The Angel Who Pawned Her Harp

I don't do lists, but this may be the loveliest film I've ever seen. It grabbed me from the opening sequence, the camera sweeping over Islington while there is a distinctly odd, & oddly amusing conversation going on. At this point though you feel this film could go either way. But as soon as the angel appears at the pawnbrokers you know it's going to be good. Cilento is just perfect; innocent & wise at the same time, her beauty transcending sexuality. What followed was a small scale unpretentious masterpiece. There are caricatures & characters, some good performances, some excellent, some lovely comic touches (the drunken drummer confused as he exited the dance amused me inordinately). Possibly the only complaint was Aylmer's accent, which I think was meant to be Oi Vey Jewish but kept wandering across several ethnic possibilities. Apart from that his actual performance was excellent.

Are we supposed to take any of it seriously? Of course not. But there was a serious message at its core, something rather wonderful about things that really matter, something sometimes more effective for being told in a whimsical, light-hearted way.

It's the oldest & most important message ever. It's inherently implicit in every significant piece of art, literature & music - even if by it's absence. Love. Genuine transcendental love & compassion for all the human race, for all that lives & breathes. That quality suffused this modest little film, & it moved me immensely, far more than many big budget extravaganzas that hit you over the head trying to force a similar response. I adored it. I will treasure it till the day I (hopefully) acquire a harp of my own :-)

The young Diane Cilento gives off a lovely glow in the title role of this good-natured Group 3 whimsy which became the first of a trio of 'kitchen sink' fantasies (the later pair comprising 'The Bespoke Overcoat' and 'A Kid for Two Farthings').

All three feature David Kossoff and Alfie Bass, but this is the least overtly Jewish; although Felix Aylmer's kindly old pawnbroker recalls his 'Mr Emmanuel' of ten years earlier. It's also interesting to see Jerry Desmonde playing the sort of bow-tied, fast-talking spiv usually associated with Ronald Shiner.

I have been a fan of 'The Angel Who Pawned Her Harp' ever since I watched it on television as a child, and I consider myself fortunate to have the film on video. Based on a novel by Charles Terrot, it was shot partly on location at the Angel, Islington, and at Harringay Stadium, London. The plot concerns a beautiful blonde angel who arrives in Islington on a mission of goodwill. To raise some money, she pawns her harp at a second-hand store owned by Joshua Webman. Bringing out the best in the people she meets, she shows them the road down which their happiness lies. Combining ingenuity and sentiment, fantasy and realism, it is a consistently entertaining and often moving story. The acting of all involved is outstanding, especially Diane Cilento, Felix Aylmer, Jerry Desmonde, Joe Linnane, Philip Guard, Sheila Sweet, Edward Evans and Alfie Bass.

Once you accept the premise, that an angel needs to pawn a harp in order to fund her good works on Earth, this film trundles along nicely. The cast performs commendably, with Alfie Bass and Jerry Desmonde adding their talents to the mix.

Diane Cilento positively 'glows angelically' on screen, in no small measure because of Arthur Grant (of Hammer Film fame, whose credits include 'Quatermass and the Pit') being in charge of the cinematography.

Every scene is beautifully lit in it's own way; it is a pleasure to see a nicely crafted film like this. I daresay the budget wasn't huge, but they made a really nice job of it. Many of the shots (both indoors and out) offer glimpses into how things would have looked at the time, making the film's look very much of its period. The story on the other hand is somewhat more timeless.

I have been fortunate enough to see this film on the 'Talking Pictures' UK freeview channel. The print used appears to be unrestored, but this did not mar my enjoyment of the film. Indeed the only real complaint I would make is that the sound and the film image were not synchronised properly when the film was broadcast.

Well worth watching.

Diane Cilento is an angel, a quite literal one, sent to Islington on a piece of work. She starts out by pawning her harp to Felix Aylmer, who's worried that when he dies, his nephew will sell his beloved collection of music boxes; he accepts that they will go, but as a pawnbroker, it galls him they'll be sold for bottom dollar. There's also his shop assistant, who's in love with a neighbor, a dealer and restorer of old instruments with whom Aylmer joyously bargains, and other assorted individuals, each with his or her own petty issues. We know Miss Cilento was sent to help one or more of them, but which? And to what end?

It's a charming little fantasy, directed by Alan Bromly for Group 3, based on a short TV drama written by Charles Terrot. At 76 minutes, it's stuffed full and humanity and whimsy. Stuffing it into its original 30-minute TV slot must have produced something as delightful, intricate and beautiful as one of Aylmer's music boxes.