Angel Baby
Directed by Paul Wendkos
Written by Orin Borsten, Paul Mason, and Samuel Roeca from a novel by Elsie Oakes Barber
1961/USA
Madera Productions
First viewing/Amazon Instant
When asked about this movie Burt Reynolds replied, “George Hamilton beat me up in this film. Does that tell you something?
You know it’s a bad movie when you are embarrassed for the actors.
Jenny Angel (Salome Jens), known to her friends and family as “Angel Baby” has been mute since she was struck by her father while defending her mother at age 8. As the movie begins she is making out with Hoke Adams (Burt Reynolds in his film debut). Her mother drags her away to attend a revival meeting. There she is miraculously cured by fundamentalist preacher Paul Strand (George Hamilton). It is more or less love at first sight. Unfortunately, Paul is married to the much older religious fanatic Sarah (Mercedes McCambridge).
In gratitude, Angel Baby volunteers to join the traveling company. She is shown the ropes by preaching alcoholics Ben and Molly (Joan Blondell). She rapidly becomes a major draw and Sarah’s main mission is to get rid of her. After revealing her undying love to Paul, she, Ben and Molly part ways to continue to preach on their own. Angel Baby is a hit wherever she goes, and not solely for her religious zeal.
Angel Baby acquires a promoter who secretly sets up some fake faith healings to improve business. The revelation of the deceit threatens to destroy both Angel Baby and her faith in God.
Prior to the start of the movie we get a fairly long written introduction. In essence, it explains that, although there are bad religious charlatans in the world, this is a movie about true believers. It was then that I got a faint whiff from the past of eau de Dwain Esper, exploitation promoter extraordinaire, who was responsible for such classics as Sex Maniac and Reefer Madness. This movie had a budget many thousands of times that of the old ones but a lot of the same vibe.
This movie is more or less built around displaying the body of Salome Jens to best advantage. In between, we get a bunch of dreck and spectacle looking to capitalize on Elmer Gantry. Let’s just say that George Hamilton is no Burt Lancaster. I felt sorry for a number of the actors in this movie, none more so than Mercedes McCambridge and Joan Blondell. They turn in good performances but cannot overcome the material.
There’s a campy fascination to this stuff that will appeal to some of my readers. You know who you are. I, of course, am one of you.
Clip
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YGQEbD4sJoI
Bonus: Rosie Hamlin of Rosie and the Originals sings “Angel Baby”, a hit in 1961, many years later – this is far better than anything in the film
