Angel on My Shoulder (film)
Encyclopedia
Angel on My Shoulder is a 1946 American fantasy film
about a deal between the Devil
and a dead man. It was an independent production, produced by Charles R. Rogers and David W. Siegel, directed by Archie Mayo
, written by Harry Segall
(who also wrote the screenplay for Here Comes Mr. Jordan
and the play Heaven Can Wait) and Roland Kibbee
, and released by United Artists
. The film was Mayo's last before his retirement. It starred Paul Muni
, Claude Rains
and Anne Baxter
. The original title was Me and Satan changed by the producer when he realised that people would not see a film about the Devil.
). Kagle ends up in Hell
, where "Nick" (Claude Rains) offers him an opportunity for revenge in exchange for help with a problem. He looks exactly like Judge Frederick Parker, an upright man who is entirely too honest and liable to cause more trouble in future, since he is running for governor of his state. Kagle readily agrees.
Nick arranges to have Kagle take over Parker's body. Then, funny things start happening. Kagle pursues his goal with evil intent (though often at cross purposes with the Devil), but everything he does to smear the judge's reputation somehow ends up making Parker look better. Along the way, Kagle becomes acquainted with Barbara Foster (Anne Baxter), the judge's fiancée. He falls in love with her himself, causing him to question his whole outlook on life. Finally, he rebels.
Kagle is offered the opportunity to shoot Williams but instead confronts the man with the truth. Shocked and frightened, Williams backs away and accidentally falls out an open window to his death.
Exasperated and defeated, Nick takes Kagle back to Hell, leaving Judge Parker much better off than before. Nick threatens to make the reformed man's existence even more painful than usual, but Kagle blackmails his would-be tormentor; in return for not talking about how Nick messed up so badly, Kagle gets himself made a trustee.
in the United States
, because the producers, Rogers and Siegel, neglected to renew the copyright in 1973. Outside of the U.S., the film's rights status varies from country to country, with the worldwide remake rights retained by producer Todd Baker
. It was remade once for television in 1980, starring Peter Strauss
as Eddie and Richard Kiley as Nick. The film was released at 100 minutes, with the currently-shown print on Turner Classic Movies
running somewhat longer.
Fantasy film
Fantasy films are films with fantastic themes, usually involving magic, supernatural events, make-believe creatures, or exotic fantasy worlds. The genre is considered to be distinct from science fiction film and horror film, although the genres do overlap...
about a deal between the Devil
Devil
The Devil is believed in many religions and cultures to be a powerful, supernatural entity that is the personification of evil and the enemy of God and humankind. The nature of the role varies greatly...
and a dead man. It was an independent production, produced by Charles R. Rogers and David W. Siegel, directed by Archie Mayo
Archie Mayo
Archie Mayo was a movie director and stage actor who moved to Hollywood in 1915 and began working as a director in 1917....
, written by Harry Segall
Harry Segall
Harry Segall was an American playwright, screenwriter and television writer.Segall was born in Chicago....
(who also wrote the screenplay for Here Comes Mr. Jordan
Here Comes Mr. Jordan
Here Comes Mr. Jordan is a comedy film in which a boxer, mistakenly taken to Heaven before his time, is given a second chance back on Earth. It stars Robert Montgomery, Claude Rains and Evelyn Keyes. The movie was adapted by Sidney Buchman and Seton I. Miller from the play Heaven Can Wait by Harry...
and the play Heaven Can Wait) and Roland Kibbee
Roland Kibbee
Roland Kibbee was an American screenwriter and producer.- Works :...
, and released by United Artists
United Artists
United Artists Corporation is an American film studio. The original studio of that name was founded in 1919 by D. W. Griffith, Charles Chaplin, Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks....
. The film was Mayo's last before his retirement. It starred Paul Muni
Paul Muni
Paul Muni was an Austrian-Hungarian-born American stage and film actor...
, Claude Rains
Claude Rains
Claude Rains was an English stage and film actor whose career spanned 66 years. He was known for many roles in Hollywood films, among them the title role in The Invisible Man , a corrupt senator in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington , Mr...
and Anne Baxter
Anne Baxter
Anne Baxter was an American actress known for her performances in films such as The Magnificent Ambersons , The Razor's Edge , All About Eve and The Ten Commandments .-Early life:...
. The original title was Me and Satan changed by the producer when he realised that people would not see a film about the Devil.
Plot
Gangster Eddie Kagle (Paul Muni) is killed by his partner and trusted friend since childhood, Smiley Williams (Hardie AlbrightHardie Albright
Hardie Albright was an American actor and the son of travelling vaudevillians.Born as Hardie Hunter Albrecht, he made his stage debut in one of his parents' acts at the age of 7....
). Kagle ends up in Hell
Hell
In many religious traditions, a hell is a place of suffering and punishment in the afterlife. Religions with a linear divine history often depict hells as endless. Religions with a cyclic history often depict a hell as an intermediary period between incarnations...
, where "Nick" (Claude Rains) offers him an opportunity for revenge in exchange for help with a problem. He looks exactly like Judge Frederick Parker, an upright man who is entirely too honest and liable to cause more trouble in future, since he is running for governor of his state. Kagle readily agrees.
Nick arranges to have Kagle take over Parker's body. Then, funny things start happening. Kagle pursues his goal with evil intent (though often at cross purposes with the Devil), but everything he does to smear the judge's reputation somehow ends up making Parker look better. Along the way, Kagle becomes acquainted with Barbara Foster (Anne Baxter), the judge's fiancée. He falls in love with her himself, causing him to question his whole outlook on life. Finally, he rebels.
Kagle is offered the opportunity to shoot Williams but instead confronts the man with the truth. Shocked and frightened, Williams backs away and accidentally falls out an open window to his death.
Exasperated and defeated, Nick takes Kagle back to Hell, leaving Judge Parker much better off than before. Nick threatens to make the reformed man's existence even more painful than usual, but Kagle blackmails his would-be tormentor; in return for not talking about how Nick messed up so badly, Kagle gets himself made a trustee.
Cast
- Paul MuniPaul MuniPaul Muni was an Austrian-Hungarian-born American stage and film actor...
as Eddie Kagle/Judge Fredrick Parker - Anne BaxterAnne BaxterAnne Baxter was an American actress known for her performances in films such as The Magnificent Ambersons , The Razor's Edge , All About Eve and The Ten Commandments .-Early life:...
as Barbara Foster - Claude RainsClaude RainsClaude Rains was an English stage and film actor whose career spanned 66 years. He was known for many roles in Hollywood films, among them the title role in The Invisible Man , a corrupt senator in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington , Mr...
as Nick - Onslow StevensOnslow StevensOnslow Stevens was an American stage, television and film actor.-Career:Born Onslow Ford Stevenson in Los Angeles, California, he was the son of character actor Housley Stevenson...
as Dr. Matt Higgins - George ClevelandGeorge ClevelandGeorge Alan Cleveland was a Canadian film actor. He appeared in over 180 films between 1933 and 1954.-Career:...
as Albert - Erskine SanfordErskine SanfordErskine Sanford was an American actor in films from the late 1930s. A member of Orson Welles' Mercury Theatre company, he also appeared in several of Welles' films, most notably as the bumbling, perspiring newspaper editor Herbert Carter in Citizen Kane.Erskine Sanford lived the last decades of...
as Minister - Marion MartinMarion MartinMarion Martin was an American movie and stage actress.Martin was born, Marion Suplee in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the daughter of a Bethlehem Steel executive. She became an actress after her family fortune was lost in the Wall Street Crash of 1929 and appeared in the Broadway productions...
as Mrs. Bentley - Hardie AlbrightHardie AlbrightHardie Albright was an American actor and the son of travelling vaudevillians.Born as Hardie Hunter Albrecht, he made his stage debut in one of his parents' acts at the age of 7....
as Smiley Williams - James FlavinJames FlavinJames William Flavin, Jr. was an American character actor whose career lasted nearly half a century.-Life and career:...
as Bellamy
Copyright status
The film is now in the public domainPublic domain
Works are in the public domain if the intellectual property rights have expired, if the intellectual property rights are forfeited, or if they are not covered by intellectual property rights at all...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, because the producers, Rogers and Siegel, neglected to renew the copyright in 1973. Outside of the U.S., the film's rights status varies from country to country, with the worldwide remake rights retained by producer Todd Baker
Todd Baker
Todd Baker is an American film and television producer.Baker originally set out to be an actor, and attended both California State University, Northridge and the State University of New York at Purchase at the school's four-year acting conservatory....
. It was remade once for television in 1980, starring Peter Strauss
Peter Strauss
Peter Strauss is an American television and movie actor, known for his roles in several television miniseries in the 1970s and 1980s.-Personal life:...
as Eddie and Richard Kiley as Nick. The film was released at 100 minutes, with the currently-shown print on Turner Classic Movies
Turner Classic Movies
Turner Classic Movies is a movie-oriented cable television channel, owned by the Turner Broadcasting System subsidiary of Time Warner, featuring commercial-free classic movies, mostly from the Turner Entertainment and MGM, United Artists, RKO and Warner Bros. film libraries...
running somewhat longer.