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Death Takes a Holiday (1934)

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Top Critics

Average Rating: 7.3/10
Reviews Counted: 6
Fresh: 5 | Rotten: 1

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Release Date: Mar 30, 1934 Wide

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Average Rating: 3.8/5
User Ratings: 638

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Movie Info

In this adaptation of Alberto Casella's stage play, Death assumes human form in order to discover why men fear him. Posing as a Prince Sirki (and played by Fredric March), Death appears as a house guest at the villa of an Italian duke. While "Sirki" is present, Death takes his titular holiday, and no one on Earth dies. Grazia (Evelyn Venable) the fiance of the duke's son, becomes attracted by the strangely ethereal Sirki. Against his better judgment, Sirki falls in love, and Death for the first

Unrated, 1 hr. 20 min.

Drama, Romance, Classics, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Comedy

Directed By: Mitchell Leisen

Written By: Maxwell Anderson, Gladys Lehman, Walter Ferris

In Theaters: Mar 30, 1934 Wide

On DVD: Nov 3, 1998

Cast

Fredric March
Prince Sirki
Evelyn Venable
Grazia
Guy Standing
Duke Lambert
Katherine Alexander
Alda
Gail Patrick
Rhoda
Helen Westley
Stephanie
Kathleen Howard
Princess Maria
Kent Taylor
Corrado
Henry Travers
Baron Cesarea
Otto Hoffman
Fedele
Edward Van Sloan
Doctor Valle
Hector V. Sarno
Pietro
Frank Yaconelli
Vendor
Anna de Linsky
Maid
G.P. Huntley
Eric

Critic Reviews for Death Takes a Holiday

All Critics (8) | Top Critics (2) | Fresh (5) | Rotten (1) | DVD (1)

A lofty but transfixing allegory, the film remains captivating because its central plot device is so different from most movies, then or now.

June 14, 2007 Comment

Douglas Pratt

DVDLaser

Death...as a house guest that can't be gotten rid of

June 13, 2007 Full Review | Comment

Shane Burridge

rec.arts.movies.reviews

In this wearisome and predictable plot line, Death falls in love and bores us to death talking about it.

December 27, 2005 Full Review Source: Ozus' World Movie Reviews

| Comment

Dennis Schwartz

Ozus' World Movie Reviews

Splendid romantic fantasy. Great debut for director Leisen.

August 21, 2003 Comment

Ken Hanke

Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)

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Audience Reviews for Death Takes a Holiday

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starts out great, fascinating conceit and frederic march has the right air of underlying menace but the tone is too melodramatic and lead actress evelyn venable is really kind of annoying. it's got a ways to go to be worse than remake 'meet joe black' with brad pitt and anthony hopkins tho

September 7, 2011

Stella Dallas

Super Reviewer

IF YOU LOVE MEET JOE BLACK, YOU SHOULD SEE THIS.. THIS IS THE ORGINAL... THE REMAKE WITH BRAD PITT WAS EXCELLENT... SO YOU NEED TO WORK THIS.. IT IS ABOUT WHAT THE TITLE SAYS "DEATH TAKES A HOLIDAY" AND DURING THIS HOLIDAY NO ONE AN NOTHING DIES... IT IS VERY MUCH A MYSTERY... THE ENDING IS NOT LIKE THAT IN "MEET JOE BLACK"..YOU NEED TO SEE THIS..

July 13, 2008