Stairway to Heaven 1946

July 25, 2022

Anselmo Ballester, Italian poster, 1947, 39.5 x 55 inches.

When mention is made of Stairway to Heaven, most people nowadays think of the famous Led Zeppelin song from 1971, and not of the American title of a little known, though well respected, British film from 1946 starring David Niven and Kim Hunter. Written, produced and directed by Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger, it was one in a long line of such films by the two (Dillon 2016). The present author was one of those unaware of the fact that during the immediate post World War II years Americans would have known of a film by that name. Outside of the US things were different. Upon its premiere in England it was called A Matter of Life and Death. The name was changed in the US due to the view that use of the word death in a movie title so soon after the end of World War II would impact upon box office receipts. Nevertheless, whatever the film was known as when released in countries around the world, this did not affect the fact that it is now cited as one of the most important cinema productions ever to have come out of Great Britain. Much has been written extolling its virtues, and use of the word masterpiece has often been applied. As a person who has only recently (July 2022) been introduced to the film, this author can attest to its timelessness.

There are three obvious qualities to the film - the script, the production values, and the acting. Proof of this is revealed in the opening scene, stated by one film critic to be the best opening scene of any film, ever! The use of brilliant technicolor alongside black and white throughout works well, as it did in The Wizard of OZ (1939), released just prior to the outbreak of war. The acting by leads David Niven and Kim Hunter is emotive and uplifting, whilst the supporting cast is of high quality, with Roger Livesey a standout. The production by Powell and Pressburger is nothing less than monumental. Many science fiction and fantasy fans are aware of the dour 1936 British film Things to Come which features in most histories of the genre. Unfortunately, that film has not aged well. On the other hand, Stairway to Heaven is the opposite, at least in the opinion of this author, who is a long time fan of sci-fi and fantasy and who was amazed by the film upon first viewing. Some elements are reminiscence of Fritz Lang's classic silent film Metropolis from 1927, specifically the scenes in the 'other place' which is unnamed, though is obviously heaven. Those sections are as epic as Lang's, with huge crowds and vast sets. Apart from that, the two films are quite different - Lang's deals with a workers revolution, the use of alchemy to create an android, and the role of compassion in a capitalist society, with a love story thrown in for good measure. Stairway to Heaven, on the other hand, is a story of love conquering all, across time and space, life and death. It is a fantasy set in both the real world and that which exists after death of the body. It has a contemporary theme, namely the importance, post war, of the British and Americans showing empathy towards one another. A copy of the film is available on YouTube here, though purchase of a modern bluray version is recommended for high quality viewing.

Posters and promotional material

Stairway to Heaven has had a number of lives - it's initial release in 1946, re-release over the years in theatres and on television, video and digital release since the 1970s, and a full cinematic re-release in 1995 following its rediscovery and promotion by American director and film historian Martin Scorcese. Recent video and bluray disc releases have included supplementary documentaries and commentary tracks. Posters and other promotional material have also been subject to change over time. This is most significant in regard to the use of the original Italian poster artwork by the famous artist Anselmo Ballester. That artwork was used for the 1995 international re-release in the US and UK. Some of this material is illustrated below.

* UK release - A Matter of Life and Death 1946