Angel Baby (1961) User Reviews

Evangelical sharks

[bkoganbing · 5/10 · 5 April 2019]

In the wake of the success of Elmer Gantry in the previous year, Angel Baby with a considerably smaller budget came out in 1961. This story is a good deal trashier and it introduces Salome Jens in the title role of a faith healing evangelist who is sincere, but surrounded by sharks.

Young evangelist George Hamilton after healing her dumbness at a meeting falls big time for her. It was a hysterical dumbness after a traumatic experience. Jens decides that evangelism is for her.

Hamilton falls for her, but he's already married to much older woman Mercedes McCambridge. Jens has this good ole boy young Burt Reynolds panting after her. When she strikes out on her own in the evangelical profession Jens has her two leeching parents, Henry Jones and Joan Blondell. She also has a real snake for a manager in Roger Clark.

Angel Baby is pretty trashy stuff. But a good cast makes it interesting.

You must exorcize this devil!

[mark.waltz · 5/10 · 19 March 2024]

What an ironic line to find the very forceful Mercedes McCambridge telling "Paul Husband" (George Hamilton) in her attempts to unsuccessfully seduce him in an effort to consulate their unloving marriage of convenience. She's a fire and brimstone religious woman who picked Hamilton out of the church choir as a youth, married him and has controlled him every step of the way as he rose to becoming one of the top traveling tent evangelists in the south. Over a decade later, she provided the voice of a demon in one of the most popular supernatural horror films ever.

The character of Angel (Salome Jens) is tossed onto the traveling show by her mother who finds her kissing rebel Burt Reynolds and wants them to cure her of sin. Drunken organ player Joan Blondell sees a light shining over her, and introduces her to Hamilton who encourages her to begin her own style of preaching which promotes the love of God, not fear.

But McCambridge is instantly jealous of Jens, and if there's any person who needs cleansing, it's her, reminding me of Constance Ford as Sandra Dee's nasty mother in "A Summer Place". Ford, however, added subtleties to her horrid character, while McCambridge chews up the scenery like she had swallowed the whole Bible, including the apocryphal.

The best performances come from Blondell and Henry Jones who join Jens on the tour that turns her into an evangelical star, rivaling Aimee Semple and the Jean Simmons character from "Elmer Gantry". Jens, however, isn't the star of Simmons' stature, and comes off as an unsuccessful knock-off of Joanne Woodward combined with a bit of Geraldine Page, minus the charisma. Many elements of this come off as unintentionally camp, and watching Reynolds and Hamilton duke it out is one of the funniest bits of them all, topped by McCambridge fondling herself in an effort to seduce Hamilton.

Only Made It All The Way Through Because Of A Young Burt Reynolds

[slightlymad22 · 4/10 · 24 December 2014]

Judging by this movie, you never would have guessed what lay ahead for Hollywood legend George Hamilton and future number one movie star in the world Burt Reynolds.

Plot In A Paragraph: A woman who believes she has been chosen by God to heal people is taken in by a greedy promoter and his wife to make the rounds of the rural South - she to save souls and heal the sick, he to make as much money as he possibly can.

I was not very entertained watching this, and I only made it all the way through because of George Hamilton and a young Burt Reynolds.

This was Burt Reynolds first role and I found the movie less interesting when he was not on the screen. Even if his character Hook Adams was the local thug in the picture.

That said Reynolds fight with Hamilton is awfully staged, and you can see their youthful inexperience.

Spotty, But Has Its Moments

[dougdoepke · 17 February 2017]

Uneven revivalist tale harmed by spotty acting and somewhat muddled message. But then the movie's a commercial product dealing with phony faith healing. Understandably, a message like that can't be made too offensive to believers. So key compromises aren't surprising.

Sweet young Angel (Jens) is encouraged by revivalist Strand (Hamilton) to overcome a disability and speak. She's been mute for years, apparently the result of childhood trauma. Strand doesn't claim to be a faith healer, so when Angel finally speaks, it's apparently resulting from group encouragement and not a "miracle". As a result, Jens is drawn to the charismatic Strand and his Godly way of life. Meanwhile, Strand recognizes her soft-spoken charisma and works her into his stage program. Trouble is his aging wife, Sara (McCambridge), gets jealous of the younger woman. So she maneuvers her into getting her own traveling tent show that Strand reluctantly agrees to.

However, Angel Baby's independent effort doesn't take off, limping along on the edge of failure. Then along comes a greedy businessman (Clark) who sees potential in her, but only if she converts from low-key preacher to angelic faith healer. Nonetheless, Angel's dubious, her religious scruples still intact. However, she's persuaded when--unknown to her-- he hires people to fake disabilities and then miraculously recover thanks to her apparent faith healing. He then exploits her success by selling a sideline of products to the crowds now coming to see her. Meanwhile, Strand is alerted to Angel's compromised status and comes to her moral rescue. The final episode leaves us unsure whether miracles really occur or are only momentary relief, probably the best conclusion for this commercial product.

To me, the best part of the production are the many faces of everyday people. No Hollywood and Vine here. In fact, there's no effort at glamorizing or even polishing the humble Southern surroundings. It's one of the more unvarnished productions of the period. Happily, Jens is excellent as the humble Angel, without an ounce of emoting. Hamilton too surprises as a fairly effective revivalist. However, the redoubtable Joan Blondell over-emotes in embarrassing fashion. I guess her ridiculous mugging is supposed to be comic relief. Nonetheless, it's that crowded cast that tends to scatter the narrative, thereby reducing overall impact. Anyway, given half-a-chance energetic rowdy Burt Reynolds almost steals the show in his first movie role.

The message I get is that revivalist preaching is fine, but faith healing is suspect. At the same time, the question of miraculous healing is finessed. All in all, the movie has its revealing moments, but lacks the impact of thematically similar Elmer Gantry (1960). However, unlike the latter, this spotty effort has since faded into obscurity. Nonetheless, those etched faces never fade.

Let's talk about George Hamilton

[mollytinkers · 4/10 · 27 April 2024]

My fondest memory or George Hamilton is Love At First Bite. I saw it in the theater upon its release, and he's been forever cemented in my memory for that role. It's only been the last ten years that I've been exposed to his cinematic body of work thanks almost totally to the TCM channel.

He does a surprisingly and satisfyingly good job in this film. Unfortunately, the only way to describe this movie is odd. Initially, I wanted to title my review as bizarre, but that's too good of an adjective.

I'm left wondering why in the heck did this film ever get greenlighted. The IMDB reviews seem to focus on Elmer Gantry and Burt Reynolds. Who cares? It feels in totality like a throw-away regardless.

I'm a huge Blondell fan, but she seems to blunder her way through this one.

This one's great for those who ponder the preposterousness of Hollywood as a whole. Released in the early 1960s, I can't imagine its box office draw. If I'd seen it in the theater, I'd have wondered why I didn't stay home to begin with.

Angel Baby deserved a better reception.

[hollywoodshack · 10/10 · 21 October 2007]

Angel Baby was originally bought by Columbia in 1960 and shelved for a year to insure the success of that studio's similar "Elmer Gantry." On its own merit it is an outstanding film with Oscar worthy performances by the leads, Salome Jens as Angel Baby, and George Hamilton as the evangelist who heals her. Mercedes McCambridge slightly overacts as his jealous wife and Burt Reynolds is a stinker as Angel's ex-boyfriend. He even requested his part in the picture be larger, adding a scene where he almost rapes her, one of the films demerits. The outstanding photography by Haskell Wexler who shot the film with a mini-camera while he roller skated on the set is by far his best effort. Henry Jones and Joan Blondell do fine in their supporting roles as Angel Baby's true believers.

I believe! ... I believe!! This is certainly a most under rated classic film.

[Ed-Shullivan · 8/10 · 21 July 2023]

This may have been actress Salome Jens first movie roll, and although when it was released in 1961 she did not receive star billing over more recognized names such as George Hamilton (Reverend Paul Strand), Mercedes McCambridge (the cold fish wife Sarah Strand), and the two hucksters Joan Blondell (Mollie Hays) and her husband Henry Jones (Ben Hays), Salome Jens was not only more deserving of star billing, her role as Angel Baby, the mute beautiful young women who once again finds her voice, and through this miracle she finds God the healer.

I sometimes wonder why some films receive praise (mainly because of a singular performance by a great actor/actress) and other great films with a unique story line and stellar performances by the entire cast such as in the 1961 film Angel Baby are totally ignored. Maybe because stories regarding Evangelist and/or religion are perceived as "subliminal messaging".

The message I received from this film was simply it was a superb film with an interesting story line, and with the leading actress Salome Jens stealing every scene she appeared in.

I rate this classic film an excellent 8 out of 10 IMDb rating.

I just wan't to bring folks back to God that's all!

[sol-kay · 8/10 · 11 March 2012]

***SPOILERS*** Remarkable film about the evangelist movement in the deep south-cira 1960-that was overshadowed by the release of the Academy Award winning movie "Elmer Gantry" around the same time by the same studio Columbia Pictures. Angie Brooks played by busty blond and angelic looking Salome Jens is known around town as the girl who can't say no since she lost her voice at the age of eight. That's when her drunken father coming home stoned from work beat her and her mom, Victoria Adams, almost to a pulp and then just, before the cops could catch him, disappeared from sight!

It was just a hope but Ma Brooks takes Angie to this revival meeting where the preacher Paul Strand, George Hamilton, is said to be able to cure people that the medical profession can't. Amazingly Angie is able to talk, the very first world out of her mouth was "God", when Paul puts his hands on her neck and prays. With Paul getting a bit too friendly with Angie his wife fellow evangelist Sara Strand, Marcedes McCambridge, gets good and jealous of her in trying to take her prize package, Paul, away from her.

Angie for her part has become very spiritual since her voice came back and is now part of the road show or the revival meeting staged by the Strands that's knocking em dead,or bringing them back to life, all throughout the south. Now known as Angel Baby Angie is forced to go solo or on her own when a jealous Sara has her thrown out for getting a bit too cuddly with her handsome and far younger husband Paul. It's when Angie's new manager snake oil salesman Sam Wilcox,Roger Clark, tries to put the curing of the sick blind and infirmed into her act that things really start to go south, deep deep south, for her. Without Angie's knowledge Wilcox pays a number of local townspeople to fake being blind or crippled so she can cure them with the power of prayer! This gives Sara who by now was on the outs with her husband Paul the chance to expose Angie in the upcoming standing room only revival meeting she's about to participate in!

***SPOILERS*** Wild final with Sara, who ended up getting killed in the stampede, exposing Angie as a fraud in front of all her followers, many waiting in line to be cured by her, as all hell breaks loose among the revival tent audience. With Paul in trying to prevent the carnage trying to get Wilcox to admit to the unruly crowd his sin in faking Angie's healing powers the guy is so drunk that he can't even put two words together! What in the end makes everything right for Angie as well as those of us watching the movie is that now exposed as a fraud she's reluctantly forced to do just one more miracle,which knows she's incapable of doing,in giving a little boy back his ability to walk. Without believing in herself, after what she just went through, but still believing in a higher power what at first was deemed to be impossible to her suddenly not only became possible but a fact of life!

P.S Check out a young and ultra horny Burt Reynolds as local home boy Hoke Adams who spends all the time he's on the screen trying to make it with a very reluctant Angie. Going so far as attending one of her revival meeting just to get a chance to hit on her.

Hucksters and Healers

[zardoz-13 · 8/10 · 3 June 2014]

Burt Reynolds make his cinematic acting debut in Paul Wendkos' evangelistic epic "Angel Baby" that was based on Elsie Oakes Barber's novel "Jenny Angel. The simple but evocative yarn chronicles the rise and fall of a mute twentysomething girl in the Deep South in the 1960s. Jenny (Salome Jens of "Seconds") is healed during a faith tent revival by a young, naive, traveling man of the cloth, Paul (George Hamilton of "By Love Possessed") , who is the epitome of sincerity. A lusty middle-aged woman, Sarah (Mercedes McCambridge of "Johnny Guitar"), found Paul in a choir and took him on the road to preach forgiveness to sinners galore. She quotes scripture and behaves in a holier than thou fashion. After Paul heals Jenny, Sarah takes her in and uses her in vignettes that depict Biblical stories. Soon, Jenny gets the itch to preach herself. Unfortunately, poor Jenny is stalked and harassed by a hunky redneck, Hoke Adams (Burt Reynolds) who fights over Jenny with Paul. Sarah learns of their fight and sends Jenny packing and proclaims Paul is riddled with lust in his heart for her.

Jenny embarks on her own evangelistic crusade with Paul's blessing. Sarah's helpers, Ben (Henry Jones of "Vertigo") and Molly Hays (Joan Blondell of "The Public Enemy"), accompany her down the road to ruin. Along the way, Jenny meets a slick, snake oil huckster, Sam Wilcox (Roger Clark of "Girls in Chains"), and promises her castles in the air. He allows her to use a meeting hall that he has and sets up an organization of telephone marketers to publicize Jenny. Inevitably, and perhaps predictably, Sam starts shelling out dollar bills to con artists to pose as crippled sinners. Jenny heals one crippled sinner, a blind man (Eddie Firestone), and overnight desperate people flock to her for salvation and healing. Inadvertently, the Hays eavesdrop on Sam while he is paying off the bogus blind man and rush to Paul to help Jenny understand that she is being exploited. Naturally, Sarah follows Paul. During the tent revival, not only does Sarah expose Jenny as a charlatan but also the man in a wheelchair as a phony. The crowd goes berserk and tears the place apart. Paul pursues Jenny as does Hoke. Paul finds Jenny in another small southern town where she heals a crippled adolescent at the behest of his parents. Is Jenny a fake or is she genuine? The answer to this question lies in your interpretation of the film.

According to IMDb.COM, "Angel Baby" was shelved so it did not steal the thunder of the Burt Lancaster movie "Elmer Gantry." Essentially, both movies share a lot in common, but "Angel Baby" is lensed on a considerably smaller budget. Nevertheless, "Gidget" director Paul Wendkos, with uncredited assistance from Hubert Cornfield of "Plunder Road," has staged this sordid drama about superstition and mysticism with so many authentic looking extras that "Angel Baby" has an authenticity about it that is terrific! The scene where a child killer confesses his sin in church out of guilt is powerfully done. Salome Jens gives such a quiet, low-key performance as the faith healer that you believe her. The gritty, black & white cinematography of Jack Marta and Haskell Wexler enhances the realism of this low-budget effort. Burt Reynolds is convincing as a young, brawny fellow who wants Jenny for himself.

In some ways better than the film Elmer Gantry

[camille-05424 · 10/10 · 14 January 2020]

I was surprised at this story in how it was told; as well as the acting by several cast members. Thanks to TCM this 1961 version of Angel Baby was well scripted. I am a believer, but this film certainly would be for both believers and those who are not yet. This film shows the flaws in human nature as well as actors portraying those in real life that have a gift of healing. Even if you view the story for just the fine acting of Ms. Salome Jens, Joan Blondell, Henry Jones and surprisingly the acting of George Hamilton. I have not seen any of the remakes; that is something I doubt I will. So if you have the opportunity to view this film I don't think your time will be wasted.

Inspiring

[fearneho · 10/10 · 28 July 2001]

About 1970 friends and I were on our way back to Sydney following a 2-weel driving vacation to Queensland. We stopped overnight in the small 'bush' town of Bourke (New South Wales). It was there we set up camp for the night and then decided to seek out a movie theater. We found such a theater in a beautiful outdoor garden setting . . .I can't recall its name.

Anyway, the movie showing that night was 'Angel Baby' which we hadn't heard about before. I remember the title not appealing to me at all but the theater setting was gorgeous as well as the night itself. The three of us (me, a friend and 11 year-old Peter) positioned ourselves on blankets on the lawn. Then, for the first time, we saw 'Angel Baby'. It impacted greatly on the 3 of us and we thought about it and talked about it for weeks after. We couldn't get out of our minds the miraculous healing of the cripple boy at the movie's conclusion.

Years later I became a Christian and had the opportunity to see that movie again on TV just a couple of years ago. I'd love to be able to thank the movie cast and particularly Salome Jens for having inspired me (us) back in 1970 and even today. Thanks!

A Spiritual Experience ...

[PeterWarnes · 11 July 2003]

And here, all I remembered of "Angel Baby" was Mercedes McCambridge as a lady evangelist offering her wisdom to poor misguided George Hamilton. That plus, of course, a *quite* young Burt Reynolds playing a thuggish local lad.

Believe me, watching this crew was a spiritual experience...