On Borrowed Time (1939)
Young Pud is orphaned and left in the care of his aged grandparents. The boy and his grandfather are inseparable. Gramps is concerned for Pud's future and wary of a scheming relative who seeks custody of the child. One day Mr. Brink, an agent of Death, arrives to take Gramps "to the land where the woodbine twineth." Through a bit of trickery, Gramps confines Mr. Brink, and thus Death, to the branches of a large apple tree, giving Gramps extra time to resolve issues about Pud's future.
- Harold S. Bucquet
- Claudine West
- Frank O'Neill
- Alice D.G. Miller
- Paul Osborn
- Lawrence Edward Watkin
Rating: 7.5/10 by 23 users
Alternative Title:
Country:
United States of America
Language:
English
Runtime: 01 hour 39 minutes
Budget: $0
Revenue: $0
Plot Keyword: small town, based on novel or book, grandparent grandchild relationship, tree, wish, grandfather, aunt, grandparents, love, inheritance, grim reaper, orphan, housekeeper, trapped, death, heartbreak, grandson, elderly couple, apple tree, child custody, troublemaker, grandfather grandson relationship
An old man fights to keep his orphaned grandson from being taken away by a scheming relative, and things get even more difficult when Death comes calling...in the form of the wry and gentlemanly Sir Cedric Hardwicke! The film is well-done and packs a definite emotional wallop. There is a very high standard of acting throughout, and the chemistry between Lionel Barrymore, as the crotchety grandfather, and Bobs Watson, as little Pud, is especially good. Even when confined to a wheelchair, Barrymore's thespian talent still shines through.
