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A Matter of Life and Death

A British pilot survives a plane crash, meets a US servicewoman and falls in love. In heaven, however, a mistake is discovered.

Returning to England from a bombing run in May 1945, flyer Peter Carter's plane is damaged, and his parachute ripped to shreds. He has his crew bail out safely, but figures it is curtains for himself. He gets on the radio, and talks to June, a young American woman working for the USAAF, and they are quite moved by each other's voices.

Peter then jumps, preferring this to burning up with his plane. He wakes up in the surf. It was his time to die, but there was a mix-up in heaven. They couldn't find him in all that fog. By the time his 'conductor' catches up with him 20 hours later, Peter and June have met and fallen in love. This changes everything, and since it happened through no fault of his own, Peter figures that heaven owes him a second chance. Heaven agrees to a trial to decide his fate.

28 days left to watch

1 hour, 39 minutes

On TV

Thursday 20:30

Credits

Role Contributor
Peter D Carter David Niven
June Kim Hunter
Doctor Reeves Roger Livesey
Conductor 71 Marius Goring
Bob Robert Coote
An Angel Kathleen Byron
An English Pilot Richard Attenborough
An American Pilot Bonar Colleano
Chief Recorder Joan Maude
Producer Michael Powell
Producer Emeric Pressburger
Writer Emeric Pressburger
Writer Michael Powell
Director Michael Powell
Director Emeric Pressburger

Broadcasts

Featured in...

Desert Island Discs: Powell & Pressburger

Desert Island Discs: Powell & Pressburger

Listen as Roy Plomley's castaways are producers Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger.

The Essay: A Matter of Life and Death

The Essay: A Matter of Life and Death

Listen to Richard Coles discuss the classic Powell and Pressburger film.

Sound of Cinema: Powell and Pressburger

Sound of Cinema: Powell and Pressburger

Matthew Sweet introduces music from the films of Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger.