It's possible just to sit back and just enjoy the comedy. Actually more than a few shudders of drama are included as well, though the producer has tried to break this down by the casting of that ripe-old ham Donald MacBride as a particularly squally police inspector. Nonetheless Rita Johnson and John Emery are as cool and nasty a pair of schemers as ever deserved the hangman's noose. Don Costello's shifty manager is far from comic too. Aside from MacBride, it is largely left to Montgomery himself - with the admirable assistance of Edward Everett Horton and the less skillful but determinedly plugging-away James Gleason - to make with all the funny faces and can-this-really-be-me double takes. Midway between these two camps of farce and drama, Claude Rains plays Mr Jordan with such a suave, ironically smiling detachment that he succeeds in bringing yet a third acting force to bear on the script. Ironic detachment is a style of acting rarely used in the movies as it requires an actor with pres¬ence to bring it off - a gifted player like Claude Rains whose skilful performance is a double pleasure to see and hear. Another equally rare treat is provided by Lloyd Bridges who makes his two-line bit part memorable by mouthing his dia¬logue tongue-in-cheek. But whether played for laughs or thrills or fatal¬ism, the blending is almost always perfectly entertaining - thanks both to the collective skills of the actors and the stylish artistry of director Alexander Hall. (Two other troupers that deserve to be singled out for praise are Halliwell Hobbes as a delightfully stuffy old butler, and Evelyn Keyes who makes her heroine seem appropriately lovely and, vulnerable). Thirty years ago, Alexander Hall was a highly regarded director. He died in 1968 - too early for today's cult critics to get him down on tape - and his popularity has waned. Not all of Hall's movies are as enter¬taining or as well-served as Here Comes Mr Jordan, but there can be little doubt that Hall's was a superior talent in the fantasy field. Unlike most of the current crop of directors, Hall knew how to ration his special effects so that the movie wasn't swamped in a welter of dazzling but superfi¬cial visuals. Hall makes the effects reinforce the story - not today's way in which the story is merely an excuse for an endlessly juvenile display of cinema trickery. Hall has a real sense of timing and contrast. Admittedly, his touch is occasionally a little heavy-handed (especially in the Gleason-MacBride scenes) - but compared to the Steven Spielbergs of this world it's the excesses of a gavel to a jackhammer. He knows how to move the camera too and keep the plot moving along sharply. Of course he has a clever script to work from, ingenious not only in its princi¬pal idea but in the way it twists and turns until all the loose ends are neatly tied up at the conclusion. Perhaps it all comes out just a little too pat - but after all isn't that just what we'd expect from a Mr Jordan?Hall is also helped out by a fine array of a talent behind the camera. The sets are just right, neither calling a distracting attention to themselves by a tasteless if expensive gaudiness nor seeming on the other hand disappointingly cheap or sterile. The pho¬tography too has the perfect combination of atmosphere, realism and unobtrusive artistry. The music also contributes deftly but not egotistically to the entertainment whole.That old adage, "Many cooks spoil the broth," is usually untrue so far as films are concerned. Here is the proof. Here Comes Mr Jordan is a delectable feast. The Warren Beatty re-make is a burnt breakfast.

Here Comes Mr. Jordan is directed by Alexander Hall and adapted from Harry Segall's play by Sidney Buchman & Seton Miller. It stars Robert Montgomery, Evelyn Keyes, Claude Rains, Rita Johnson, Edward Everett Horton and James Gleason. Photography is by Joseph Walker and Friedrich Hollaender scores the music. Plot sees Montgomery as boxer Joe Pendleton, who during a journey in a small plane finds himself crashing towards the earth but then suddenly finds that he is in heaven. Turns out that his soul was saved before the crash impact by angel 7013 (Horton) who assumed that he wouldn't have survived the crash. Bad call, tho, because it wasn't Pendleton's time, he's not due to die for another 50 years! So superior angel Mr. Jordan (Rains) escorts him back to Earth, but the trouble is is that Joe's body has been cremated by his boxing manager Max (Gleason), so the search is on for a new body for Joe to exist in. First stop; a murder victim!Fun and appealing comedy that offers up dry observations on the afterlife and keeps its romantic plot strand on the warm side of the bed. It's that the makers can marry up the comedy to the romance so well that makes the film so utterly beguiling. The characters are easily to warm too, so as the plot delightfully twists and turns, we are happy to run with them into each well written corner. The film is also very well casted, with Montgomery bullish without over doing it, and Rains elegant and enjoying his role. But the joys come in the support cast with Horton all prissy as the over zealous 7013 and Gleason playing it spot on as the bemused and incredulous manager. Bonus, too, is that the ending offers up a two fold resolution that shows a better hand than many other comedies of the era.Uncynical if a touch routine, Here Comes Mr. Jordan is heartily recommended fare to the classic comedy seeker. 7.5/10

When I watched this film for the first time, I liked it a lot. But I only considered the film as an enjoyable comedy. When I watched the second time, I realized so many interesting things we don't notice throughout the movie. When we look into Sidney Buchman and Seton Miller's wonderful screenplay, then we see that there are several interesting dialogue and ideas in the film.Here is an example of an interesting dialogue. Mr. Jordan says to Joe "Finance is merely a matter of heart being in the right place." Mr. Jordan also says to Joe "But eventually, she will see the soul of Joe Pendleton, because that is never lost. That will always shine through Joe. No matter what overcoat you put on." I think this dialogue covers the main message of the movie. Many people becomes sad about the ending, because they think Joe no longer exists.I think this is because they are confused about the message of the film. When I watched the film for the first time, I got a little confused too. But after the second viewing, I understood the film much more. Although Mr. Jordan gave the body of Murdock and his memory, still the soul belongs to Joe. Only Joe exists. Murdock is dead. The body of Murdock and Murdock's memory is nothing but an overcoat for the soul of Joe to live for the rest of his life. In the end, we see that the soul of Joe Pendleton shining through the overcoat of Murdock. That's one of the reasons why Betty was attracted to him in the end. And this is also one of the reasons why Max Corkle becomes his coach in the end. Through the saxophone, we realize that it is Joe's soul inside Murdock's body. In the end, we see nothing but the beauty of the message left for us.We also have to appreciate what Screenwriter Sidney Buchman did to this project. Harry Cohn wanted to make this film as a low budget. But Sidney Buchman pushed Harry Cohn to give a high budget for this film. And Buchman also insisted Harry Cohn to get Robert Montgomery for the leading role. Just like Joe Pendleton's Soul, Sidney Buchman's love and true dedication makes this film shine. And I thought Alexander Hall's direction was great. His direction especially at the ending scenes and Frederick Hollander's score makes this film even more special. I thought everyone did a great job playing their roles. I rate this film 10 out of 10.

"Here Comes Mr. Jordan" made in 1941 and remade two more times, both with Warren Beatty in 1978 with "Heaven Can Wait" and the Chris Rock "Down to Earth" in 2005. This one is the best, although Warren Beatty's version is respectable. Robert Montgomery shines as Joe Pendleton, a tough-talking boxer who dies while piloting his own plane. But his death has been a "mistake" or so says "Mr. Jordan" (Claude Rains) who seems to rule over heaven and decide whose time it is or isn't. Well, Joe gets sent back to earth, with the able assistance of his heavenly/ghostly friend, but his old body is -- well, gone. It all gets quite complicated and hilarious, with Joe inhabiting the body of a rich man, and then a fighter. He falls big time for the lovely Evelyn Keyes (who could blame him). All Joe wants is a chance to compete in the big boxing match that was denied him with his death. This is, hands down, Robert Montgomery's best performance (although his performance in "Night Must Fall" in 1937 comes pretty close). He is spot-on as the tough boxer with a soft side, and his expressions and gestures are perfect, as is his New York accent. Montgomery had already been in Hollywood a long time by 1941, starting in the last days of silent films and transitioning to sound. Claude Rains is wonderful as Mr. Jordan, James Gleason plays his role to the hilt, as Joe's befuddled boxing manager. But these are supporting players, and this is Robert Montgomery's movie all the way -- and he does not disappoint.