earth, but closer than the moon. more
Quotes:
[first lines]
Narrator: This is the universe. Big, isn't it.
more
Movie Connections:
Spoofed in "Big Train: (#1.4)" (1998) more
Soundtrack:
Scherzo more

FAQ

Did it really happen?
Did they use CGI?
more
57 out of 62 people found the following comment useful.
Timeless Classic, 21 December 2004
10/10
Author: voiceof67 from United States

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".

Was the above comment useful to you?
more (100 total)

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