Customer Reviews

Angel & The Badman

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(16)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I had read numerous reviews about the equally numerous DVD releases of this 1947 John Wayne vehicle. Apparently there are some pretty bad transfers out there. The Roan Group transfer was recommended, so I purchased it, but to hedge my bets I ordered this Goodtimes release also.

The Roan Group DVD was a major disappointment! It was made from a less than perfect original, is not sharp, and suffers from severe interlacing effect on every object that moves. In other words, someone moves their head or arm and there is a ghost image or fine-tooth comb effect along the leading and trailing edges. This applies to EVERYTHING that moves in the Roan DVD, and it's extremely annoying. This plus the below average image quality makes the Roan version of this film unacceptable in my opinion.

Enter the Goodtimes version! After the Roan Group experience, what a pleasant surprise! This Goodtimes transfer was made from an almost virgin print, and the transfer to DVD is extremely good. The images are very sharp, fully making use of the quality available in the DVD format. I view these movies on a computer monitor, so I get to see the whole enchillada, and this DVD is very sharp, has good brightness and full detail in the shadow areas.

The sound is only fair, but good enough for an old movie. In fact, I've now seen this film on TV recently, and in these two different DVD transfers, and I am convinced the poor sound quality is in the original film. This was 1947, remember!

As for the movie itself, it's an unusual Wayne flick, in that big John is shown as quite vulnerable to the gentle persuasions of a Quaker family, including the incredibly appealing Gail Russell (sigh!), and a little brother played by the son of writer/director and Wayne crony James Grant. There are some excellent and entertaining characterizations and able acting, including the ever-present Harry Carey.

This is an above average post-War offering from John Wayne (as producer and star this time) and a great deal in the DVD version at this low price! A nice addition to your DVD collection. But be sure to get the Goodtimes version!!!

I bought this DVD expecting the transfer to be average at best. What a great surprise to find that this version (GoodTimes) is the best transfer of "Angel and the Badmen" that I have ever seen! No hiss on the soundtrack, and a very clean print. Considering that this is a bargin-priced DVD, you really can't go wrong. As for the film, it has always been a favortive of mine for showing the Duke somewhat out of character. He never is shown as being an evil type, just not really on the side on law & order. Thanks to a family of Quakers that takes him in, and show him kindness & human understanding, the Duke changes his ways. A real winner from 1947!

This is a great Wayne flick, and a great western to boot. I wasn't expecting much from a 1940's western, and the first 15 minutes or so seemed to prove my worst fears right. There is some terribly preachy philisophical dialog between Gail Russell's Quaker father and the local athiest doctor, arguing about the inherent good in all men vs the stupidity of living life by high-ideals alone, blah blah blah. It was spoken in that stilted voice that every bit actor of the time seemed to imitate, as if they were reading the news. I could just see the ending, with the hero dead and the philosophers saying something like "All men pay the price who..." blah blah blah

In comes John Wayne to save the day, with a wonderful freshness in his every manner and word. Young, cocky, Wayne's performance is totally deserving of his superstar status, and is only matched by Gail Russell, who is perhaps the best female lead of any Wayne film. Russell brings some real life to the peaceful ideals of the Quakers (which appear terribly naive given the setting), and you can't help but fall in love with her hope and beauty. The Duke matches her step for step, playing a wild boy who is only a few trigger-pulls away from a hanging. Wayne always obeys Russell's requests for non-violent, peaceful solutions to problems, yet he can't help but putting his own mischievious country-boy spin on everything.

In one short scene, we discover that a mean neighbor has damed the local water source. Russell and her family pray for his cold heart to melt while Wayne rides off and intimidates him into undamming it. When the Quakers shower the neighbor with food and kindness, his heart does melt, and he thanks Wayne for "asking" him to undam the water. The Duke is stunned. And moments like these litter this movie.

Watching the Duke's heart melt to Russell's charms is the best part of this movie. Their romance is perfectly paced and entirely believable. Wayne is at his romantic best, and Russell has enough ability and looks to match him. The ending is a little too neat and sudden, but I just wished I could watch another 2 hours. Great stuff.

I ordered both this Roan Group DVD and the Goodtimes version of the same film, both available here at Amazon. This Roan Group version is of generally poorer image quality compared to the Goodtimes version, is not as sharp, has poor balance/contrast balance. It also has no chapter selection menu. Also, the Goodtimes DVD has a trailer for you to watch.

Worst of all, and the thing that makes this DVD unacceptable in my opinion, is the extremely bad interlacing effect in the transfer. This causes ghost effects that are very annoying. Additionally, it is very difficult to freeze frame this DVD. The Goodtimes DVD does not suffer from any of these failings.

This is a neat western (see my review of the Goodtimes version, also here at Amazon) and well worth the very reasonable price, but don't get this version! Get the Goodtimes version!

I'm not going to comment about the story here other than to say this is a must-have movie for anyone who likes character development in a good story levened with warmth, humor and action.

So far, I've seen two DVD releases of this John Wayne classic western, the Roan DVD is by far superior. The image quality of the Roan release leaves the Laserlight DVD in the dust. The latter exhibits a very soft first half and a fine quality purple hue in the second half. Not so the Roan release which is a clean and sharp representation of this 1948 B&W western. I had a brief look at the bit rate and if my player is to be believed it's mostly 10Mbps! Someone correct me if I'm mistaken about this.

The mono sound quality suffers somewhat in places but is fine for the most part. I grudgingly admit the Laserlight has better overall sound quality. Features here are next to nill. There is a cast listing but that's all it is, no bios or filmographies here. There is a one-screen "making of" page with print tiny enough to make you want to use your player's zoom feature. What were they thinking?

Overall, this is the best-looking video release I've seen of this film. I wish Republic would retrieve the film rights and do a proper release with superior image and sound. This is a keeper.

This is a great movie, but do not buy this version put out by Alpha Studios. The picture is ok but the sound is terrible. Buy the Goodtimes version instead. The picture and sound on the Goodtimes version are great. The DVD cover has Mr. Wayne by himself with a gun. Check the other reviews for the movie description but don't buy this version!

The 'feel good' caliber of this western classic is second to none. You'll come to appreciate almost every character- and especially that of Gail Russell's.

The spiritual themes and qualities that imbue the lives of the film's charitable Quaker family are irresistible and give the film its special charm. Gail Russell, in her radiant prime, is immortalized in the role of Penny, the Quaker daughter who is willing to abandon her sheltered life for Wayne, but not her principles. Often a silent performance- her eyes communicate deeply what's in her heart. She brings a thoughtful, heartfelt presence to the film that is unforgettable, and nearly steals every scene she's in. John Wayne is also in top form and demonstrates his understated comedic talent here better than ever. (There's plenty of humorous scenes sprinkled throughout the film. Even the bad guys wry humor and sarcasm make for comic moments)

Harry Carey plays a dogged, Columbo like lawman who is shadowing Wayne, looking for a good excuse to "hang him with a new rope", a fitting honor on account of how much he respects him. Dialogue is excellent with some memorable one-liners like the reference to Wayne as a fellow who has "closed the eyes of many a man, and opened the eyes of many a woman".

The story has good episodic development, with interesting plot twists and timely changes of pace that allow the film to stand up to repeat viewings. Even the obligatory bar room brawl and ultimate showdown are set up uniquely and carried out in a refreshing manner. And did I mention Gail Russell? Check out the timeless scene of her tending to the lamb in the barn. Lord have mercy. I'm ready for farmer school.

This Republic feature has the aura of a major studio production. John Wayne's acting here is several notches over his Lone Star flicks. But this film belongs to the beauteous Gail Russell. Many consider this her best film ever. It was downhill after this as she failed to overcome the alcoholic demon which eventually claimed her life at a young age of 36 in the early 1960s.

There are several DVD rendition out there but the one by Goodtimes is outstanding. The picture quality is clear, clean and crisp. This more than makes up for their previous McClintok DVD fiasco.

Angel and the Badman is as good a proof as you can find that good westerns aren't just about riding, shooting, dueling, and killing. The truly great old westerns featured some of the tightest, most compelling plots that you will ever find. This is the first of the John Wayne Productions released by Republic Pictures, and it is a true John Wayne classic. Needless to say, the Duke plays the "badman" as opposed to the angel, an outlaw of sorts with a complicated past in which he evolved from a lawman alongside Wyatt Earp in Tombstone to a cattle-rustling, gambling man with an eye for the ladies. To quote only one of the great lines in this film, Quirt Evans (John Wayne) closed the eyes of many a man and opened the eyes of many a woman. Quirt starts to change, though, when he collapses from a gunshot wound outside the home of a Quaker family transplanted from Pennsylvania to the Old West. Penelope, the young lady of the family immediately falls in love with him, and it is obvious that Quirt is in turn touched by this angel from the very start. It seems a little odd that the family of Friends would be so welcoming and accommodating to the budding attraction going on, considering Quirt's past, but they see only the good in the man. Farm life is not Quirt's natural calling, and he admittedly slips from the path of virtue, but in time he faces up to the fact that he has indeed changed. Of course, happiness is not insured at this point, as the local marshal still has hopes of hanging Quirt some day, and the man who killed Quirt's foster father remains a real threat to him. The ending is not exactly unpredictable, but it is heart-warming and entertaining all the same.

Great actors filling great roles from top to bottom really make Angel and the Badman a benchmark film to which other westerns should be judged. Gail Russell is indeed an angel more than capable of touching and reforming the crustiest of men, and I can assure you she is not the kind of Quaker woman I would quite have envisioned; she could easily make an instant farmer out of me. The Duke is, well, he's the Duke; the man incapable of giving a bad performance is at his best in this film. You have to love the minor characters, as well. Not only does Angel and the Badman feature a string of unforgettable, entertaining minor players, it incorporates each of them into the story itself in a meaningful way, from Quirt's old buddy with a penchant for telling tales Quirt would rather not have his angel hear to the local telegraph operator whose chance encounter with the legendary cowboy sets him off bragging about his friend Quirt and their long history of friendship. Everyone associated with this movie obviously cared a great deal, and it shows; not a single facet of film-making was overlooked or ignored. Angel and the Badman clearly belongs on the short list of the greatest westerns ever made.

Big John plays Quirt Evans - the badman - who's redeemed by the love of a Quaker girl - the angel. Although this little 1947 Republic flick is enjoyable enough - it never really catches fire - I mainly watch it in order to revel in the beauty of Gail Russell as Penny Worth! A hauntingly beautiful young lady, I thought that Russell had the perhaps the most exquisite eyes of any actress in the movies - she actually made the young Liz Taylor look hard in comparison! An insecure introvert who was literally pushed into pictures after a talent scout sought the "Hedy Lamarr of Santa Monica High" Russell became a shy, neurotic alcoholic. Russell was astonishingly beautiful and spoke with a soft sexy voice, but Stardom eluded her because of her limited acting ability combined with her fear of the cameras and of all the people around her while making films. Eventually known as "Hollywood's Haunted Heroine" (two of her most famous roles was Stella in THE UNINVITED, a superior ghost story, and as the governess in ...THE UNSEEN with Joel McCrea). Russell was more than adequate in such pictures as OUR HEARTS WERE YOUNG AND GAY (1944)(as Cornelia Otis Skinner) THE NIGHT HAS A THOUSAND EYES (1948), a thriller with Edward G. Robinson. Some consider her work (as Sunny Garcia) in the 1950 film THE LAWLESS as her best. Russell married handsome heart-throb Guy Madison in 1949 and they divorced in 1954. They were considered the most beautiful couple in Hollywood for a while! Gail died in her apartment alone surrounded by Vodka bottles and barbituates between August 24-26, 1961. She was only 36.