Too much of everything

A lot of perfectly good film show their cards early, establish a unique premise and let the audience explore a topic at a leisurely pace, without much in terms of surprise. this film is not one of those films.

It is neither dumb nor smart enough to be fun, and spends way too much time with its boring human characters.

It's simply great fun, a winsome film and an occasionally over-the-top luxury fantasy that never flags.

As a lifelong Bogey fan, I had never tracked this one down until its recent screening by Film 4. Now I know why it is seldom seen. The humour is pedestrian and the plot pure hokum. It has echoes of the Marx Brothers in its routines but not in a good way! Big mistake by Bogart to be involved in this.

This film has the most incongruous, far-fetched collection of actors of any film I can recall. And, why not? With such a wacky script and unusual plot, it calls for such diversity. "We're No Angels" is one of the most unusual – and original, comedies ever made. The entire cast shine in this hilarious film. It takes a short time to get up to speed, but that helps we viewers understand a little better what it's all about. It help us make sense out of what follows. Three convicts look down from roof windows on a family as its characters are introduced and they talk about their travails. And yet, the three pop in and out of the story, by simple trips down the ladder and then back up again. They are supposed to be repairing the roof. It's a novel convention and creative derivation from the old Hollywood techniques of heavenly creatures looking down on things below, or the more standard narrator telling a story. In this method though, the characters in the technique are part of the story at the outset and all along. By the time they come down off the roof for good, the comedy moves into high gear and it never lets up. I wonder how Paramount managed to cast the three male leads together. Humphrey Bogart is Joseph, a white-collar con man and head of the group. Peter Ustinov is Jules, the deft lock and safe opener. And, Aldo Ray is Albert, the slow-witted but kind-hearted guy who in an emotional outburst killed his uncle. A fourth character that we never see is contained in a box that looks like a model house. Adolph is a deadly poisonous snake – a sort of pet of the three guys who are prisoners on Devil's Island. From his description (very short, multi-colored), Adolph is probably some sort of coral snake. Three convicts have escaped from Devil's Island at the start of the story, but we don't know for sure if these are the three. That's because in the port town of Cayenne, capital of French Guiana, convicts from the island several miles offshore, are often put to work in various jobs. So, they can move about, cautiously, as convicts. But they talk about escaping and have their eyes set on doing so on a small ship anchored nearby. (The 1973 movie, "Papillon" is set in the same place.) But first they need to get passports, papers, clothing and some money. They set about to accumulate all three when they stop in the general store operated by Felix Ducotel. Leo G. Carroll is the next diverse actor cast, as Felix. His wife and daughter are two more. Joan Bennett plays his wife, Amelie, and Gloria Talbott plays his daughter, Isabelle. The final diverse casting is Basil Rathbone as Andre Trochard. A small number of other supporting players fill out the cast. This is one very funny, and redeeming story about three convicts who would like to see justice done for a family that befriended them – the Ducotels. Others describe the plot, so I'll end with a few funny lines from the film script. For more hilarious dialog, see the Quotes section here on the IMDb Web page of "We're No Angels."Albert, "They shouldn't let crooks like that on Devil's Island." Jules, "No, it'll give the place a bad name."Andre, "You men are murderers." Joseph, "Not me. I'm a maniac."Joseph, "Jules, you rush in and tell him before it's too late. Tell him there's a snake in that box." Jules, "He won't believe me. He doesn't like me." Joseph, "Albert, maybe you ought to run in and warn him." Albert, "Why don't we cut cards for it?" Joseph, "Good idea. I'll get the cards." (Long pause as he slowly saunters over to get a deck of cards and returns). Joseph, "Who cuts first?" This goes on for a time. The dialog is all the more funny watching the film. Joseph, "It's true. He died in his sleep." Felix, "That was very considerate of him." Amelie, "I don't know what to do." Felix, "The first thing to do is make sure that he's dead. I don't trust him."Felix, "He had a number of good points, I'm sure. I just can't think of any."Jules, "It's predestiny." Albert, "No, it's the fellow from the boat."The ending has a nice artistic touch. This is a wonderfully funny film. Anyone who hasn't seen Bogart in comedy will be surprised. With the right plot and script, a great actor can play any role. Bogie and the entire cast provide many laughs in this film. It's a treasure to keep in one's film library and pop in to play when skies are gray – or any time.

" . . . you meet a better class of people there," notes master forger Joseph (Humphrey Bogart) at the close of WE'RE NO ANGELS. The purpose of this 1955 flick is to use Christmas as a backdrop to explain how the world works to young people. ANGELS exposes rich people (represented here by Andre and Paul) as society's biggest thieves, out to cheat their "inferiors" at every turn. Andre short-changes his taxi wagon driver 56%. Paul burns an unfavorable will. Both threaten to ruin their Middle Class relatives Felix, Amelie, and Isabel if it will add as much as a nickel to their own hoards of wealth. "Civilization" is depicted here as a legal system with one goal: to let the Rich (that is, the Master Thieves) get richer. As the Kangaroo Court convened by "angels" Joseph, Jules, and Albert rules, there can be just one fit sentence for the Rich: Death! Adolphe, their pet, is a viper or snake--the universal symbol of Evil. Since Evil got Andre and Paul into their riches, it is up to Evil to get them out, and Adolphe makes quick work of this pair of Rich Bozos. Though there are fewer jingling bells in WE'RE NO ANGELS than in IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE, even Adolphe winds up with a halo at the end.

Here are my notes from introducing the film... WE'RE NO ANGELS premiered September 23, 1955 and was produced and distributed by Paramount in Technicolor & VistaVision!This version does not star Robert DeNiro or Sean Penn, that was a sort of remake made in 1989.It was based on the French play by Albert Husson, "Kitchen Of The Angels" and with a screenplay written by Ranald MacDougall. The working title of this film was Angels Cooking.On Broadway in 1953 a droll, tender romp called "My Three Angels." Based on the same French play, was adapted by Bella and Sam Spewack about some nice Devils Island inhabitants and a trio of convicts. When this film came out, the Spewack's sued and the result of that lawsuit was never disclosed.Two key talents of the studio system actor Humphrey Bogart and director Michael Curtiz collaborated four times. Their first was ANGELS WITH DIRTY FACES in 1938, a picture that cemented Bogey's gangster reputation. CASABLANCA followed in 1942, capturing the Best Picture & Best Director Oscar for Curtiz and securing film immortality for Bogart. Their third collaboration was PASSAGE TO MARSEILLE a 1944 World War Two action film. So it only makes sense that their final film together would be . . . what else but a light weight Christmas comedy?Bogart plays Joseph a master forger and ringleader of the convicts. He is joined by Peter Ustinov as the multitalented Jules trying to avoid a life sentence as a wife-murdering safecracker. And Aldo Ray rounds out the group as Albert, likewise pulling a life stretch for knocking his uncle over the head—fatally. Albert is inseparable from his pet, a poisonous viper named Adolph that he carries with him everywhere in a little basket. Ustinov had just completed THE Egyptian, also directed by Curtiz.And, both men were looking forward to working together again. On the set, Ustinov and Bogart would become good friends as well, although Humphrey was prone to practical jokes like putting raw liver in Ustinov's shoes, something Peter did not find funny.The main fascination comes from seeing tough-guy Bogart in one of his very few comedies. His character practically drips with sarcasm. Ustinov excels at effete snobbery and gets off some of the best lines, while the gravel-voiced Ray is by turns menacing and charming and sometimes both at once.Leo G. Carroll who plays the shop keeper, a benign and lovable fuddy-duddy will be recognizable from NORTH BY NORTHWEST & The Man From UNCLE. Basil Rathbone plays the sinister store owner with glee, a delightful parody of the villain roles he often played. And Joan Bennett is particularly memorable as the kindly shopkeeper's wife. Bennett, best known for Fritz Lang's film noir classics and as Spencer Tracy's wife in FATHER OF THE BRIDE, had been away from the screen for almost three years after being embroiled in a scandal that effectively blackballed her from Hollywood. In 1951 her husband, producer Walter Wanger shot her lover and agent Jennings Lang in a jealous rage. When the smoke (literally) cleared, Bennett was painted as the antagonist in the lover's triangle and quickly shunned by film society. Bogart, a long-time friend, came through for Joan by recommending her for the role in WE'RE NO ANGELS.The film starts in French Guiana, a few days before Christmas. Bogart, Ustinov and Ray escapees from prison need a place to hide out. They need of clothing and money… the trio makes plans to rob milliner Leo G. Carroll and his family. "We'll cut their throats for a Christmas present", Bogie, remarks. "That might spoil one's belief in Santa Claus" replies philosophical wife-murderer Ustinov.We're No Angels is a curious little comedy, flirting with the macabre, then pulling back to play nice. It's not dark enough to qualify as black comedy, nor is it total fluff either. But it's a seriously good-looking film with an exceptional cast of tough guys enjoying a rare cinematic romp.From all reports, the set of We're No Angels was a happy one, a fact reflected in the warm, engaging performances of its stars. There's not a cute kid or snowflake in sight, but We're No Angels, like It's A Wonderful Life, still manages to capture the essential humanistic message of the best Christmas themed films, with a delightful underlying irreverence and sense of fun.The charmingly hammy performances capture this feeling well and make me wish that all of us no matter how sorded our past could, at Christmas time, at least act like angles.