MovieChat Forums > Heaven Can Wait (1978) Discussion > Mr Jordan

Mr Jordan

posted 10 years ago by jondoe888
1 reply | jump to latest

HCW is a very special movie. The few times I've seen it, it's always a charmer. Just perfect. Mr Jordan was on tonight. It had 4 stars, so I watched it, for the first time. It was good - but nowhere as good as HCW.
And what was the difference? Was it the actors? The period? The actors I didn't really know, and the older mannerisms? The director? Me? I'll bet my father would have had the opposite opinion, as this one wasn't really his generation.
Julie Christie was stunning, as always. I didn't find her predecessor that attractive or engaging. Warren Beatty was so charming. What a personality! Just the perfect amount of humor. Claude Rains was equal to James Mason. They were both excellent. Jack Warden was so good. And Buck Henry - perfect for that decade or generation.
Maybe it was that I knew all the actors in Heaven. That 40's style of acting was stiff, while the 70's style seemed so natural. And the humor was a bit corny. To me, anyway.
In essence - I have no idea what I'm talking about. One movie was made for my generation, the other, not. I liked how HCW followed MrJ so closely, with the same names, and sometimes lines. It kinda felt like MrJ was the remake. They were both good movies, based on an excellent storyline.

[–] PussyCrusher_Principal 8 years ago

It probably is just a generational-thing for you.

I saw HCW first, when it was on cable in the early 80s. It took me many more years to catch Here Comes Mr Jordan. I like both - it's been a long time since I've seen HCW though, and I'd like to see it again. The plots are similar, but just the fact that they were made in such different times make them different as well. I really like HCMJ though...

I'm not a big Robert Montgomery fan (I think he made a HORRIBLE Philip Marlowe in Lady In The Lake), but I like him in HCMJ. Claude Rains is always wonderful, as is Edward Everett Horton. But the capper is Evelyn Keyes - I absolutely love Evelyn Keyes. Julie Christie is great too, but Evelyn Keyes is one of those "noir dames", love her in 99River Street, among many other things. So I couldn't disagree with you more about her! She's pretty versatile, too, she's got a touch of light comedy, and she's just great in HCMJ.