Angels Revenge
Encyclopedia
Angels Revenge is a 1979 American film directed by Greydon Clark
and distributed by Arista Films. It is also known as Angels' Brigade and Seven from Heaven.
Angels Revenge has major roles for Peter Lawford
and Jack Palance
as the leaders of a drug cartel, and gives minor roles to famous character actor
s Jim Backus
, Alan Hale, Jr.
, Pat Buttram
and Arthur Godfrey
(playing himself). Of the actresses who played the movie's seven female protagonists, however, the closest any had previously come to any degree of fame was Susan Kiger
, who had been the Playboy
Playmate of the Month for January 1977. Kiger played singer Michelle Wilson; her co-stars were Sylvia Anderson as stuntwoman Terry Grant, Lieu Chinh as martial arts instructor Keiko Umaro, Jacqueline Cole as high-school teacher April, Noela Velasco as model Maria, and Robin Greer
as policewoman Elaine Brenner. Her younger sister Liza Greer
plays high-school student Trish, who invites herself into the team. Jack Palance played chief antagonist Mike Farrell, assistant to Lawford's kingpin character.
after the brother of Michelle Wilson, a Las Vegas pop singer, is found severely beaten. When taken to the hospital, the young man is found to have been on illegal drugs. The singer meets with April, her brother's teacher, and the two hatch a plan to destroy the local drug processing plant. They recruit four more women with special skills and connections to help them carry out their audacious goal. As they plan their first strike, they discover high-schooler Trish spying on them. The student gets relegated to phone duty, but eventually worms her way into their escapades. The "Angels" not only destroy the processing plant, but also manage to intercept one of the shipments. As a result, the women receive unwelcome attention from the local drug cartel.
television series. The plot was seen as contrived. It also had a number of "has-been" actors, primarily Lawford and Palance, whose popularity had fallen since the 1960s.
television series. The movie was edited somewhat for MST3K; for example, the character of Miller (Neville Brand
) is listed in the opening credits, but is only mentioned towards the end of the MSTed version, never actually appearing on screen.
Greydon Clark
Greydon Clark is an American film writer, director, producer, and actor. His career spans several decades and genres, although the majority of his work has been low-budget productions in the action/horror genres...
and distributed by Arista Films. It is also known as Angels' Brigade and Seven from Heaven.
Angels Revenge has major roles for Peter Lawford
Peter Lawford
Peter Sydney Ernest Aylen , better known as Peter Lawford, was an English-American actor.He was a member of the "Rat Pack", and brother-in-law to US President John F. Kennedy, perhaps more noted in later years for his off-screen activities as a celebrity than for his acting...
and Jack Palance
Jack Palance
Jack Palance , was an American actor. During half a century of film and television appearances, Palance was nominated for three Academy Awards, all as Best Actor in a Supporting Role, winning in 1991 for his role in City Slickers.-Early life:Palance, one of five children, was born Volodymyr...
as the leaders of a drug cartel, and gives minor roles to famous character actor
Character actor
A character actor is one who predominantly plays unusual or eccentric characters. The Oxford English Dictionary defines a character actor as "an actor who specializes in character parts", defining character part in turn as "an acting role displaying pronounced or unusual characteristics or...
s Jim Backus
Jim Backus
James Gilmore "Jim" Backus was a radio, television, film, and voice actor. Among his most famous roles are the voice of Mr...
, Alan Hale, Jr.
Alan Hale, Jr.
Alan Hale, Jr. was an American film and television actor, best known for his role as Skipper on the popular sitcom Gilligan's Island. Hale was the lookalike son of popular supporting film actor Alan Hale, Sr....
, Pat Buttram
Pat Buttram
Maxwell Emmett "Pat" Buttram was an American actor, known for playing the sidekick of Gene Autry and for playing the character of Mr. Haney in the TV series Green Acres. He had a distinctive voice which, in his own words, "... never quite made it through puberty"...
and Arthur Godfrey
Arthur Godfrey
Arthur Morton Godfrey was an American radio and television broadcaster and entertainer who was sometimes introduced by his nickname, The Old Redhead...
(playing himself). Of the actresses who played the movie's seven female protagonists, however, the closest any had previously come to any degree of fame was Susan Kiger
Susan Kiger
Susan Lynn Kiger is an American model and actress. Her centerfold was photographed by Pompeo Posar and Ken Marcus...
, who had been the Playboy
Playboy
Playboy is an American men's magazine that features photographs of nude women as well as journalism and fiction. It was founded in Chicago in 1953 by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from Hefner's mother. The magazine has grown into Playboy Enterprises, Inc., with...
Playmate of the Month for January 1977. Kiger played singer Michelle Wilson; her co-stars were Sylvia Anderson as stuntwoman Terry Grant, Lieu Chinh as martial arts instructor Keiko Umaro, Jacqueline Cole as high-school teacher April, Noela Velasco as model Maria, and Robin Greer
Robin Greer
Robin Greer is an American actress, noted for her roles in television soap operas.She played Sydney Price in the daytime series Ryan's Hope before switching to prime-time to play Dina Wells in Falcon Crest.-External links:...
as policewoman Elaine Brenner. Her younger sister Liza Greer
Liza Greer
Liza Greer is an American model and actress.She wrote the main sequence of the tell-all book You'll Never Make Love In This Town Again. In it she recounts affairs and encounters with, among others, Warren Beatty, David Crosby, Jack Wagner, Vanna White and Billy Idol. She speaks frankly about her...
plays high-school student Trish, who invites herself into the team. Jack Palance played chief antagonist Mike Farrell, assistant to Lawford's kingpin character.
Plot
The movie focuses on seven women who decide to fight the local drug cartelDrug cartel
Drug cartels are criminal organizations developed with the primary purpose of promoting and controlling drug trafficking operations. They range from loosely managed agreements among various drug traffickers to formalized commercial enterprises. The term was applied when the largest trafficking...
after the brother of Michelle Wilson, a Las Vegas pop singer, is found severely beaten. When taken to the hospital, the young man is found to have been on illegal drugs. The singer meets with April, her brother's teacher, and the two hatch a plan to destroy the local drug processing plant. They recruit four more women with special skills and connections to help them carry out their audacious goal. As they plan their first strike, they discover high-schooler Trish spying on them. The student gets relegated to phone duty, but eventually worms her way into their escapades. The "Angels" not only destroy the processing plant, but also manage to intercept one of the shipments. As a result, the women receive unwelcome attention from the local drug cartel.
Critical response
The movie was not well received by the critics or the general public, being seen as a cheap knockoff of the Charlie's AngelsCharlie's Angels
Charlie's Angels is a television series about three women who work for a private investigation agency, and is one of the first shows to showcase women in roles traditionally reserved for men...
television series. The plot was seen as contrived. It also had a number of "has-been" actors, primarily Lawford and Palance, whose popularity had fallen since the 1960s.
Mystery Science Theater 3000
Because of the poor response to the film, it faded into obscurity until March 11, 1995, when it was used as an episode of the Mystery Science Theater 3000Mystery Science Theater 3000
Mystery Science Theater 3000 is an American cult television comedy series created by Joel Hodgson and produced by Best Brains, Inc., that ran from 1988 to 1999....
television series. The movie was edited somewhat for MST3K; for example, the character of Miller (Neville Brand
Neville Brand
Neville Brand was an American television and movie actor.-Early life:Neville Brand was born in Illinois. He was born to Leo and Helen Brand as one of seven children. Leo, was an electrician and bridge building steel worker in Detroit, where Neville was raised...
) is listed in the opening credits, but is only mentioned towards the end of the MSTed version, never actually appearing on screen.