We're No Angels

Back when I was in college a friend of mine, the only other person I knew who had seen this film, used to recite lines to each other on appropriate occasions. He was a rugby player, a real rough and tumbly sort of guy, and I was a fairly gentle, studious type; we were two, very different types of people. The point behind this is that, while we were both very different, we both found "We're No Angels" to be a superbly executed film.

I recently had a chance to see the film again and it's just as enjoyable as ever. This light-hearted, if somewhat criminal, comedy is warming, family film with an evil streak. It's absolutely fascinating to watch Bogart in a light comedy role, and to see a young(er) Peter Ustinov as a wife-murdering safe-cracker with a heart. And throw in great (if typical) performances by Basil Rathbone and Leo G. Carroll to boot.

But in my mind, the three biggest stars in this film are playwright Albert Hussens, screenwriter Ranald MacDougall, and above all, a surprisingly masterful performance by Aldo Ray. Ray treads the line between being dumb, lovable, trite thug and being a brutal, sociopathic criminal with great resolve. In the end it is his smoothly delivered lines that one remembers above all else.

As for the dialogue, it too treads lines. This is a film for the entire family, yes. But it does have it's randier moments, and all of them are done in such a way that children will not understand the full implications of them (if they do you have no one to blame but yourself). This translates into a "something for everyone" type of film.

Check it out.

We're No Angels is adapted from a French play La Cuisine de Anges which was written by Albert Husson and ran a nice, respectable 344 performances on Broadway 1953-1954. In the roles of those unlikely angel/convicts on Broadway were Walter Slezak, Jerome Cowan, and Darren McGavin.

Our three in this film are Humphrey Bogart, Peter Ustinov, and Aldo Ray who escape from Devil's Island and are now among hundreds of other paroled convicts in the French West Indies at the turn of the last century. This was around the time Alfred Dreyfus was in Devil's Island so we know it was no fun place to be.

But these three seem to have a light hearted take life as it comes attitude. There's no whining from any of them about them being innocent of what got them there. But they want out and make it.

Fate puts them in the hands of a family they first would like to rob for some getaway loot. But hearing and seeing the sad plight they're in they can't bring themselves to do it. Then of course comes the Christmas visit of a tyrannical cousin played with relish by Basil Rathbone whom they work for and the convicts work becomes a pleasure.

They are aided of course by a pet coral snake named Adolph that Ray keeps in a straw basket. In many ways Adolph is almost divinely driven to do his duty.

Humphrey Bogart who was an unsuccessful embezzler in the film has a nice light touch for deadpan comedy. Too bad he didn't use it more often in films. This was a nice blend of comedy together with Bogey's gangster persona which we see more of in his films. On stage before he came to Hollywood, Bogart actually did a lot of light comedy.

This was also Bogart's final film with Director Michael Curtiz with whom he worked often and well back at Warner Brothers. Most particularly in Casablanca which was Curtiz's Oscar winning film for himself and for the film. A lot consider that film the one that firmly cemented Humphrey Bogart as a top box office draw.

Leo G. Carroll, Joan Bennett, and Gloria Talbott are the family who get some help on Christmas. The film itself is a great indication how the Deity or the fates do indeed move in mysterious ways.

A rare Humphrey Bogart comedy, and it works perfectly!

Seeing Bogart in the lead role, and the movie being about a jailbreak, I was expecting an adventure-drama. Instead I got a comedy, and a very good one at that.

Incredibly sharp dialogue and some devilishly clever and funny sub-plots make this an hilarious movie. Add in the fact that it is set at Christmas, and there is a great amount of Christmas sentimentality and fun involved too.

The other things that carry the movie are the performances of Bogart and, especially, Peter Ustinov. Bogart delivers his lines well and cannot be faulted, but Ustinov has a perfect sense of comedic timing. Plus his Englishness makes him seem so much funnier.

Aldo Ray is a bit hit-and-miss as the third non-angel. Sometimes you feel he is just reciting his lines without any sense of timing or tone, but others then hit the mark well.

Good support from Joan Bennett, Basil Rathbone, Leo Carroll and Gloria Talbott.

A must-see, especially at Christmas.

I stumbled upon We're No Angels one night on AMC. I found that I couldn't leave the TV. I enjoyed the three likeable convicts and discovered that Humphrey Bogart has a knack for light comedy. Peter Ustinov is very deadpan and as a result, some of the best lines come from his character. Aldo Ray is the sweet dumb guy with a heart of gold and a rather dangerous pet. Basil Rathbone is great as the guy you love to hate. A great cast, a good script and good direction by Michael Curtiz makes this a classic.

This is one of the best comedies ever and one of my all-time favorites. I must have seen it a dozen or more times. The cast is perfect and Bogart shows he has a great talent for comedy. Rathbone plays the deliciously evil antagonist Cousin Andre, perfect in his role as the villain you love to hate which he pulls off with his usual deadpan style (has he ever played the good guy in any role?) Ustinov and Ray are perfect sidekicks for Bogart, their comedic style completely complements his. Carroll is perfect as the bumbling husband of the shop the convicts descend upon, initially planning on robbing him. I found the movie had all the necessary elements for a great side-splitting comedy along with some tender moments to show a contrast in the characters involved. I rate this one a nine of ten.