Customer Reviews

Angel on My Shoulder [VHS]

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(19)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

This is a good story along the lines of "Here Comes Mr. Jordon", with a slight variation. But the DVD quality of the Gotham release is horrible. The picture quality is almost unwatchable and the un-even mono sound has a steady hissing all the way through the movie.

This VCI disc is good. The image is mostly crisp and clear, say above 90%. There are a few frames that are fuzzy and dull. There is no hissing or dropout in the sound. There is a comedy short with Leon Errol. It's image sound is also good.

As the other reviewers stated the story and acting are top-notch. Even on the short. I have one other VCI disc and there is a Leon Errol short on it. I had never heard of him. He is actually pretty funny.

Both Passport DVD's I've had the misfortune of viewing (this one & Plan 9 From Outer Space) have a large "PIP" logo on screen for the entire movie which is extremely distracting & unneccesary. For quality, get the Roan edition.

The popularity of "Angel on My Shoulder" spans seven decades. This 1946 classic film stars Paul Muni, Claude Rains, and Anne Baxter. Originally written by Harry Segall, it is the reverse telling of his earlier work, the stage play "Heaven Can Wait", (which was adapted for the screen as "Here Comes Mr. Jordan" and remade in 1978 by Warren Beatty). Whereas "Heaven Can Wait" is the story of a man who's prematurely sent to Heaven, "Angel" tells the tale of a mobster, Eddie Kagle, who is sent to Hell after he's gunned down by his best friend. The Devil gives him an opportunity to spend a few days back on Earth to seek revenge. While there, Eddie manages to redeem himself... much to the Devil's chagrin. It's a clever re-telling of Faust.

Both "Here Comes Mr. Jordan" and "Angel on My Shoulder" not only spoke to the era in which they were made, but also became classics in their own right. Despite the fact that "Angel" was produced during the tail end of World War II, it continues to be enjoyed by television and video rental audiences year after year. Its heartwarming comedy and central theme of redemption have stood the test of time.

Paul Muni plays the lead with much charm, while Claude Rains is a debonaire Devil. There's a few loose ends in the story's structure and non-organic characters whose only purpose is to serve a utility function. However, in the end the overall film delivers an entertaining viewing... and afterall, isn't that the bottom line?

Current rumor has it that a re-make is in the works with a major actor to play the lead. I personally can't wait to see the update.

If you can't sleep or it's raining outside and you don't have to work tomorrow, here is a good late night movie to watch. Paul Muni plays a gangster, "Eddie", who has just been released after four years in prison. A gangster pal, "Smiley", picks him up in a car. Suddenly, Eddie is shot and he ends up in Hell. Claude Rains plays the Devil. The Devil decides to let Eddie go back up on Earth. He puts him in another body, a look-alike who is a Judge. All that Eddie can think of is getting even with Smiley for shooting him. But everyone else looks at him as The Judge who is not himself anymore. Ann Baxter plays "Miss Barbara".

I have always been a fan of Claude Rains and in this movie, I find him to be an utterly delightful and humorous devil. If the devil can be humorous or delightful. An entertaining dark comedy, Paul Muni is a murdered gangster sent back to earth by "Nick" (Claude Rains), to impersonate a well respected judge. What follows are many hilarious twists and turns as Muni attempts to discredit the Judge's good name. This movie proves once and for all, the devil can be outsmarted.

Both Roan and VCI have pretty good prints of this film. It's a toss-up, so perhaps the special features might be the deciding point. The Roan disc has a Vincent Sherman interview which is also available on Roan's release of Underground. The VCI disc has a Leon Errol short which is also available on VCI's currently OOP Leon Errol comedy set. I'm going with the VCI disc because I already have Underground, and the VCI disc has a nicer cover. Even though the Roan disc lists the running time as 90 min., a side-by-side comparison shows it to be 100/101 min. as is the VCI disc. The film's running time matches the original running time, although I'm a little suspicious of the scene following the one in the judge's chamber. It starts in the middle of a word and looks like there could be a few seconds missing. But every print I've ever seen is the same as this.

Paul Muni plays a gangster brought back to life after he was killed by another evil guy named Smiley Williams. Muni makes a deal with the devil (Claude Rains) and he's brought back as a man who's a judge running for governor! Muni doesn't know Cluade Rains is the devil because he just calls himself Nick, and he says he's an ex- con. Anne Baxter plays the fiancee of the judge and Muni likes her a lot. Lots of people see the change in Muni and soon are wondering if it really is him. There's one scene where Muni wants a drink of liquor and a cigar. But since he's now in the judge's body he coughs it up and feels horrible. Later, Muni finds out that Nick is the Devil and starts distrusting him. Somehow even thoguh this is a little serious, it is also quite funny. THis is a good movie! ENJOY!

A beautiful rewriting of Faust. A bad guy is killed by anotHer crook when coming out of prison and finds himself in hell. But he is a perfect image of a judge who fights against corruption. So Satan proposes a deal : get into the judge's body and destroy his reputation. But it will not work that way and the bad boy will completely destroy Satan's plan. He negociates then his « promotion » in hell as a trustee, one of the bosses. He is in a way saved from damnation but in hell itself. Very entertaining and interesting to see how Satan miscalculated his project : a bad guy put in the body of a good guy is transformed by the transfer, and even some of his bad guy's natural reactions fire back and produce the opposite effect : it increases the good image of the judge. In other words one is bad or good according to the surrounding circumstances in which one lives, according to the picture the public has of this one, a good or bad representation.

Dr Jacques COULARDEAU

A brilliant dark comedy about a dead gangster restored to life in the body of an honorable man (his look-alike). Paul Muni plays the protagonist well, but the film is stolen by Claude Rains as the Devil---one of Rains's all-time best performances. It's an absorbing film, splendidly directed, with an intelligent script that's immensely funny. Deserves a new life.