Heaven Can Wait (1943)

Don Ameche: Henry Van Cleve

Photos 

Quotes 

• Mademoiselle : In your papa's time, papa kiss mama and zen marry. But this is 1887! Time of bicycle, the typewriter est arrive, soon everybody speak over ze telephone, and people have new idea of value of kiss. What was bad yesterday is lot of fun today. There is a wonderful saying in France: "Les baisers sont comme des bonbons qu'on mange parce qu'ils sont bons." This mean: "Kiss is like candy. You eat candy only for the beautiful taste, and this is enough reason to eat candy."

  Henry Van Cleve : You mean I can kiss a girl once...

  Mademoiselle : Ten times! Twenty times! And no obligation.

• Martha : If you don't change your attitude, I shall have to complain to your employer.

  Henry Van Cleve : I'm not employed here. I'm not a book salesman. I took one look at you and followed you into the store. If you'd walked into a restaurant, I would have become a waiter. If you'd walked into a burning building, I would have become a fireman. If you'd walked into an elevator, I would have stopped it between two floors and we'd have spent the rest of our lives there. Please forgive me but you can't walk out of my life like that.

• His Excellency : When did it happen, Mr. Van Cleve?

  Henry Van Cleve : Tuesday. To be exact, I died at 9:36 in the evening.

  His Excellency : I trust you didn't suffer much.

  Henry Van Cleve : Oh, no, no, not in the least. I had finished my dinner...

  His Excellency : A good one, I hope.

  Henry Van Cleve : Oh, excellent, excellent. I ate everything the doctor forbade, and then... well, to make a long story short, shall we say, I fell asleep without realizing it. And when I awakened, there were all my relatives speaking in low tones and saying nothing but the kindest things about me. Then I knew I was dead.

  His Excellency : I presume your funeral was satisfactory.

  Henry Van Cleve : Well, there was a lot of crying, so I believe everybody had a good time.

• His Excellency : If you meet our requirements, we'll be only too glad to accomodate you. Uh, would you be good enough to mention, for instance, some outstanding crime you've committed?

  Henry Van Cleve : Crime? Crime? I'm afraid I can't think of any, but I can safely say my whole life was one continuous misdemeanor.

• Henry Van Cleve : Martha, if I hadn't met you I'd hate to think where I'd be right now.

  Martha : Well, probably outside some stage door, or even inside the dressing room, and having a wonderful time.

• Jack Van Cleve, Henry's Son : Come on, how old is she?

  Henry Van Cleve : Well, uh... She's an unusually adult young woman.

• Henry Van Cleve : [voiceover]  Here was a girl lying to her mother. Naturally that girl interested me at once.

• Henry Van Cleve : I know I should change my way of living but, my boy, put yourself in my position. I'm lonesome. You're always away somewhere on business, and being alone in this big old house night after night... you don't know what it's like.

  Jack Van Cleve, Henry's Son : Neither do you, because you're never at home.

  Henry Van Cleve : But I can IMAGINE what it's like, and, Jack, it's horrible

• Henry Van Cleve : Mother, when one sees a lovely rose...

  Bertha Van Cleve : ...one can be certain she comes from a fine rose bush.

• Henry Van Cleve : [regarding How to Make Your Husband Happy]  Don't buy this book. You don't need it. I'll tell you something more appropriate for you: Leave Your Nest And Fly Away With Me.

  Martha : Well, I might buy that book too...

  Henry Van Cleve : Well, we don't have it in stock right now... but I'd love to discuss the idea with you...

• Henry Van Cleve : I'd fallen asleep, and suddenly I was awakened by a caressing touch on my forehead. I opened my eyes and there she was sitting right on the edge of the bed. Nellie Brown, registered nurse. Your Excellency, one look at her and it didn't matter whether she was registered or not. Then she took out a thermometer, and she said, 'Open your mouth.' Who wouldn't for Nellie? And then she put the thermometer in and my temperature went up to 110. Who could ask for a more beautiful death?

• Henry Van Cleve : And it's a father's function to save his son from the mistakes he made.

• Henry Van Cleve : As a man grows older, his medicine cabinet grows bigger.

• Henry Van Cleve : Suddenly I noticed a very attractive girl coming down the staircase. To me she was just another attractive girl but I must admit - attractive.

• Henry Van Cleve : Flogdell, is that...?

  Flogdell, Van Cleve's First Butler : That's Mr. Strable.

  Henry Van Cleve : And that spreading chestnut tree under which grandfather is standing?

  Flogdell, Van Cleve's First Butler : That's Mrs. Strable.

• Henry Van Cleve : If you want to win a girl, you have to have lots of beetles.

• Henry Van Cleve : As a matter of fact, they call me "The Bookworm's Little Mother."

• Martha : Oh, why did you ever come into my life?

  Henry Van Cleve : To make you happy. To hold you in my arms forever.

  Martha : I'll never be able to look my father in the face. I'll never be able to go back to Kansas again.

  Henry Van Cleve : Isn't that wonderful?

  [He kisses her] 

  Martha : Oh, I wish I were dead.