Monday Morning Maybe

Add your email and we'll match picks to the services you stream at home.

Poster for Death Takes a Holiday

Death Takes a Holiday

Seen it?

1934 | 79 min | Fantasy, Romance, Drama

Weeknight Watchearly rating

Why it’s a Weeknight Watch

With soft box office, it's a mixed bag. Fine if it's on; don't plan your night around it.

Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.

Is it for you?

Who'll love it
Tailor-made for people who'll be humming afterwards and people who start the Christmas movies early. The music is woven into the story, not just laid on top. A good follow-up to West Side Story or Edward Scissorhands. Made to be watched with the tree lit.
The mood
Warm and romantic.
The pace
Lets scenes breathe, at 1 hr 19 min. Short enough for a weeknight.
What might put you off
  • Made in 1934: an older pace and style.
  • Skip it if you like your stories firmly grounded in the real world.

After years of questioning why people fear him, Death takes on human form so he can mingle among the mortals and find an answer. However, events soon spiral out of control as he falls in love with the beautiful young Grazia, the only woman not afraid of him. As he falls in love with her, her father sees him for what he is and begs him to return to his duties. Death must decide whether or not to seek his own happiness or sacrifice it so that Grazia may live.

How it earned its rating

  • CriticsSolid

    78% on Rotten Tomatoes, 53 on Metacritic

  • AudiencesNot counted

    Not measured yet: not enough ratings

  • AwardsNot counted

    No major awards or nominations

  • Reach & staying powerBelow par

    Streaming release that reached a small audience so far; still draws a steady audience long after release

  • Buzz & cultural impactSolid

    About 56K people sought it out in the past year

Trailer

More like this

Want more like this, picked just for you? Get my picks

Cast & crew

Directed by Mitchell Leisen

  • Fredric MarchPrince Sirki
  • Evelyn VenableGrazia
  • Guy StandingDuke Lambert
  • Kent TaylorCorrado
  • Katharine AlexanderAlda
  • Gail PatrickRhoda
  • Helen WestleyStephanie
  • Kathleen HowardPrincess Maria
  • Henry TraversBaron Cesarea
  • G.P. HuntleyEric