Especially when the devil is none other than Richard Kiley, as far from being the "Man of La Mancha" as one can be. Peter Strauss is a second-rate hood, gassed after being framed for murder by racketeers Seymour Cassel and Janis Paige, and standing up to Kiiey who makes a special appearance on the rock piles of Hades. Impressed by his audacity, Kiley decides to utilize him to game the soul of an idealistic district attorney (also played by Strauss) who is ironically trying to get the goods on Cassel and Paige who have created an empire that is the epitome of corruption. Kylie's plan is to have Strauss accept a bribe from them and then murder them, collecting three more souls within a short period of time. What Kiley doesn't count on is the love that devil's tool Strauss gains for DA Strauss's assistant, Barbara Hershey, and this brings on a challenge between the reformed criminal and the prince of darkness.
This remake of the 1946 classic has been updated to a late 70's theme with a bit of "The Godfather" thrown in for good measure. The script isn't exactly its strongest suit, but it is entertaining as a "Heaven can Wait" type comedy in reverse. Scott Colomby, as a mobsters sun now on the right side of the law, Ann Seymour as the housekeeper whom the newly resurrected version of Strauss keeps pinching and Murray Matheson as a godly like man from Glad lookalike add charm to the production. Another highlight is watching Strauss, who apparently died 30 years before, look stunned at 1980's contraptions, and audiences who were not around for these contraptions will find great humor in that. I wouldn't call this a TV movie gem or a heavenly film experience, but with fun performances all around, it's worth a look.
This remake of the 1946 classic has been updated to a late 70's theme with a bit of "The Godfather" thrown in for good measure. The script isn't exactly its strongest suit, but it is entertaining as a "Heaven can Wait" type comedy in reverse. Scott Colomby, as a mobsters sun now on the right side of the law, Ann Seymour as the housekeeper whom the newly resurrected version of Strauss keeps pinching and Murray Matheson as a godly like man from Glad lookalike add charm to the production. Another highlight is watching Strauss, who apparently died 30 years before, look stunned at 1980's contraptions, and audiences who were not around for these contraptions will find great humor in that. I wouldn't call this a TV movie gem or a heavenly film experience, but with fun performances all around, it's worth a look.