"Heaven Can Wait"

As we were channel surfing on Sunday afternoon and I was just getting ready to attend a funeral visitation we came across a movie that had just started.  The character was in hell meeting with "His Excellency."  The movie was on WTTW Prime and, without commercials, never mentioned the movie's name.  I tried to check the WTTW schedule and it said that it was "Heaven Can Wait" with Warren Beatty.  I knew none of the actors was Beatty and we were puzzled about the name of the movie.  Today we found out it was the original "Heaven Can Wait" with Don Ameche, Gene Tierney, Charles Coburn, Marjorie Main (who had been Ma Kettle in other movies) and several others. 

I read a couple of reviews of the movie and they were very positive about the movie.  Oh, it was in glorious color and the scenes were excellent but, in my opinion, the premise of the movie left a lot to be desired.  We were taken through the life of Henry Van Cleve starting with his tenth birthday until the time he was in his 70's.  Henry (Don Ameche) is in hell and addressing Satan ("His Excellency" played by Laird Cregar) and Henry assumes that he belongs in hell.  He relates his story to an interested Satan and it is obvious that his character flaw is that he is a ladies man and general rogue.His wife, Martha (Gene Tierney) puts up with his antics and at one point accepts him back, despite his indiscretions and decides that she will just accept him for what he is.

It's never clear what Henry does for a living.  He is just rich and his grandfather is constantly taking care of him and providing for his needs.  His wife's parents are pig farmers from Kansas who at first disown their daughter for forsaking her first love (Henry's cousin) and marrying Henry. 

Henry eventually is sent to heaven since Satan (His Excellency) doesn't think that he qualifies for hell and muses that Henry may have to spend some time in some kind of holding area until he is accepted into heaven.

The movie was clean and seemed to be well-acted.  Like many movies that touch on a religious theme, it troubles my sensibilities.  Hey, the movie is not a theological treatise and, once again, I'm just puzzled how to take it.  We enjoyed watching it on a lazy Sunday afternoon but weren't really sure what to do with the movie.  I suppose that the remake might be better but I'm not sure I want to take the time to watch it.