Bad Little Angel

Okay, I'll admit I was in tears watching this film. Virginia Wiedler was a wonderful alternative to the Shirley Temple/Margaret O'Brien acting style, and I really like her sincerity without the "sugar coating" that Shirley and Margaret always added.

Wonderful supporting characters, (although more important), since she played an orphan, and was constantly looking for guidance and acceptance. The Father figure, the boyfriend, his alcoholic father, and the other character actors made this a balanced film. Christian overtones wouldn't get it through to the big screen these days, but this was 1939. Late in the Depression, Christian thinking was very strong. Worth watching!

As an atheist, ordinarily I'd steer clear of religiously themed shows. Too often they're sanctimoniously smug with their Christian message. On the whole, however, this little MGM programmer manages to avoid most of the pitfalls, and I watched all the way through.

Shrewdly, the religious theme is carried by the charming little Patsy. As the little girl, 11-year old Weidler is anything but sanctimonious in her reliance on the Bible as a guide for her future. An orphan, Patsy is hoping for a home after running away from a cruel orphanage. Due to the late Mrs. Perkins' influence, the orphan uses Biblical passages chosen at random as God's wisdom in guiding her. The book's a substitute parent, as it were. At the same time, however, she thinks herself a jinx because she seems to leave misfortune in her wake, as when kindly Mr. Creighton is seriously injured, which Patsy blames on her jinx. Which of these influences will prevail amounts to the plot's crux.

It's not surprising that an 11-year old orphan, now footloose, would hunger for emotional backup that a source like the Bible could provide. Thus, I didn't object to the Bible's use in that regard. Of course, that the passages would be so wisely relevant when picked at random is pure Hollywood contrivance. Nonetheless, the unheralded Weidler carries the film in winning style.

All in all, the movie's fairly heart-warming without being sappy. Plus, the special effects from the factory fire are worthy of an A-production. For a non-believer like me, the 70-minutes works pretty well as a human interest story, whatever else might be gleaned.

(In passing—Catch Patsy's pig-tails, a popular hair style among little girls of the time, which gave mischievous little boys like me a chance to pull on them! But only if we liked the girl. For sure, I would have tugged on Patsy's.)

An orphaned girl believes she brings back luck to all those who take her in. Actually, it's the opposite: her plucky optimism and faith in the Lord mends fences and brings people together. Although not as well-known as a family picture like "The Wizard of Oz" (released the same year), "Bad Little Angel" has the same overlay of sentiment and uplift--also the same dog! Feisty, determined little Virginia Weidler is perfect in the lead, using the Bible as her guide and escaping a rotten orphanage for Egypt...Egypt, New Jersey, that is. It's fairly easy to knock a movie which goes to such corny lengths for its plot turns (a factory catching fire, a loving husband and father stopping the blaze but getting buried in the rubble, two children rescuing him, etc.), but when the results are delivered in such a heartfelt manner, cynicism no longer applies. MGM clearly wanted 1939 audiences to leave the theater feeling good, and that sincere attribute still resonates. *** from ****

Patricia Victoria 'Patsy' Sanderson (Virginia Weidler) is an orphan under the care of god-fearing Mrs. Perkins who dies suddenly. She is put back into the orphanage. She follows the old lady's advise and reads the Bible for direction in life. She reads about Egypt in the Bible and runs away to Egypt, New Jersey.

I love this premise. It is a fun concept with plenty of morality and sweetness already built-in. Virginia Weidler is a good child star who retired in her teens. She may not be the biggest star but she has the natural innocence required for the role. I wonder if anyone is making a remake.

The headline is true, except I should say "has to be HEARD" to be believed. That's because this is so far far removed from anything ever produced in Hollywood, as far as I know. In fact, you would guess some Christian organization made this movie, not mainstream Hollywood, even in 1939.

The unique theme of this movie? Believing in the Bible. Wow, what a novel concept!

The lead character in here, played wonderfully by Virginia Weidler, is an 11 or 12-year-old girl who starts off sentences with, "Well....the Bible says."....or "The Lord told me.." And she's proved right, time after time.

It's a short (72-minute) story about a girl who runs away from home, finds a family, and then helps her "adopted" father with a major problem. Along the way, she transforms a young ruffian and his drunken father, and a grumpy old man who owns the town. This girl - with Scripture in hand - does it all!

It isn't simply a corny, overly sentimental film, although those certainly are ingredients in this mix. There also is drama, action, romance and humor....a little bit of everything.

This is a wonderful, unique film. Sad to say it's never been available on tape or disc. Too bad, because there is a sizable Bible-believing audience out there hungry for something as refreshing as this.