One of the honest-to-God benefits to performing as much research as I’ve done over the years as the steward-in-chief of SciFiHistory.Net is that I’ve come across a pretty vast assortment of what could easily be called ‘forgotten gems.’
Now, this isn’t to say that each and every one of these older flicks are perfect because the sad truth there is that very few pictures fall into that rarified air. The point is that over the years Hollywood and beyond have produced an ample supply of perfectly acceptable entertainment. Not all of them get rediscovered, rebooted, redrawn, much less re-released; and yet there are distributor labels that make strides to insure some of these efforts don’t fall by the wayside or into the ash heap for lost tales. Again, the films may not rise to the level of ‘Best Picture,’ but what remains is still something – a story, some sequences, or maybe a singular performance – that’s worth watching. Isn’t that cause enough for them to be seen?
Such is the case with 1939’s On Borrowed Time. The fanciful family film was directed by Harold S. Bucquet as an adaptation of a recently published novel turned into a stage play then turned into this motion picture. It starred Lionel Barrymore, Cedric Hardwicke, Beulah Bondi, Una Merkel, and Bobs Watson in prominent roles; and it told the story of an aged grandfather fast approaching his expiration date who discovers he has the ability to extend his mortal coil by trapping the Angel of Death in the magical apple tree that just so happens to reside in his backyard. In the process, he accidentally uncorks an existential crisis for all of mankind by creating a world wherein no one dies any longer, a development that might seem winning at first blush but turns dire very quickly when life and unhappy accidents intervene.
(NOTE: The following review will contain minor spoilers necessary solely for the discussion of plot and/or characters. If you’re the type of reader who prefers a review entirely spoiler-free, then I’d encourage you to skip down to the last few paragraphs for the final assessment. If, however, you’re accepting of a few modest hints at ‘things to come,’ then read on …)
From the film’s IMDB.com page citation:
“A cantankerous old man takes in his beloved, orphaned grandson, whom he must protect at all costs with the help of an agent of Death and a magical apple tree.”
It’s been said that Death awaits us all; and, while that might be true, Hollywood would likely never let that stand in the way of telling a good story.
Essentially, that’s what one gets with On Borrowed Time, a screen Fantasy that explores a wonderful relationship between Julian Northrup aka ‘Gramps’ (played by the revered Lionel Barrymore) and his grandson Pud (Bobs Watson). When Pud’s birth parents are tragically killed in the opening sequence – complete with the arrival of Death himself (Cedric Hardwicke) as the hitchhiker they pick up on their way to a holiday – the young boy is taken in by Julian and Nellie (Beulah Bondi) who consent to raise him as if he were their very own. Alas, it doesn’t take long for the lady of the house to question the efficacy of their decision given that she and her dear hubby are experiencing rapidly declining health already; and this opens the door for the scheming Demetria Riffle (Eily Malyon) – Pud’s aunt – to get her hands on both the young whippersnapper – whom she desperately loathes – and his $50K inheritance money.
An early near-miss with Death alerts Gramps to the fact that he isn’t long for this world. Eventually, Nellie succumbs to the Heavenly call to pass away; and this prompts her surviving husband to set his personal affairs into motion, willing over his house and property to the young Marcia Giles (Una Merkel) so that the lady Riffle can’t get her hooks into those. Yet when Death finally arrives to settle the score with Gramps, both he and Pud – who mysteriously can also see and converse with the dark angel – lure the smartly-dressed specter up an apple tree wherein he’s imprisoned by magic that’s – sigh – never quite explained.
From here, On Borrowed Time pivots ever so slightly on its heels when ol’ Julian realizes that – by preventing the Grim Reaper from doing his business – he no longer needs to watch what he eats – nor how often – a twist of Fate that has Gramps and Pud partaking of every sugary delight they’ve avoided for so long. Fearless in the face of mortality, the two become partners in (un-prosecutable) crime by living their lives to their fullest. Inevitably, their small-time debauchery draws the attention of the authorities – namely Julian’s doctor and the town sheriff – a development that again has the elderly man’s fitness to raise a child under collective suspicion.
Of course, there’s a bit more to the story, including Demetria’s attempt to have Julian carted off to the state psychiatric facility, but none of that distracts focus from the story’s central complexity: eventually, Death will be released, and the normal order of things must be restored. The cost for such hubris turns out to be surprisingly high for Julian – I won’t spoil it, but it’s a rather dark turn for such a family-friendly project. Thankfully, the film still manages to give both life and death the requisite bittersweet packaging, and Time rewards itself nicely in the last reel.
What works best throughout the picture is a trinity of performances. Pud remains that wild-eyed sprite who knows only what dear ol’ granddad has passed down in colloquial wisdom. Gramps somewhat still lives his life with a measure of wide-eyed optimism usually reserved for youth. Death – known in the script chiefly as Mr. Brink – gets depicted not as some heartless ghost but isn’t above employing a bit of trickery when it best suits his consequential agenda. These three players – once they’re tied together by decisions of their own making – give Time an impressive undercurrent, one that never shortchanges the fact that all of this is relevant even though presented through the framework of Fantasy. Each actor delivers precisely what’s needed in their respective moments, making it easy to see how On Borrowed Time drew the positive praise it did from Photoplay back in its day.
Like life, Time is both wholesome and bittersweet in the right measure.
On Borrowed Time (1939) was produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. DVD distribution (for this particular release) has been handled by the fine folks at Warner Archive. As for the technical specifications? While I’m no trained video expert, I can assure readers that this Blu-ray both looks and sounds pretty spectacular for its age. Lastly, if you’re looking for special features? Well, there’s nothing I’d christen ‘film-specific’ here, but there are a few radio adaptations of the story along with some other shorts drawn from the era. Even though it’s nice to have something extra, I do tend to prefer stuff related a bit more directly to the feature presentation. Call me old fashioned!
Strongly Recommended.
Though I’ve yet to be fully bowled over by any 1930’s or 1940’s era screen Fantasies, I’ll easily concede that On Borrowed Time (1939) easily ranks up there with one of the better attempts. A great deal of its reputation rests on the central relationship between the elderly grandfather and his grandson: it feels as if it could easily have been drawn from real-life inspirations and necessarily given the Hollywood treatment in order to bring the audience along properly for the Drama and Comedy. Yes … cultural sensitivities being what they were back in the day, some of it – especially it’s kinda/sorta weird Fairy Tale ending – might feel a bit saccharin to most; but there’s no denying that it and all of its characters’ hearts were in the right place.
In the interests of fairness, I’m pleased to disclose the the fine folks at Warner Archive (via Allied Vaughn) provided me with a complimentary Blu-ray of On Borrowed Time (1939) by request for the expressed purpose of completing this review. Their contribution to me in no way, shape, or form influenced my opinion of it.
-- EZ
Now, this isn’t to say that each and every one of these older flicks are perfect because the sad truth there is that very few pictures fall into that rarified air. The point is that over the years Hollywood and beyond have produced an ample supply of perfectly acceptable entertainment. Not all of them get rediscovered, rebooted, redrawn, much less re-released; and yet there are distributor labels that make strides to insure some of these efforts don’t fall by the wayside or into the ash heap for lost tales. Again, the films may not rise to the level of ‘Best Picture,’ but what remains is still something – a story, some sequences, or maybe a singular performance – that’s worth watching. Isn’t that cause enough for them to be seen?
Such is the case with 1939’s On Borrowed Time. The fanciful family film was directed by Harold S. Bucquet as an adaptation of a recently published novel turned into a stage play then turned into this motion picture. It starred Lionel Barrymore, Cedric Hardwicke, Beulah Bondi, Una Merkel, and Bobs Watson in prominent roles; and it told the story of an aged grandfather fast approaching his expiration date who discovers he has the ability to extend his mortal coil by trapping the Angel of Death in the magical apple tree that just so happens to reside in his backyard. In the process, he accidentally uncorks an existential crisis for all of mankind by creating a world wherein no one dies any longer, a development that might seem winning at first blush but turns dire very quickly when life and unhappy accidents intervene.
(NOTE: The following review will contain minor spoilers necessary solely for the discussion of plot and/or characters. If you’re the type of reader who prefers a review entirely spoiler-free, then I’d encourage you to skip down to the last few paragraphs for the final assessment. If, however, you’re accepting of a few modest hints at ‘things to come,’ then read on …)
From the film’s IMDB.com page citation:
“A cantankerous old man takes in his beloved, orphaned grandson, whom he must protect at all costs with the help of an agent of Death and a magical apple tree.”
It’s been said that Death awaits us all; and, while that might be true, Hollywood would likely never let that stand in the way of telling a good story.
Essentially, that’s what one gets with On Borrowed Time, a screen Fantasy that explores a wonderful relationship between Julian Northrup aka ‘Gramps’ (played by the revered Lionel Barrymore) and his grandson Pud (Bobs Watson). When Pud’s birth parents are tragically killed in the opening sequence – complete with the arrival of Death himself (Cedric Hardwicke) as the hitchhiker they pick up on their way to a holiday – the young boy is taken in by Julian and Nellie (Beulah Bondi) who consent to raise him as if he were their very own. Alas, it doesn’t take long for the lady of the house to question the efficacy of their decision given that she and her dear hubby are experiencing rapidly declining health already; and this opens the door for the scheming Demetria Riffle (Eily Malyon) – Pud’s aunt – to get her hands on both the young whippersnapper – whom she desperately loathes – and his $50K inheritance money.
An early near-miss with Death alerts Gramps to the fact that he isn’t long for this world. Eventually, Nellie succumbs to the Heavenly call to pass away; and this prompts her surviving husband to set his personal affairs into motion, willing over his house and property to the young Marcia Giles (Una Merkel) so that the lady Riffle can’t get her hooks into those. Yet when Death finally arrives to settle the score with Gramps, both he and Pud – who mysteriously can also see and converse with the dark angel – lure the smartly-dressed specter up an apple tree wherein he’s imprisoned by magic that’s – sigh – never quite explained.
From here, On Borrowed Time pivots ever so slightly on its heels when ol’ Julian realizes that – by preventing the Grim Reaper from doing his business – he no longer needs to watch what he eats – nor how often – a twist of Fate that has Gramps and Pud partaking of every sugary delight they’ve avoided for so long. Fearless in the face of mortality, the two become partners in (un-prosecutable) crime by living their lives to their fullest. Inevitably, their small-time debauchery draws the attention of the authorities – namely Julian’s doctor and the town sheriff – a development that again has the elderly man’s fitness to raise a child under collective suspicion.
Of course, there’s a bit more to the story, including Demetria’s attempt to have Julian carted off to the state psychiatric facility, but none of that distracts focus from the story’s central complexity: eventually, Death will be released, and the normal order of things must be restored. The cost for such hubris turns out to be surprisingly high for Julian – I won’t spoil it, but it’s a rather dark turn for such a family-friendly project. Thankfully, the film still manages to give both life and death the requisite bittersweet packaging, and Time rewards itself nicely in the last reel.
What works best throughout the picture is a trinity of performances. Pud remains that wild-eyed sprite who knows only what dear ol’ granddad has passed down in colloquial wisdom. Gramps somewhat still lives his life with a measure of wide-eyed optimism usually reserved for youth. Death – known in the script chiefly as Mr. Brink – gets depicted not as some heartless ghost but isn’t above employing a bit of trickery when it best suits his consequential agenda. These three players – once they’re tied together by decisions of their own making – give Time an impressive undercurrent, one that never shortchanges the fact that all of this is relevant even though presented through the framework of Fantasy. Each actor delivers precisely what’s needed in their respective moments, making it easy to see how On Borrowed Time drew the positive praise it did from Photoplay back in its day.
Like life, Time is both wholesome and bittersweet in the right measure.
On Borrowed Time (1939) was produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. DVD distribution (for this particular release) has been handled by the fine folks at Warner Archive. As for the technical specifications? While I’m no trained video expert, I can assure readers that this Blu-ray both looks and sounds pretty spectacular for its age. Lastly, if you’re looking for special features? Well, there’s nothing I’d christen ‘film-specific’ here, but there are a few radio adaptations of the story along with some other shorts drawn from the era. Even though it’s nice to have something extra, I do tend to prefer stuff related a bit more directly to the feature presentation. Call me old fashioned!
Strongly Recommended.
Though I’ve yet to be fully bowled over by any 1930’s or 1940’s era screen Fantasies, I’ll easily concede that On Borrowed Time (1939) easily ranks up there with one of the better attempts. A great deal of its reputation rests on the central relationship between the elderly grandfather and his grandson: it feels as if it could easily have been drawn from real-life inspirations and necessarily given the Hollywood treatment in order to bring the audience along properly for the Drama and Comedy. Yes … cultural sensitivities being what they were back in the day, some of it – especially it’s kinda/sorta weird Fairy Tale ending – might feel a bit saccharin to most; but there’s no denying that it and all of its characters’ hearts were in the right place.
In the interests of fairness, I’m pleased to disclose the the fine folks at Warner Archive (via Allied Vaughn) provided me with a complimentary Blu-ray of On Borrowed Time (1939) by request for the expressed purpose of completing this review. Their contribution to me in no way, shape, or form influenced my opinion of it.
-- EZ
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