Majolica in the Movies: On Borrowed Time (1939)

On Borrowed Time is a fantasy film about an old man trying to delay Death from taking him away from his family. The movie is another from the greatest of movie studios MGM made during what is arguably the finest year of the golden age of film studios, 1939. The old man is played by Lionel Barrymore of the great acting Barrymore dynasty. The personification of Death is played by Sir Cedric Hardwicke.

Originally a novel by Lawrence Watkin which was  later turned into a successful Broadway play by Paul Osborn the story is a reimagining of one of Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, “The Pardoner’s Tale.”

On Borrowed Time novel

Playbill page from the original 1938 Broadway 

production of On Borrowed Time

The plot is unusual. The old man and his wife are the caretakers of their grandson whose parents have died. The man is approached early in the film by a stranger representing Death, here called Mr. Brink, who asks him to follow him, giving no more explanation than that. The Barrymore character suspects the true motive of the stranger and succeeds in trapping him inside a magical apple tree rendering him powerless. The remainder of the movie involves Barrymore coming to terms with Death and how it fits into the fabric of life.

Lionel Barrymore, Bobs Watson, Elly Malyon, James Burke and 

Henry Travers in a scene from On Borrowed Time

Sir Cedric Hardwicke as Mr Brink

At one point in the film the old man and his grandson Pud, played by the always annoying Bobs Watson, are dining in their home. It is here where the majolica comes into view. On a mantle in the dining room are two majolica oak leaf and acorn platters and two Etruscan begonia leaves.

Bobs Watson and Lionel Barrymore in On Borrowed Time

For regular readers of this blog you know this isn't the first, or even the second time we've come across these majolica pieces in MGM movies.

Etruscan Majolica begonia leaf

Majolica oak leaf and acorn platter

One of the Etruscan dishes was previously spotted in National Velvet. The oak leaf platters were seen in both  Lassie Come Home and Of Human Hearts. All four of these films are MGM movies from the golden era of film, 1930-1945. The set decorators at MGM certainly must have loved these plates to use them again and again. Still, I was a little surprised to see them in such a refined setting. They had previously appeared in movies with more rustic backgrounds. 

No question though that it’s always a fun surprise to spot these pieces in the background of movies from so long ago.

The film is available to see on both disc and streaming platforms. To view the movie trailer go here.