Death Takes a Holiday (1971)

I like the storyline of this show,it attract me so much

Very disappointing...

Just so...so bad

At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

"Death Takes a Holiday" was a Broadway play, a 1934 film (starring Frederic March) and was remade a few years ago as "Meet Joe Black". In between, it was an installment of "The ABC Movie of the Week"-- starring Yvette Mimieux, Monte Markham, Myrna Loy and Melvyn Douglas. Because it's such a familiar story, there is a good chance you, the reader, are already familiar with it...but here goes:The Angel of Death (Markham) sees a dying girl (Mimieux) but instead of taking her soul, he brings her back to life. After all, he really is not a person and doesn't understand us. And, through the young lady, he hopes to experience, for a brief time, what it is to be human. The young lady falls for him...though over time, her father starts to realize who their strange house guest might be...especially since from the time he arrived, no one...not a single soul on Earth has died!! And, while this might SEEM to be a good thing...it really isn't as mangled and twisted bodies inexplicably cannot be released through death.Monte Markham is an actor most folks who grew up in the 60s and 70s would recognize...at least his face. And, as death, he does a nice job. It's also nice to have Douglas and Loy on hand to offer the film a real sense of quality and class. I still prefer the original and urge you to try this first, but this TV version is still worth your time because the story is so strong.

While snorkeling in the ocean, "Peggy Chapman" (Yvette Mimieux) gets tangled up in some underwater kelp. She wakes up on the beach and sees a man sitting next to her named "David Smith" (Monte Markham) who she thanks for saving her life. He is then invited to spend the weekend with her family and it becomes obvious that there is something different about him. Not only that, but the elderly patriarch of the family named "Judge Earl Chapman" (Melvyn Douglas) feels extremely uneasy in his presence. Coincidently, nobody in the entire world dies during the time he is a guest at the house. Anyway, rather than divulge the rest of the story and risk spoiling it for those who haven't seen it, I will just say that this wasn't bad for a made-for-television movie. I enjoyed the performance of Melvyn Douglas who seemed to harbor a genuine fear of death. Likewise, Yvette Mimieux seemed tailor made for the part of the rich and attractive young woman who lives life to the utmost. On the other hand, while Monte Markham's performance was adequate, I thought his image could have used a couple of scenes where he inspired a bit more horror. Additionally, while there was certainly quite a few conversations about death and dying, I felt that most of them were empty and vague when they should have been richer and more meaningful. In other words, it seemed that deep philosophical or religious topics were glossed over or not fully addressed. Be that as it may, this was a decent film which I rate as slightly above average.

I saw this TV movie back in the 70's and it left a memorable impression on me. I absolutely loved it. Yvette Mimieux is a beautiful young woman and Monte Markham a handsome young man (who is actually death in human form) the story is great. The quality of the film does not do the actors or the story justice, however it is such a captivating story and the stars so easy on the eyes it makes it easy to ignore the lack of quality. The movie instantly became one of my all time favorites. I have been looking for it on VHS or DVD ever since. I finally got a copy that was made off of 16mm film but the quality is just OK, but at least I could finally watch it again. I fell in love with it all over again.

This has to be my all-time favorite movie. Perhaps it appeals more as a Romance with supernatural undertones. The acting alone is not exceptional, but when you combine the story, actors, set and filming techniques....it's a winner.I remember seeing it on television in 1971 and then again in the late 90's. It's really a shame that this movie does not get more air play or that it has never been released on VHS or DVD. With the release of "Meet Joe Black," the story line was somewhat resurrected. However, this remake doesn't compare with the 1971 version.The original black and white version may appeal to some, but I really enjoyed the color version more. In fact, it wasn't until I saw the 1971 made for TV movie that I even heard about the book/play. The story really makes you wonder, not so much about the romance, but what WOULD really happen if "Death" took a holiday.