The Littlest Angel

This short film adaption of the well known radio play and children's book set the standard by which all other adaptations must be measured. Many of the same words are used as the book, although the choices are more concise without harming the overall storyline. The male narrator enunciates clearly using a relaxing tone, emotion and moderate pacing. Simplicity sometimes works best with a favorite children's story, and as there was only a small budget available for this movie, it works well. Often it is like a slide show, with occasional movements. Few scenes of flying and running. Limited sound effects as well. Lightning, is the major one! The main character doesn't talk. There is a brief attempt at a song and plenty of sobbing. None of the characters actually speak. The Understanding Angel sings the word hallelujah a few times, and the choir, towards the end, sing a brief excerpt from Joy to the World. There may only be 2 instruments for the music. An organ and harp. It's all that is really necessary. Lots of imagery is used and a good use of colors. If you don't know the story: A child enters Heaven, but he is NOT a model angel. Nothing he does seems to be right. When Jesus is born, everyone must decide on a gift...

I'm, therefore, giving it a ten because that was the effect it had on me at that time.

I haven't seen it since then, but the awe of it has stayed with me.

It starts off showing this average little boy. He has a good home and kind parents. He's curious about everything. Just a typical little boy.

He has "treasures" that he keeps in a cigar box under his bed. A dead butterfly, a pretty stone, his prize marbles, etc.

I won't go into too many details so as not to spoil it, but his death...which was presented so softly that I can't even remember it...and his entry into Heaven is sweetly presented.

The film (from what I can remember) had a playful-little-boy feel to it, and at the same time you could feel his awe over Heaven, the gorgeous angels, beautiful pastel colors, crystals reflecting sparkling lights.

Then comes a special occasion, like a banquet, where everyone in Heaven goes out to meet God.

That's as far as I'll go.

I'll conclude by saying, "The Littlest Angel" left me, as a child, believing that there was hope for me. That I was being watched over and my life mattered. That I was going to be okay.

I once told the story of the entire movie to a group of teenagers and their response surprised me. They loved it.

Hugh Harman's version of Charles Tazewell's book was the first movie made of it. Clearly, Harman loved the subject, with its simplicity and the sort of heartfelt morality that infused his earlier works, as well as the humility of Tazewell's little parable: that he who gives away what is most precious to him, is the most generous, even if others do not see that.

Technically, this is only partially animated, with many of the sequences moving from master shot to master shot with no in-betweening. Harman was long past the days when he and Rudy Ising had extravagant contracts with MGM for their theatrical releases. This one was released by Coronet, and had a budget to match.