Heaven Can Wait: Joe Pendleton (Warren Beatty) steps into his new life.

Heaven Can Wait, the charming 1978 remake of Here comes Mr. Jordan (1941), is a sweet tragicomedy that enabled Warren Beatty (lead actor, co-writer, co-director, producer) to
fulfill his cinematic dream three years later when he took on all four roles again with his outstanding movie "Reds".
As with most of his movies, Beatty managed to surround himself with a cast of the utmost quality, talent and charisma and in doing so, assured himself of a box-office hit.
The story is about life and death and how love transcends death. In the 1941 movie, the lead character Joe Pendleton was a boxer and Beatty had originally planned to have his
friend Muhammad Ali play that role. Ali's schedule did not allow it, so Beatty altered the script and turned the lead into an American football player, a sport he excelled at in his youth, taking on the role himself. The cast included co-director Buck Henry
as the bumbling escort, James Mason as Mr. Jordan the way station executive, Dyan Cannon and Charles Grodin as the scheming wife and personal secretary, Julie Christie as the activist/love-interest and the always excellent Jack Warden as football coach Max Corkle.
Vincent Gardenia completes the wonderful ensemble with a guest appearance as the police inspector. All actors are in fine form, especially veteran Jack Warden. Beatty is at his charming and disarming best. Deadpan seems invented by Grodin and Dyan Cannon has never been better. Warden, Mason and Cannon were nominated for Oscars for their
supporting roles, Beatty was nominated in four categories: lead actor, screenplay, director and producer.
In 2001 Chris Rock gave the subject another try with a third remake "Down To Earth" that couldn't hold up to its much better predecessors

Category:

Film & Animation

Tags:

• Warren
• Beatty
• James
• Mason
• Buck
• Henry
• Dyan
• Cannon
• Charles
• Grodin
• Julie
• Christie
• Jack
• Warden
• Vincent
• Gardenia

[ITILII]

Miss Logan, I don't frighten anybody...then at 2:30 Dyan Cannon opens the door, sees Warren Beatty and starts screaming her head off :-)

[PadrethePio]

"She relives it" ha!

[etks1957]

My name is Joe.....

too funny. One of my all time favorite movies.

[BJORT]

LOVE

[muppetskermit]

goodddddddddd

[targantuan]

Hand is well placed over Dyan Cannon´s mouth! That is an instruction, how to keep woman from screaming. She makes some nice sounds also to his palm. And scene takes quite long time.