Angels in the Outfield (1951) :
Brief Review -
Had I seen it in my childhood, it would have been my nostalgia forever. Clarence Brown had shown that he was good at comedies way back in the 30s, but then dramas took over him, and we had to wait till the 50s to see him revisiting his den. Angels in the Outfield has to be one of his last (or could be his last) best comedies that can be enjoyed without any restriction. No age bar is required, no brain is needed, and there are no awkward moments either. It's not brainless, though. I remember watching Rajiv Mehra's bollywood fantasy comedy "Chamtkar" (1992), even though that film had a different story. There was this angle-type character who made a team win a cricket match. In Angels in the Outfield, we have angles making the Pittsburgh Pirates team win baseball matches. Also, that Lage Rahi Munna Bhai scene of a doctor's consultation to test if a man really talks to an invisible angel was pretty easy to digest. When you see Guffy McGovern's character in the first few scenes, you start loathing him. I just didn't like the way it started. Also, the words were not clear, so half the time, I couldn't understand what he was saying. Then came the angel, who took the film in the right direction. The little girl added more cuteness, while Paige, as a journalist and Guffy's lover, was damn too mainstream. It's a fantasy done right, but the comedy isn't as high as I expected. Paul Douglas is the soul of the film, despite a few loose ends, and Janet Leigh is the perfect girl but an imperfect journalist. The cute little girl Donna Corcoran comes halfway but still manages to take over full attention by the end. We couldn't see angels in the film, but we saw Donna. She wasn't no less than an angel herself. Clarence Brown's impact as a director will always fascinate me. Thanks, man; you have been a good caretaker of the cinema.
RATING - 7/10*
By - #samthebestest.
Had I seen it in my childhood, it would have been my nostalgia forever. Clarence Brown had shown that he was good at comedies way back in the 30s, but then dramas took over him, and we had to wait till the 50s to see him revisiting his den. Angels in the Outfield has to be one of his last (or could be his last) best comedies that can be enjoyed without any restriction. No age bar is required, no brain is needed, and there are no awkward moments either. It's not brainless, though. I remember watching Rajiv Mehra's bollywood fantasy comedy "Chamtkar" (1992), even though that film had a different story. There was this angle-type character who made a team win a cricket match. In Angels in the Outfield, we have angles making the Pittsburgh Pirates team win baseball matches. Also, that Lage Rahi Munna Bhai scene of a doctor's consultation to test if a man really talks to an invisible angel was pretty easy to digest. When you see Guffy McGovern's character in the first few scenes, you start loathing him. I just didn't like the way it started. Also, the words were not clear, so half the time, I couldn't understand what he was saying. Then came the angel, who took the film in the right direction. The little girl added more cuteness, while Paige, as a journalist and Guffy's lover, was damn too mainstream. It's a fantasy done right, but the comedy isn't as high as I expected. Paul Douglas is the soul of the film, despite a few loose ends, and Janet Leigh is the perfect girl but an imperfect journalist. The cute little girl Donna Corcoran comes halfway but still manages to take over full attention by the end. We couldn't see angels in the film, but we saw Donna. She wasn't no less than an angel herself. Clarence Brown's impact as a director will always fascinate me. Thanks, man; you have been a good caretaker of the cinema.
RATING - 7/10*
By - #samthebestest.