Saturday, August 29, 2009

Angel Baby (1961)


Buy this film from the WB Shop

ANGEL BABY — A Glorious Cinematic Revival!

5 5

Director: Paul Wendkos, Hubert Cornfield (uncredited)

Actors: Salomé Jens, George Hamilton, Mercedes McCambridge, Joan Blondell, Henry Jones, Burt Reynolds, Roger Clark

Run Time: 97 mins | Country: USA | Release Date: May 14, 1961

Best Uses: With a group of atheists.

* * * * * * *

Nearly 20 years ago I caught a few riveting minutes of Mercedes McCambridge's performance in ANGEL BABY on cable TV and I've been wanting to see the entire movie ever since. I finally watched it last night, and I was not disappointed. It totally blew me away.

When kindhearted and handsome young preacher Paul Strand (George Hamilton) miraculously cures the
lovely young mute Jenny Angel (Salomé Jens), the grateful girl returns God's favor by using her new-found voice to help spread the word of the Lord. This doesn't sit well with Sarah (Mercedes McCambridge), Paul's devout and judgmental older wife, who prefers the fire-and-brimstone form of religion to her husband's more sympathetic methods. As the relationship between Jenny and Paul intensifies, trouble stars to brew.

Years ahead of its time with its frank and startling examination of religious perversion, ANGEL BABY begins with a disclaimer that states, in part, "In order to prevent any possible confusion, we urge that you consider carefully this picture's suitability for viewing by impressionable children."

The beauty of a pure belief in good (or in God), as well as the positive power that comes from a genuine desire to help others, is clearly on display in ANGEL BABY. On the other hand, the film also presents a scathingly critical examination of the rampant manipulation, sexual repression, delusion, opportunism and corruption that's commonly found growing in the garden of religion. (Ted Haggard, Jim Bakker and the many thousands of Catholic Church sex abuse cases come immediately to mind.) One of the most startling lines in the film comes near the end, when a poor couple brings their crippled son Elijah to Jenny in hopes that she will heal him with her touch. Jenny, believing she's lost the ability to help the family, kindly, and without irony, tells young Elijah, "There's all kinds of wonderful workers for the Lord just waiting to put hands on little boys like you."

The cast of ANGEL BABY is particularly inspired. George Hamilton is fine as the young and idealistic preacher and an aging, bug-eyed Joan Blondell does interesting work with Henry Jones as a pair of boozy revival-circuit has-beens. A dashing, bare-chested Burt Reynolds makes an interesting film debut as a testosterone-laden brute set loose at a church picnic/swim party.

But Mercedes McCambridge and Salomé Jens are the film's real attractions; both are absolutely mesmerizing. McCambridge manages a performance as Sarah Strand that's equally horrifying and heartbreaking—and mostly devoid of camp, which is no small feat since she's done up to look like W.C. Fields in drag. Salomé Jens as goodhearted and innocent Jenny Angel is simultaneously plain-looking and wildly sexual. You can't tear your eyes away from her whenever she's on the screen.

Aside from a few minor scratches on the print used for the DVD transfer, the film looks brand new and
provides a great showcase for famed cinematographer Haskell Wexler's moody lighting and inventive camerawork. I'm grateful to Warner Brothers for making this obscure gem available in the Archives Collection, but I would love to eventually see ANGEL BABY released on DVD with commentary by cast and crew, many of whom are still around to talk about the film. You can rent this and all other Warner Archive DVD releases at Scarecrow Video in Seattle.

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