An elderly professor suffering from an aortic aneurysm confronts the problem of what to do, knowing that he only has a few months to live.An elderly professor suffering from an aortic aneurysm confronts the problem of what to do, knowing that he only has a few months to live.An elderly professor suffering from an aortic aneurysm confronts the problem of what to do, knowing that he only has a few months to live.
Photos
William Hopper
- Travin
- (as DeWolf Hopper)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaReal life irony: Dr. Stevens, played by James Stephenson tells Henry, played by Thomas Mitchell he has less than 6 months to live due to his aortic aneurysm. In fact, Stephenson would die about 5 months after the film's February 1941 release date. He suffered a heart attack in July 1941. Mitchell outlived him by almost 20 years.
- GoofsWhen Thomas Mitchell approaches the doorman outside the medical building, the doorman's arms are at his side. When the camera cuts to a tighter shot, the doorman is holding his hands behind him.
- ConnectionsReferenced in Columbo: Murder, Smoke and Shadows
Featured review
Thomas Mitchell (Henry) is a philosophy Professor who has been given 6 months to live but things may come to an end sooner if he undergoes any physical exertion. He uses this fact in planning his last few months. He will murder someone for the good of society, someone who is detrimental to the development of mankind. Well, he does his research for a target and picks someone out. Can he change the world through his actions?
An interesting story although I wasn't totally convinced by Mitchell in the lead role. He looks more like a drunk tramp than a Professor, he delivers his lines rather too carefully which makes him sound a bit slow in the head, and his whole idea is flawed from the start as he makes a non-sensical jump to the fact that he is immortal. And where's his beard? A much better idea for him would have been to jump straight into bed with art dealer Mona Maris (Ketti). Let her know that he's not looking for commitment and get it on. He made a schoolboy error with her. A casting question – why is Geraldine Fitzgerald who plays the role of "wife" top billed? It doesn't make sense. The best in the cast is Mona Maris and the worst is Willie Best and his racial stereotype.
So who would you murder and how would you justify it? I wouldn't go for any of this benefit to society nonsense. I'd pick someone I didn't like, a far more human approach. Check out what is currently going on at that great British Institution which is Crufts. The annual doggy show is immersed in scandal as rivals are poisoning each others dogs. Some sort of competitive murder seems the way to go. And I'm sure some may feel that Tonya Harding didn't quite go far enough with Nancy Kerrigan back on the ice skating circuit in the 1990s.
An interesting story although I wasn't totally convinced by Mitchell in the lead role. He looks more like a drunk tramp than a Professor, he delivers his lines rather too carefully which makes him sound a bit slow in the head, and his whole idea is flawed from the start as he makes a non-sensical jump to the fact that he is immortal. And where's his beard? A much better idea for him would have been to jump straight into bed with art dealer Mona Maris (Ketti). Let her know that he's not looking for commitment and get it on. He made a schoolboy error with her. A casting question – why is Geraldine Fitzgerald who plays the role of "wife" top billed? It doesn't make sense. The best in the cast is Mona Maris and the worst is Willie Best and his racial stereotype.
So who would you murder and how would you justify it? I wouldn't go for any of this benefit to society nonsense. I'd pick someone I didn't like, a far more human approach. Check out what is currently going on at that great British Institution which is Crufts. The annual doggy show is immersed in scandal as rivals are poisoning each others dogs. Some sort of competitive murder seems the way to go. And I'm sure some may feel that Tonya Harding didn't quite go far enough with Nancy Kerrigan back on the ice skating circuit in the 1990s.
Details
- Runtime1 hour 15 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.37 : 1
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