This witty satire masquerading as a 20th Century-Fox family saga gets its title from the prologue in which the Devil (Laird Cregar) sits in judgement on Don Ameche in a gloriously Technicolored hell, from where Ameche reviews his life. This is as good as Ameche gets; not only is he perfectly cast, but also brilliantly directed by the comic genius Ernst Lubitsch, working in colour for the first time. The film has great warmth, charm and honesty, and grows on you until, at the end, you're sorry to leave. Gene Tierney has never looked lovelier - and that's really saying something - nor The Merry Widow been used more emotively. Each viewing confirms this film's growing status as a classic.

Spoiled playboy Henry van Cleve dies and arrives at the entrance to Hell, a final destination he is sure he deserves after living a life of profligacy. The devil, however, isn't so sure Henry meets Hell's standards. Convinced he is where he belongs, Henry recounts his life's deeds, both good and bad, including an act of indiscretion during his 25-year marriage to his wife, Martha, with the hope that "His Excellency" will arrive at the proper judgment.