Heaven Can Wait (1943)
Comedy, Romance, Fantasy, Drama • 1h 52m
Overview
Spoiled playboy Henry van Cleve dies and arrives at the entrance to Hell, a final destination he is sure he deserves after living a life of profligacy. The devil, however, isn't so sure Henry meets Hell's standards. Convinced he is where he belongs, Henry recounts his life's deeds, both good and bad, including an act of indiscretion during his 25-year marriage to his wife, Martha, with the hope that "His Excellency" will arrive at the proper judgment.
Director: Ernst Lubitsch
Cast: Don Ameche, Gene Tierney, Charles Coburn, Marjorie Main, Laird Cregar, Spring Byington, Allyn Joslyn, Eugene Pallette, Signe Hasso, Louis Calhern, Helene Reynolds, Aubrey Mather, Tod Andrews, Florence Bates, Scotty Beckett, Clara Blandick, Leonard Carey, James Conaty, Jack Deery, Claire Du Brey, Jay Eaton, James Flavin, Bess Flowers, Gary Gray, Alfred Hall, Grayce Hampton, Marlene Mains, Trudy Marshall, Edwin Maxwell, Michael McLean, Doris Merrick, Harold Miller, Dickie Moore, Bert Moorhouse, Clarence Muse, Monty O'Grady, Anne O'Neal, Gerald Pierce, Nino Pipitone Jr., June Preston, Maureen Roden-Ryan, Anita Sharp-Bolster, Gerald Oliver Smith
Director: Ernst Lubitsch
Subjective, but the concertina score by Bernard Wrigley on the OOP MoC Blu-ray is generally regarded as very weak. For example, it frequently doesn't match the action. The Meg Morley score on the Kino Lorber Blu-ray is considered superior.
Director: Ernst Lubitsch
Subjective, but the concertina score by Bernard Wrigley on the OOP MoC Blu-ray is generally regarded as very weak. For example, it frequently doesn't match the action. The Meg Morley score on the Kino Lorber Blu-ray is considered superior.
Director: Ernst Lubitsch
2021 Kino Lorber Blu-ray
Video comparisons: https://slow.pics/c/ryvPN8Uu
Audio comparisons: https://slow.pics/c/KEs7dwRg
Director: Ernst Lubitsch
2021 Kino Lorber Blu-ray
Video comparisons: https://slow.pics/c/ryvPN8Uu
Audio comparisons: https://slow.pics/c/KEs7dwRg
Director: Ernst Lubitsch
The 1997 LaserDisc has more high end detail in the audio than the new restoration
Director: Ernst Lubitsch
The 1997 LaserDisc has more high end detail in the audio than the new restoration
Director: Ernst Lubitsch
Kino Lorber 4k resto
The audio on the Kino Lorber Blu-ray comes from a better source than the various DVDs and the previous HD version on streaming. This audio is relatively untampered with, and is likely the best available source as no laserdisc was ever issued.
Director: Ernst Lubitsch
Kino Lorber 4k resto
The audio on the Kino Lorber Blu-ray comes from a better source than the various DVDs and the previous HD version on streaming. This audio is relatively untampered with, and is likely the best available source as no laserdisc was ever issued.
Director: Ernst Lubitsch
MoC OOP Blu-ray is likely to have better encoding than Kino Lorber Blu-ray judging from other movies in the boxset
Director: Ernst Lubitsch
MoC OOP Blu-ray is likely to have better encoding than Kino Lorber Blu-ray judging from other movies in the boxset
Director: Ernst Lubitsch
MoC OOP Blu-ray is likely to have better encoding than Kino Lorber Blu-ray judging from other movies in the boxset
Director: Ernst Lubitsch
MoC OOP Blu-ray is likely to have better encoding than Kino Lorber Blu-ray judging from other movies in the boxset
Director: Ernst Lubitsch
MoC OOP Blu-ray is likely to have better encoding than Kino Lorber Blu-ray judging from other movies in the boxset
Director: Ernst Lubitsch
MoC OOP Blu-ray is likely to have better encoding than Kino Lorber Blu-ray judging from other movies in the boxset
Director: Ernst Lubitsch
Director: Ernst Lubitsch
Director: Max Ophüls
French version: Criterion Blu-ray (Carlotta has no English subtitles)
German version: Filmmuseum DVD
French version: 2020 Carlotta Blu-ray
German version: Filmmuseum DVD
Carlotta Films corrects the mistakes of Criterion due to the compression on dark scenes and gives the gorgeous transfer of the restoration a better encode/compression and more bitrate.
The German cut, titled Lola Montez, is considered by Ophüls scholars such as Jonathan Rosenbaum, Dan Sallitt and Tag Gallagher to be superior to the French cut. It has only been reissued on the Filmmuseum DVD.
Director: Max Ophüls
French version: Criterion Blu-ray (Carlotta has no English subtitles)
German version: Filmmuseum DVD
French version: 2020 Carlotta Blu-ray
German version: Filmmuseum DVD
Carlotta Films corrects the mistakes of Criterion due to the compression on dark scenes and gives the gorgeous transfer of the restoration a better encode/compression and more bitrate.
The German cut, titled Lola Montez, is considered by Ophüls scholars such as Jonathan Rosenbaum, Dan Sallitt and Tag Gallagher to be superior to the French cut. It has only been reissued on the Filmmuseum DVD.
Director: Jean Renoir
The BFI and Gaumont Blu-ray releases are both from the same restoration by Éclair. Although this restoration is much superior in detail to the old Criterion DVD, like many Éclair restorations, it has issues with colour. There is a definite yellow cast to the footage, making skin tones appear sickly and dampening the impact of the colour. The image is also murkier than the Criterion.
As Renoir scholar Tag Gallagher notes: "I talked a lot toward the end about the light blue walls (Criterion); but when I got the BFI blu I was greatly deflated, because the walls are light gray!"
That said, as visible in the screen caps at DVD Beaver, the Criterion has compromised colour too, and often looks too blue/magenta. There is a regraded edition of the BFI Blu-ray out there on the high seas.
The audio on the Blu-ray releases is slightly compressed, but better than earlier DVD releases and relatively full frequency.
The BFI is most likely the best English-friendly release as it includes English subtitles for the bonus features.
Director: Jean Renoir
The BFI and Gaumont Blu-ray releases are both from the same restoration by Éclair. Although this restoration is much superior in detail to the old Criterion DVD, like many Éclair restorations, it has issues with colour. There is a definite yellow cast to the footage, making skin tones appear sickly and dampening the impact of the colour. The image is also murkier than the Criterion.
As Renoir scholar Tag Gallagher notes: "I talked a lot toward the end about the light blue walls (Criterion); but when I got the BFI blu I was greatly deflated, because the walls are light gray!"
That said, as visible in the screen caps at DVD Beaver, the Criterion has compromised colour too, and often looks too blue/magenta. There is a regraded edition of the BFI Blu-ray out there on the high seas.
The audio on the Blu-ray releases is slightly compressed, but better than earlier DVD releases and relatively full frequency.
The BFI is most likely the best English-friendly release as it includes English subtitles for the bonus features.
Director: Jean Renoir
Director: Jean Renoir
Director: Jean Renoir
The Criterion 4K Blu-ray has marginally better detail and grain structure than ESC 4K Blu-ray
The ESC France 4K Blu-ray is an SDR grade erroneously presented in HDR, but if your player can force the HDR into SDR it looks very good.
Director: Jean Renoir
The Criterion 4K Blu-ray has marginally better detail and grain structure than ESC 4K Blu-ray
The ESC France 4K Blu-ray is an SDR grade erroneously presented in HDR, but if your player can force the HDR into SDR it looks very good.
Director: John Waters
Director: John Waters
Director: Sidney Lumet
2026 Criterion 4K Blu-ray
2011 Criterion Blu-ray is the best. Kino Lorber 4K Blu-ray has heavily filtered audio
Director: Sidney Lumet
2026 Criterion 4K Blu-ray
2011 Criterion Blu-ray is the best. Kino Lorber 4K Blu-ray has heavily filtered audio
2025 Sony 4K Blu-ray
2025 Sony 4K Blu-ray
2025 Sony 4K Blu-ray
2025 Sony 4K Blu-ray
Director: John Waters
Director: John Waters
More Comedy on Blu-ray
Director: J. Lee Thompson
Director: J. Lee Thompson
Director: John Lasseter
The original November 1999 end credits start a second earlier on the theatrical versions (found on bootleg telesyncs) rather than the 2001 or 2005 DVDs.
Director: John Lasseter
The original November 1999 end credits start a second earlier on the theatrical versions (found on bootleg telesyncs) rather than the 2001 or 2005 DVDs.
Director: Lee Unkrich
2010 Disney Blu-ray for the original 7.1 mix
The UK version has different voice actors for one of the three army men and all three of the Peas-in-a-pod.
The South African version has Jeremy Mansfield (a famous radio personality) as the voice of Chatter Phone.
Director: Lee Unkrich
2010 Disney Blu-ray for the original 7.1 mix
The UK version has different voice actors for one of the three army men and all three of the Peas-in-a-pod.
The South African version has Jeremy Mansfield (a famous radio personality) as the voice of Chatter Phone.
Director: John Ford
USA Paramount has the best video transfer with the least amount of artifacts: https://slow.pics/c/sjZ3mqF6
Olive Films Blu-ray and Eureka MoC Blu-ray are sourced from the same restoration and are both very good.
Apart from some mild attenuation, the audio is the same on all releases of the newest restoration and is relatively untampered with: https://slow.pics/c/bWF9EGuM
Director: John Ford
USA Paramount has the best video transfer with the least amount of artifacts: https://slow.pics/c/sjZ3mqF6
Olive Films Blu-ray and Eureka MoC Blu-ray are sourced from the same restoration and are both very good.
Apart from some mild attenuation, the audio is the same on all releases of the newest restoration and is relatively untampered with: https://slow.pics/c/bWF9EGuM
Director: Frank Capra
Sony Frank Capra Boxset 4K Blu-ray
Sony Frank Capra Boxset 4K Blu-ray
Director: Frank Capra
Sony Frank Capra Boxset 4K Blu-ray
Sony Frank Capra Boxset 4K Blu-ray
Director: Tim Burton
Warner Bros 4K Blu-ray in August
4K Blu-ray/Blu-ray is missing the isolated score and Martian dub from the DVD
Director: Tim Burton
Warner Bros 4K Blu-ray in August
4K Blu-ray/Blu-ray is missing the isolated score and Martian dub from the DVD
Edit History
6/18/2026
Format
Added
1080p Blu-ray
Added
1080p Blu-ray
Best Audio Release
Blu-ray.com
Added
https://www.blu-ray.com/Heaven-Can-Wait/316489/#Releases
Added
https://www.blu-ray.com/Heaven-Can-Wait/316489/#Releases
caps-a-holic
Added
https://caps-a-holic.com/c.php?d1=12476&d2=12477&c=4908
Added
https://caps-a-holic.com/c.php?d1=12476&d2=12477&c=4908
DVDBeaver
Added
http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film/DVDReviews14/heaven_can_wait_blu-ray.htm
Added
http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film/DVDReviews14/heaven_can_wait_blu-ray.htm
