Stylish but barely mediocre overall

it is finally so absorbing because it plays like a lyrical road odyssey that’s also a detective story.

I have absolutely never seen anything like this movie before. You have to see this movie.

A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

For many years I avoided films with Paul Muni because I identified him too much with a film genre I generally don't enjoy -- gangster pics. Then I recently caught a couple of non-gangster pics ("The Last Angry Man" and "The Story of Louis Pasteur"), and decided I needed to give Muni another chance.But, you can't win them all. This film was a good idea, but never succeeded in fulfilling its potential. The first problem, which is very obvious, is the very poor and cheap special effects in the beginning of the picture. I'm not talking about poor special effects in comparison to Toyoda's films, but poor special effects even for the late 1940s.Second is Muni's role itself, particularly in the first half of the film. They pretty much pull out every stereotype about old-fashioned gangsters they could think of. Very stereotypical. Later in the film, when Muni's character begins to go straight, Muni makes the character a little more three-dimensional. It's almost too much of a change to tolerate in a 100 minute film. First half, traditional gangster. Second half a performance good enough to make me want to see much more of Paul Muni.There are some things that work here. First off, Claude Rains is great as the Devil. He doesn't overplay the role, just a very nice conservative performance...that works.Anne Baxter is pretty good here as the female lead. Everyone else is very secondary, but they all do their jobs.In terms of the plot -- good idea. But for the first half of the film it just sort of muddles through until the transformation of the main character begins. Some will be disappointed in the conclusion of the film, but it's a logical ending.I do have one gripe. Why do many people describe this as comedy. It's not. Period.The first half of this film is a "D" for me, while the second half is a good solid "B". So, I'll give it a C...a "7".

Archie Mayo's curio "Angel on my Shoulder" is virtually unknown despite a cast headed by Paul Muni, Claude Rains and Anne Baxter. It's a fantasy along the same lines as "Here Comes Mr Jordan" and "It's a Wonderful Life". It came out in the same year as "It's a Wonderful Life" which may be one reason it's gotten lost in that movie's grander shadow or perhaps it's simply because it's not really that good. Muni seems totally lost in the role of a dead gangster fuelling the fires of Hell before he's brought back to inhabit the body of a 'good' judge the Devil is trying to get his hands on, (watching this you would never think Muni was once considered a great actor). Rains, on the other hand, looks like he's enjoying this nonsense though it's hardly what you would call acting; more like smirking as he goes through the motions. The ridiculous plot has Muni and Rains returning from Hell so that Rains' Devil can get the righteous judge down below, (and give Muni's gangster the chance to get revenge on the guy who plugged him). Of course, considering he's the Devil, Rains seems singularly unprepared for Anne Baxter's sweetness-and-light fiancée whose goodness messes up his plans somewhat. Naturally, it's a comedy and it's not unamusing in a daft kind of way but it's hardly memorable. Par for the Archie Mayo course, in fact.

Paul Muni shines in this 1946 film. What else is new? He beautifully conveys the title role of a mug shot to death by a gang friend wanting to take the organization over. While in Hades, he meets up with Claude Rains as Lucifer. He goes back to extract revenge by exchanging roles with a look-alike judge.This excellent film conveys the possibility of redemption even on the part of such a hardened criminal.Amazing that Anne Baxter, as the judge's girlfriend, has a part that is relatively so benign here. This is the same Baxter who marched down that Oscar aisle that same year for her splendid performance as the ill-fated Sophie in "The Razor's Edge."The film is a great one and should not be missed.

Paul Muni is a hard-boiled gangster who literally goes to Hell. Claude Raines is a smooth Devil who will cut Muni a deal if he goes back to Earth and ruins the name of a good and upright man. Ann Baxter is the monkey wrench. Sounds like a drama and it is, but it's kind of a "comedy-noir". It's also a great romantic comedy. Paul Muni is tough, funny and at times sensitive, Anne Baxter is a long suffering fiancé and just the kind of woman for whom a tough mug like Muni's Eddie could turn over a new leaf, and Claude Raines makes an excellent "Nick", both funny and ominous.There is a nice twist at the end and the closing scene is one of my favorite finales in filmdom.