Las diablillas del convento

"The Trouble With Angels" starts out as a fairly standard Hayley Mills teen comedy. She and June Harding play the roles of two reluctant students at St. Francis, a Catholic school run by nuns. Rosalind Russell is excellent in the role of Mother Superior as is the rest of the cast.

The story is fairly simple so there isn't much to say about it. The girls are rebellious and play many pranks on the sisters, but gradually, as the movie progresses and the girls reach their final year at St. Francis it transitions gently and believably into a very touching and poignantly bittersweet ending. It never fails to get to me emotionally.

I'm a sucker for a good tear-jerker and in terms of sheer lachrymosity this one rates right up there with "My Dog Skip", "The Return of the King", "The Bishop's Wife", "It's a Wonderful Life", "Born Free" and "The Family Way" and the final episode of "The Flame Trees of Thika" (the last two also starring Hayley Mills). Something about kids and animals and saying goodbye - it always starts the waterworks going for me.

The secret, as always, is to create characters that you really get to know and care about. It also helps to have good music and Jerry Goldsmith wrote a very memorable score for this film.

I highly recommended this movie for kids who haven't yet been jaded by the rubbish that Hollywood produces these days.

Rachel Devery encounters rebellious Mary Clancy (Hayley Mills) a train. The teens are two of the girls on their way to a Catholic boarding school for girls run by the Reverend Mother (Rosalind Russell) and the other nuns. The two best friends cause all kinds of trouble and grow up in the process.

Hayley Mills is trying leave her Disney roles behind. She fits very well with this rebellious character. Even as a Disney princess, she has an impish quality. This movie dials that up a few notches without moving much into her sexuality. It's a touching coming-of-age story without any boy drama. It's probably the best way for Hayley to transition out of Disney.

I am a guy, and I love "The Trouble with Angels"!

Now I feel better, I've admitted it. I remember seeing this as a kid and it made a great impression on me. The end is especially poignant and if you've never seen the movie, it can get to you. Plus, any movie that has a character named "Marvel Anne" is worth a look!

Hayley Mills and Rosalind Russell were in better movies in their career, but none I like better than this one.

Another of my favorite classics from childhood was 1966's THE TROUBLE WITH ANGELS, a sassy and entertaining comedy from a time long forgotten about two teenagers (Hayley Mills, June Harding) who meet at a Catholic convent school called St. Francis Academy, who become fast friends and cause nothing but headache for the Mother Superior (Rosalind Russell). I remember seeing this movie in the theaters during its original theatrical release and enjoying it immensely. Rosalind Russell and Hayley Mills were both at the top of their game as the protagonists in this comedic cat and mouse game between student and administrator where you know something has got to give at some point and it actually does. Laughs and warmth abide in this entertaining family comedy, the likes of which we will never see again.

They don't make 'em like this anymore, alas. There was a time when you could see great "B" movies, like this one, in theaters. They were entertaining pieces, produced for less money, but with just as much fun as their "A" siblings. You don't find many "B" movies anymore (at least good ones) and it's a shame. Even cable and tv movies don't live up to some of these classics.

Hayley Mills and Rosalind Russell are the two opposing forces in this battle of wills, and they're pretty evenly matched. Russell sees some of herself in young Mills, as she comments to Marge Redmond. Mills comes to realize that Russell represents something she has been looking for, but has been unable to define, a sense of community and purpose. Both are orphans who were raised by relatives, with dreams of fashion and glamour, but longing for something greater.

The film treats the Catholic Church and work of the nuns with far greater respect than most films, particularly more modern examples, like Sister Act. We see the depth of their faith and their commitment to serving their fellow human beings. I was raised Protestant and have little experience with the Catholic Church, but have always found a deeper respect for the less glamorous work that the nuns often carry out, compared to their male brethren.

The film is full of great character moments and some laugh-out-loud gags. It has a warmth and charm that grows with age. It's a shame that Haley Mills didn't perform in more films like this, as an adult; she had a real flair for comedy and could shift to drama just as easily. It's understandable for an actress to want to move into more serious parts, but I really think she passed up some great opportunities.

This was a film that deserved a sequel. Too bad that the one it got didn't live up to it's predecessor. It would be interesting to see Haley Mills return as Mary, carrying on the tradition of Rosalind Russell's Reverend Mother, with some "scathingly brilliant" ideas. Unfortunately, I doubt Hollywood would be up to the task.