“Heaven Can Wait” quotes

(1943)
Movie Heaven Can Wait
Title Heaven Can Wait
Year 1943
Director Ernst Lubitsch
Genre Drama, Comedy, Romance, Fantasy
Plot – Van Cleve's soul shows up to Mephistopheles and tells his story. Van Cleve had wealthy parents and grew up very spoiled. At fifteen he was initiated by a young French maid and soon he became a perfect viveur. At twenty-six he fell in love with the girl who was going to marry his cousin and married her. When she died, Van Cleve found himself alone and resumed his unrepentant womanizer attitude, then he got ill and died peacefully. In the end, Mephistopheles tells him he's not worthy to stay in hell.
All actors – Gene Tierney, Don Ameche, Charles Coburn, Marjorie Main, Laird Cregar, Spring Byington, Allyn Joslyn, Eugene Pallette, Signe Hasso, Louis Calhern, Helene Reynolds, Aubrey Mather
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  • “- Albert Van Cleve: Marriage isn't a series of thrills. Marriage is a peaceful, well-balanced adjustment of two right-thinking people.
    - Martha Strabel Van Cleve: I'm afraid that's only too true.”

    Allyn Joslyn - Albert Van Cleve
    Gene Tierney - Martha Strabel Van Cleve
  • “Sometimes it looks as if the whole world is coming to Hell.”
    Laird Cregar - His Excellency
    [Tag:hell, world]
  • “- Martha Strabel Van Cleve: If you don't change your attitude, I shall have to complain to your employer.
    - Henry Van Cleve: I'm not employedhere. I'm not a book salesman. I took one look at you and followed you into the store.”

    Gene Tierney - Martha Strabel Van Cleve
    Don Ameche - Henry Van Cleve
  • “- His Excellency: When did it happen, Mr. Van Cleve?
    - Henry Van Cleve: Tuesday. To be exact, I died at 9:36 in the evening.
    - His Excellency: I trust you didn't suffer much.
    - Henry Van Cleve: No, not in the least. I had finished my dinner.”

    Laird Cregar - His Excellency
    Don Ameche - Henry Van Cleve
    [Tag:death, dinner, pain]
  • “- His Excellency: I presume your funeral was satisfactory.
    - Henry Van Cleve: Well, there was a lot of crying, so I believe everybody had a good time.”

    Laird Cregar - His Excellency
    Don Ameche - Henry Van Cleve
  • “It's a father's function to save his son from the mistakes he made.”
    Don Ameche - Henry Van Cleve
  • “If you'd walked into an elevator, I would have stopped it between two floors and we'd have spent the rest of our lives there. Please forgive me but you can't walk out of my life like that.”

    Don Ameche - Henry Van Cleve
  • “I fell asleep without realizing it. And when I awakened, there were all my relatives speaking in low tones and saying nothing but the kindest things about me. Then I knew I was dead.”

    Don Ameche - Henry Van Cleve
  • “- Martha Strabel Van Cleve: Why did you ever come into my life?
    - Henry Van Cleve: To make you happy. To hold you in my arms forever.”

    Gene Tierney - Martha Strabel Van Cleve
    Don Ameche - Henry Van Cleve
  • “- Henry Van Cleve: Mother, when one sees a lovely rose...
    - Bertha Van Cleve: ...one can be certain she comes from a fine rose bush.”

    Don Ameche - Henry Van Cleve
    Spring Byington - Bertha Van Cleve
Highlights