Death Takes a Holiday

Death Takes a Holiday is a 1934 American pre-Code romantic drama starring Fredric March, Evelyn Venable and Guy Standing. It is based on the 1924 Italian play "La Morte in Vacanza" by (1891–1957), as adapted in English for Broadway in 1929 by Walter Ferris.
Synopsis.
After years of questioning why people fear him, Death takes on human form as Prince Sirki (Fredric March) for three days so that he can mingle among mortals and find an answer. He finds a host in Duke Lambert (Guy Standing) after revealing himself and his intentions to the Duke, and takes up temporary residence in the Duke's villa. However, events soon spiral out of control as Death falls in love with the beautiful young Grazia (Evelyn Venable). As he does so, Duke Lambert, the father of Grazia's mortal lover Corrado (Kent Taylor), begs him to give Grazia up and leave her among the living. Death must decide whether to seek his own happiness, or sacrifice it so that Grazia may live.
Grazia and Death have sex. He then decides to let Grazia live and returns to his true self, a black shadow. But Grazia goes with him anyway, saying she loves him and knew all along who he really was. Death then says love is greater than illusion and something as strong as death.
Death takes Grazia in his arms and they both disappear in a flash of light.
Releases.
The theatrical premiere of the film was on February 23, 1934 at the Paramount Theatre in New York City. The home video releases have been:
Reception.
The film was an enormous critical success. "Time" called it "thoughtful and delicately morbid", while Mordaunt Hall for "The New York Times" wrote that "it is an impressive picture, each scene of which calls for close attention".
Richard Watts, Jr, for the "New York Herald Tribune", described it as "An interesting, frequently striking and occasionally beautiful dramatic fantasy", while the "Chicago Daily Tribune" said that March was "completely submerged in probably the greatest role he has ever played." "Variety" called it "the kind of story and picture that beckons the thinker, and for this reason is likely to have greater appeal among the intelligensia." It praised March's performance as "skillful". John Mosher of "The New Yorker" wrote that the film was "nicely done", although he suggested it was "a little obnoxious with all its talk of being in love with death."
The film was a box-office disappointment for Paramount.
The American Film Institute recognized the film with a nomination in its 2002 list, AFI's 100 Years...100 Passions.