90 reviews
We're No Angels is adapted from a French play La Cuisine de Anges which was written by Albert Husson and ran a nice, respectable 344 performances on Broadway 1953-1954. In the roles of those unlikely angel/convicts on Broadway were Walter Slezak, Jerome Cowan, and Darren McGavin.
Our three in this film are Humphrey Bogart, Peter Ustinov, and Aldo Ray who escape from Devil's Island and are now among hundreds of other paroled convicts in the French West Indies at the turn of the last century. This was around the time Alfred Dreyfus was in Devil's Island so we know it was no fun place to be.
But these three seem to have a light hearted take life as it comes attitude. There's no whining from any of them about them being innocent of what got them there. But they want out and make it.
Fate puts them in the hands of a family they first would like to rob for some getaway loot. But hearing and seeing the sad plight they're in they can't bring themselves to do it. Then of course comes the Christmas visit of a tyrannical cousin played with relish by Basil Rathbone whom they work for and the convicts work becomes a pleasure.
They are aided of course by a pet coral snake named Adolph that Ray keeps in a straw basket. In many ways Adolph is almost divinely driven to do his duty.
Humphrey Bogart who was an unsuccessful embezzler in the film has a nice light touch for deadpan comedy. Too bad he didn't use it more often in films. This was a nice blend of comedy together with Bogey's gangster persona which we see more of in his films. On stage before he came to Hollywood, Bogart actually did a lot of light comedy.
This was also Bogart's final film with Director Michael Curtiz with whom he worked often and well back at Warner Brothers. Most particularly in Casablanca which was Curtiz's Oscar winning film for himself and for the film. A lot consider that film the one that firmly cemented Humphrey Bogart as a top box office draw.
Leo G. Carroll, Joan Bennett, and Gloria Talbott are the family who get some help on Christmas. The film itself is a great indication how the Deity or the fates do indeed move in mysterious ways.
Our three in this film are Humphrey Bogart, Peter Ustinov, and Aldo Ray who escape from Devil's Island and are now among hundreds of other paroled convicts in the French West Indies at the turn of the last century. This was around the time Alfred Dreyfus was in Devil's Island so we know it was no fun place to be.
But these three seem to have a light hearted take life as it comes attitude. There's no whining from any of them about them being innocent of what got them there. But they want out and make it.
Fate puts them in the hands of a family they first would like to rob for some getaway loot. But hearing and seeing the sad plight they're in they can't bring themselves to do it. Then of course comes the Christmas visit of a tyrannical cousin played with relish by Basil Rathbone whom they work for and the convicts work becomes a pleasure.
They are aided of course by a pet coral snake named Adolph that Ray keeps in a straw basket. In many ways Adolph is almost divinely driven to do his duty.
Humphrey Bogart who was an unsuccessful embezzler in the film has a nice light touch for deadpan comedy. Too bad he didn't use it more often in films. This was a nice blend of comedy together with Bogey's gangster persona which we see more of in his films. On stage before he came to Hollywood, Bogart actually did a lot of light comedy.
This was also Bogart's final film with Director Michael Curtiz with whom he worked often and well back at Warner Brothers. Most particularly in Casablanca which was Curtiz's Oscar winning film for himself and for the film. A lot consider that film the one that firmly cemented Humphrey Bogart as a top box office draw.
Leo G. Carroll, Joan Bennett, and Gloria Talbott are the family who get some help on Christmas. The film itself is a great indication how the Deity or the fates do indeed move in mysterious ways.
- bkoganbing
- Nov 4, 2006
- Permalink
A rare Humphrey Bogart comedy, and it works perfectly!
Seeing Bogart in the lead role, and the movie being about a jailbreak, I was expecting an adventure-drama. Instead I got a comedy, and a very good one at that.
Incredibly sharp dialogue and some devilishly clever and funny sub-plots make this an hilarious movie. Add in the fact that it is set at Christmas, and there is a great amount of Christmas sentimentality and fun involved too.
The other things that carry the movie are the performances of Bogart and, especially, Peter Ustinov. Bogart delivers his lines well and cannot be faulted, but Ustinov has a perfect sense of comedic timing. Plus his Englishness makes him seem so much funnier.
Aldo Ray is a bit hit-and-miss as the third non-angel. Sometimes you feel he is just reciting his lines without any sense of timing or tone, but others then hit the mark well.
Good support from Joan Bennett, Basil Rathbone, Leo Carroll and Gloria Talbott.
A must-see, especially at Christmas.
Seeing Bogart in the lead role, and the movie being about a jailbreak, I was expecting an adventure-drama. Instead I got a comedy, and a very good one at that.
Incredibly sharp dialogue and some devilishly clever and funny sub-plots make this an hilarious movie. Add in the fact that it is set at Christmas, and there is a great amount of Christmas sentimentality and fun involved too.
The other things that carry the movie are the performances of Bogart and, especially, Peter Ustinov. Bogart delivers his lines well and cannot be faulted, but Ustinov has a perfect sense of comedic timing. Plus his Englishness makes him seem so much funnier.
Aldo Ray is a bit hit-and-miss as the third non-angel. Sometimes you feel he is just reciting his lines without any sense of timing or tone, but others then hit the mark well.
Good support from Joan Bennett, Basil Rathbone, Leo Carroll and Gloria Talbott.
A must-see, especially at Christmas.
3 convicts escape from a jail on Devils island during Christmas, they make plan to rob a local store, but befriend the shop keeper and his family.
Three great lead characters in Humphrey Bogart, Aldo Ray and Peter Ustinov play the convicts. Bogart plays his character without flaw and surprising to see him in this humorous role, while young Ustinov and Ray also play great characters that assist the shop keep and his family during a difficult Christmas.
This movie wasn't what I was expecting especially after seeing 1989 movie with the same name staring De Niro and Penn, but I guess it was far better because i had a smile on my face throughout the whole movie. This certainly is a feel good sense to this movie.
With great lines in this movie, you'll be sniggering to yourself and cheering on the 3 misfits. One to watch when you need a smile.
Three great lead characters in Humphrey Bogart, Aldo Ray and Peter Ustinov play the convicts. Bogart plays his character without flaw and surprising to see him in this humorous role, while young Ustinov and Ray also play great characters that assist the shop keep and his family during a difficult Christmas.
This movie wasn't what I was expecting especially after seeing 1989 movie with the same name staring De Niro and Penn, but I guess it was far better because i had a smile on my face throughout the whole movie. This certainly is a feel good sense to this movie.
With great lines in this movie, you'll be sniggering to yourself and cheering on the 3 misfits. One to watch when you need a smile.
Back when I was in college a friend of mine, the only other person I knew who had seen this film, used to recite lines to each other on appropriate occasions. He was a rugby player, a real rough and tumbly sort of guy, and I was a fairly gentle, studious type; we were two, very different types of people. The point behind this is that, while we were both very different, we both found "We're No Angels" to be a superbly executed film.
I recently had a chance to see the film again and it's just as enjoyable as ever. This light-hearted, if somewhat criminal, comedy is warming, family film with an evil streak. It's absolutely fascinating to watch Bogart in a light comedy role, and to see a young(er) Peter Ustinov as a wife-murdering safe-cracker with a heart. And throw in great (if typical) performances by Basil Rathbone and Leo G. Carroll to boot.
But in my mind, the three biggest stars in this film are playwright Albert Hussens, screenwriter Ranald MacDougall, and above all, a surprisingly masterful performance by Aldo Ray. Ray treads the line between being dumb, lovable, trite thug and being a brutal, sociopathic criminal with great resolve. In the end it is his smoothly delivered lines that one remembers above all else.
As for the dialogue, it too treads lines. This is a film for the entire family, yes. But it does have it's randier moments, and all of them are done in such a way that children will not understand the full implications of them (if they do you have no one to blame but yourself). This translates into a "something for everyone" type of film.
Check it out.
I recently had a chance to see the film again and it's just as enjoyable as ever. This light-hearted, if somewhat criminal, comedy is warming, family film with an evil streak. It's absolutely fascinating to watch Bogart in a light comedy role, and to see a young(er) Peter Ustinov as a wife-murdering safe-cracker with a heart. And throw in great (if typical) performances by Basil Rathbone and Leo G. Carroll to boot.
But in my mind, the three biggest stars in this film are playwright Albert Hussens, screenwriter Ranald MacDougall, and above all, a surprisingly masterful performance by Aldo Ray. Ray treads the line between being dumb, lovable, trite thug and being a brutal, sociopathic criminal with great resolve. In the end it is his smoothly delivered lines that one remembers above all else.
As for the dialogue, it too treads lines. This is a film for the entire family, yes. But it does have it's randier moments, and all of them are done in such a way that children will not understand the full implications of them (if they do you have no one to blame but yourself). This translates into a "something for everyone" type of film.
Check it out.
This is a wonderful, if unconventional, Christmas movie, although it is great fun to watch at any time of the year. As the three convicts, Bogart, Ustinov, and Aldo Ray have wonderful chemistry and camaraderi. Their portrayals are delightful, and are made stronger by the dialogue, which is first rate. Leo G. Carrol and Joan Bennet are touching as married couple, and Basil Rathbone has a delicious turn as the thoroughly unscrupulous and black-hearted cousin Andre. It is on my "Christmas Movies" shelf and we watch it every December without fail.
- NativeTexan
- Jun 20, 2001
- Permalink
Beautifully adapted from a French play La Cuisine de Anges, fresh off its brilliant success on Broadway, We're No Angels is one of my favorite "overlooked" films of all time. Villainously remade in 1989, the original "We're no Angels" is a lyrically beautiful tale of the most unlikely sort.
Three escaped convicts on Devil's Island plan to rob and murder an innocent family until they become absorbed in their comically desperate lives. Maintaining a light comedy throughout, without once devolving into farce, "We're no Angels" is wickedly charming and deviously funny, owing in no small part to the epic talent of its all-star cast.
"We're no Angels" stars Aldo Ray, Peter Ustinov, and Humphrey Bogart, all marvelous and at the peak of their prowess, and is directed by Michael Curtiz, whose most notable efforts include not only Academy Award winning "Mildred Pierce", Joan Crawford's triumphant comeback film, but also another Humphrey Bogart masterpiece, "Casablanca." There is a heartwarming Christmas theme throughout the film, but it never gets overly saccharine. To the contrary, the convicts remain unrepentant and incorrigible to the end, despite their dubious good deeds. In a nutshell, the Ducatel family runs a shop for their absent relative, who shows up unexpectedly to audit the books and, most likely, discharge the hapless shopkeeper family. But things begin to go seriously awry, thanks to a reptilian interloper, Adolph, with a ruthless ability to do what is unthinkable to the rest of the cast. Adolph is never seen, nor is any violence or menace, and the film ends up being perfect for family viewing, despite its dark themes. In fact, I include the charming gem in my Christmas traditions, and I highly recommend it for yours.
The supporting cast is almost too good to be true. Leo G. Carroll is the shopkeeper, delightfully muddled and well intentioned. Joan Bennett, whom most will remember as Elizabeth Collins Stoddard on television's "Dark Shadows", is his slightly put-upon wife. Basil Rathbone plays the evil cousin from France with villainous aplomb.
Why this film is not better known escapes me. It is utterly delightful, astonishingly well-acted, and beautifully directed. It leaves me with a warm feeling worth its weight in gold, and certainly worth a watch if you've never seen it.
Three escaped convicts on Devil's Island plan to rob and murder an innocent family until they become absorbed in their comically desperate lives. Maintaining a light comedy throughout, without once devolving into farce, "We're no Angels" is wickedly charming and deviously funny, owing in no small part to the epic talent of its all-star cast.
"We're no Angels" stars Aldo Ray, Peter Ustinov, and Humphrey Bogart, all marvelous and at the peak of their prowess, and is directed by Michael Curtiz, whose most notable efforts include not only Academy Award winning "Mildred Pierce", Joan Crawford's triumphant comeback film, but also another Humphrey Bogart masterpiece, "Casablanca." There is a heartwarming Christmas theme throughout the film, but it never gets overly saccharine. To the contrary, the convicts remain unrepentant and incorrigible to the end, despite their dubious good deeds. In a nutshell, the Ducatel family runs a shop for their absent relative, who shows up unexpectedly to audit the books and, most likely, discharge the hapless shopkeeper family. But things begin to go seriously awry, thanks to a reptilian interloper, Adolph, with a ruthless ability to do what is unthinkable to the rest of the cast. Adolph is never seen, nor is any violence or menace, and the film ends up being perfect for family viewing, despite its dark themes. In fact, I include the charming gem in my Christmas traditions, and I highly recommend it for yours.
The supporting cast is almost too good to be true. Leo G. Carroll is the shopkeeper, delightfully muddled and well intentioned. Joan Bennett, whom most will remember as Elizabeth Collins Stoddard on television's "Dark Shadows", is his slightly put-upon wife. Basil Rathbone plays the evil cousin from France with villainous aplomb.
Why this film is not better known escapes me. It is utterly delightful, astonishingly well-acted, and beautifully directed. It leaves me with a warm feeling worth its weight in gold, and certainly worth a watch if you've never seen it.
- classicsoncall
- Oct 2, 2004
- Permalink
The setting for this movie is 1895, Devil's Island. The story unfolds around Christmas time and what a delightful tale it is to be seen. Michael Curtiz directs a cast that makes you feel like the characters in the story are family. I know a bit offbeat and with a bit of dark humor at times. The movie shines with real heartfelt emotion. It truly is one of my favorite movies, not just at Christmas time but anytime. If you are a Bogart or Ustinov fan you deserve to treat yourself to this little gem.Aldo Ray is simply wonderful as the muscular backup to our three angels. Basil Rathbone is perfect in his character. If you see the movie you will know what I mean. The song "Sentimental Moments" is such a sweet little song. I wish it this were in circulation on TCM or other channels.It is a Christmas classic in our house, maybe it will be yours too!
- Larry41OnEbay-2
- Dec 17, 2009
- Permalink
- mark.waltz
- Dec 11, 2017
- Permalink
Humphrey Bogart, Peter Ustinov and Aldo Ray star in this film about three escapees from Devil's Island and how they affix themselves in the lives of Leo G. Carroll and wife Joan Bennett as Christmas approaches. By way of assuming the roles of handymen and salesmen, they start to help around the house and the store that Leo manages. In fact, their assistance turns out to be invaluable, as they interject themselves in a personal family squabble between Leo and cousin Basil Rathbone who comes to inspect the shop and the accounts, as he is the owner of the shop. I found the film to be very charming and enjoyable, and it has some very funny and clever moments. If I had to be nit-picky about it, I could say it does reflect the original play's pace and is somewhat too passive and slow in parts and is a bit too long. Also, it does have a rather unorthodox and irreverent feel to it due to a hardened criminal's point of view of things, from which is the root of a lot of the humor. But, it also has a very loose biblical feel to it, very loose. All in all, I liked its charming feel and the talented actors are good in the leads. If you're looking for a fresh and original film this December, "We're No Angels" should make for a different kind of family viewing come Christmastime.
- JLRMovieReviews
- Nov 18, 2013
- Permalink
In Christmas, three prisoners - Joseph (Humphrey Bogart), Albert (Aldo Ray) and Jules (Peter Ustinov) - escape from the Devil Island to a French small coastal town. They decide to robber a store, to get some money and clothes and travel by ship to another place. They pretend to be there to fix the roof, but pretty soon they realize that the financial condition of the family Ducotel is not good. Andre Tochard (Basil Rathbone), the selfish and mean owner of the establishment, explores the family Ducotel. The three convicts spend the Christmas night with the Ducotel and are so well treated by the family that they decide to help them. Their pet will help them to fix the situation.
This movie is a typical family entertainment. Naive and theatrical, it belongs to a romantic period where the society could buy the idea of helping criminals and spending Christmas night with them. The viewer certainly will not be disappointed with such a delightful entertainment. My vote is seven.
Title (Brazil): "Não Somos Anjos" ("We Are not Angels")
This movie is a typical family entertainment. Naive and theatrical, it belongs to a romantic period where the society could buy the idea of helping criminals and spending Christmas night with them. The viewer certainly will not be disappointed with such a delightful entertainment. My vote is seven.
Title (Brazil): "Não Somos Anjos" ("We Are not Angels")
- claudio_carvalho
- Nov 9, 2003
- Permalink
I had high hopes for this one
I guess they were TOO high. First of all, I've often had trouble with the concept of obviously filmed plays
"Noises Off" and "The Man Who Came to Dinner" were two of the worst offenders in my opinion. Static, motionless, tons of expositional dialogue crammed in as fast as they possibly could. And that was my experience with "We're No Angels". (I should note that I was unaware it had originally been a play when I started it
but I figured it out in about five minutes. How did "Arsenic and Old Lace" manage to be so entertaining, since it basically had the same limitations? I don't know, but 'static' is not a word I would apply to that film.)
The first fifteen or twenty minutes of this one are basically filled with Bogart, Ustinov and Ray up on the roof watching and listening as the Ducotel family rolls out their long list of woes. How long can you watch someone looking in a window? What worked on the stage doesn't necessarily translate well to the screen. There was no action that I needed to see in order to follow the film, so about the time the daughter fainted for the second time, I went to work on a project in the kitchen and finished the film by listening only. It was so incessantly talky that it was like listening to a radio dramatization perfect background for a little DIY puttering; not enough to keep me sitting and staring at the screen for the entire running time. I certainly had no trouble following it from the next room.
That said, I thought Peter Ustinov and Aldo Ray were both excellent; they both presented well-drawn characters and delivered their lines (including some real zingers) with appropriate gusto. Bogart was all right, but I've been much more impressed with him in other pictures. He didn't seem to be working as hard as the other two were.
Dull, predictable, nothing special. Wanted to like it more; wish I had.
The first fifteen or twenty minutes of this one are basically filled with Bogart, Ustinov and Ray up on the roof watching and listening as the Ducotel family rolls out their long list of woes. How long can you watch someone looking in a window? What worked on the stage doesn't necessarily translate well to the screen. There was no action that I needed to see in order to follow the film, so about the time the daughter fainted for the second time, I went to work on a project in the kitchen and finished the film by listening only. It was so incessantly talky that it was like listening to a radio dramatization perfect background for a little DIY puttering; not enough to keep me sitting and staring at the screen for the entire running time. I certainly had no trouble following it from the next room.
That said, I thought Peter Ustinov and Aldo Ray were both excellent; they both presented well-drawn characters and delivered their lines (including some real zingers) with appropriate gusto. Bogart was all right, but I've been much more impressed with him in other pictures. He didn't seem to be working as hard as the other two were.
Dull, predictable, nothing special. Wanted to like it more; wish I had.
I stumbled upon We're No Angels one night on AMC. I found that I couldn't leave the TV. I enjoyed the three likeable convicts and discovered that Humphrey Bogart has a knack for light comedy. Peter Ustinov is very deadpan and as a result, some of the best lines come from his character. Aldo Ray is the sweet dumb guy with a heart of gold and a rather dangerous pet. Basil Rathbone is great as the guy you love to hate. A great cast, a good script and good direction by Michael Curtiz makes this a classic.
1955's "We're No Angels," directed by Michael Curtiz, proves once again that Humphrey Bogart was as adept at comedy as he was at drama. Here he's joined by Peter Ustinov and Aldo Ray. The three of them are escaped convicts from Devil's Island who become involved with a store owner (Leo J. Carroll) - at first planning to rob him - but find they care too much about him, his wife (Joan Bennett), their daughter (Gloria Talbot), and the impending visit of the horrible uncle who controls the purse strings (Basil Rathbone). They wind up giving the family a Christmas they'll never forget, in more ways than one.
This is a wonderful holiday film from the French play "My Three Angels" that retains some of the French sentence structure - which sounds hilarious coming from the lips of the likes of Bogart and Aldo Ray. It makes the film all the more delightful.
The acting is terrific from the three stars and also the rest of the cast.
Highly recommended.
This is a wonderful holiday film from the French play "My Three Angels" that retains some of the French sentence structure - which sounds hilarious coming from the lips of the likes of Bogart and Aldo Ray. It makes the film all the more delightful.
The acting is terrific from the three stars and also the rest of the cast.
Highly recommended.
Good comedy: I never knew Bogey, much less Ray, could to the funny act. I really liked the way Ustinov opened up locked things; he made them seem as though they had a life of their own. Good to see Leo Carroll doing his inept act again, and even better to watch Rathbone play the obnoxious dandy to the hilt. Thumbs up.
- helpless_dancer
- Dec 23, 2001
- Permalink
I usually don't like it when people say things like that. And by no means am I dissing movies nowadays. On the opposite, you just have to find the right ones. And it is not that there weren't bad movies at any point of time. Of course the more movies that are produced and made, the more you will find not to your taste or liking.
But back to this and the incredible cast! Yes I knew Humphrey Bogart, Peter Ustinov or even Basil Rathbone, but who is Alda Rey? Well that was what i was asking myself. If you know him, good for you and shame on me. But I have to admit, he really is amazing here and holds more than his own besides the other actors and stars obviously. The comedy and the slapstick of the movie work its charm. The diaog is amazing and it is almost as if this has not aged at all.
And it also plays during christmas and I do wonder why this is not in discussion of one of the best Christmas movies out there. It should be! And that is from a person (me) who is certain that Die hard is the best Christmas movie ... ever! Sit back and relax this comedy that can get dark at times but has its heart at the right place (no pun intended)
But back to this and the incredible cast! Yes I knew Humphrey Bogart, Peter Ustinov or even Basil Rathbone, but who is Alda Rey? Well that was what i was asking myself. If you know him, good for you and shame on me. But I have to admit, he really is amazing here and holds more than his own besides the other actors and stars obviously. The comedy and the slapstick of the movie work its charm. The diaog is amazing and it is almost as if this has not aged at all.
And it also plays during christmas and I do wonder why this is not in discussion of one of the best Christmas movies out there. It should be! And that is from a person (me) who is certain that Die hard is the best Christmas movie ... ever! Sit back and relax this comedy that can get dark at times but has its heart at the right place (no pun intended)
Joseph, Julius and Albert have escaped from Devil's island, whilst waiting for a ship to take them away, they plot to steal from the amiable Ducotel family. They bluff store owner Felix into letting them repair his roof, from here they plan to execute their robbery, but the more that the escapees observe this family, the more they find humane personas coming from within.
Humphrey Bogart, Aldo Ray and Peter Ustinov take up the task of playing our villains who find hearts, where backed up with witty dialogue amongst the very tidily scripted piece, the result is a hugely enjoyable picture for all the family to enjoy. The film mostly works because of the interplay between Ustinov & Bogart, Ustinov's Jules is a softly spoken gentile sort of man and this oddly works well against Bogart's Joseph who is gruff and oozing toughness, this of course sets us up for some delightful scenes that leave a lasting impression. Witness Bogart in a pink apron!
Aldo Ray, perhaps not unsurprisingly, seems a touch out of place and looks swamped by the acting talent either side of him, but he does what is needed and his characters' pet snake, Adolphe, is the crucial meat in this films sandwich. Sadly Basil Rathbone is wasted by being reduced to what amounts to little more than a walk on villain part, but a great bonus is Leo G. Carroll as the hapless Felix Ducotel, charmingly oblivious to what is around him, Carroll gets the audience on board with a smashingly effective turn.
Perhaps viewed as a Christmas movie by many, it is however a film that can be watched at anytime of the year, a testament to what a good script can do for comedy. We're No Angels is never less than fun, and of course its backed up by a few highly watchable performances. 7/10
Humphrey Bogart, Aldo Ray and Peter Ustinov take up the task of playing our villains who find hearts, where backed up with witty dialogue amongst the very tidily scripted piece, the result is a hugely enjoyable picture for all the family to enjoy. The film mostly works because of the interplay between Ustinov & Bogart, Ustinov's Jules is a softly spoken gentile sort of man and this oddly works well against Bogart's Joseph who is gruff and oozing toughness, this of course sets us up for some delightful scenes that leave a lasting impression. Witness Bogart in a pink apron!
Aldo Ray, perhaps not unsurprisingly, seems a touch out of place and looks swamped by the acting talent either side of him, but he does what is needed and his characters' pet snake, Adolphe, is the crucial meat in this films sandwich. Sadly Basil Rathbone is wasted by being reduced to what amounts to little more than a walk on villain part, but a great bonus is Leo G. Carroll as the hapless Felix Ducotel, charmingly oblivious to what is around him, Carroll gets the audience on board with a smashingly effective turn.
Perhaps viewed as a Christmas movie by many, it is however a film that can be watched at anytime of the year, a testament to what a good script can do for comedy. We're No Angels is never less than fun, and of course its backed up by a few highly watchable performances. 7/10
- hitchcockthelegend
- Jul 18, 2008
- Permalink
This fabulous black comedy about three convicts who are planning steal and kill to escape of Devil's Island, but somehow they get involved with a good family and make everything to help them, fantastic christmas tale well adapted to the big screen, all casting are delightful colored.
The three convicts are irretrievable from human nature, good when needs to be and a little bad for a few seconds only, in every single scene is an exercise of full pleasure, a smart dialogues is like a flowers scent, funny jokes with a bit black irony, anyway a must to see, one the greatest and innovative comedy of all time!!! Great Bogie!!!!
Resume:
First watch: 1992 / How many: 4 / Source: TV-DVD / Rating: 9.25.
The three convicts are irretrievable from human nature, good when needs to be and a little bad for a few seconds only, in every single scene is an exercise of full pleasure, a smart dialogues is like a flowers scent, funny jokes with a bit black irony, anyway a must to see, one the greatest and innovative comedy of all time!!! Great Bogie!!!!
Resume:
First watch: 1992 / How many: 4 / Source: TV-DVD / Rating: 9.25.
- elo-equipamentos
- Feb 6, 2018
- Permalink
There's a place called Devil's Island that is used to contain crooks, after judges from fair France have thrown all they have in their books, on this occasion we find three that have escaped with their pet snake, who find shelter in a store after making a swift jail break. This place is run and managed by an innocent old chap, and the villains have visions of taking all the things they clap, but before they have a chance to disappear into the night, they are conjuring a dinner for his family to bite. Before an Uncle and his nephew bring much trouble, grief and strife, a little later clogs are popped and one or two do not have life, but if you've made it all this way without a yawn and a small snore, I doff my cap, for me, this was, a burden and a chore.
This is one of the requisite Christmas movies, because it embodies the spirit of the season-- that the goodness of the heart can flourish where you least expect it. And the actors! How many Aldo Ray films can you name? He's a thug whose violent past may simmer just beneath his facade, but he's a big blond teddy bear. Peter Ustinov is puckish and completely captivating; his facial expressions are masterful. Humphrey Bogart's character exquisitely spoofs his own stereotype. The script is full of memorable quotes that become ever more endearing through repeated viewings. A Christmas isn't complete without seeing this movie and remembering a time when cinematic comedies didn't have to involve profanity and sex, even when the protagonists are admittedly desperate criminals.
- planktonrules
- Jan 8, 2010
- Permalink
I'm a huge Bogey fan but I gotta say this isn't even close to the quality of his other work.
I think my main quibble with this film is the casting. Specifically...Aldo Ray. He's just terrible in this. Ustinov is OK but if they would have givin him more lines and eliminated the Ray character it could have worked for me. Aldo Ray has mainly played the same character in about everything he did and after watching "Pat and Mike", I had enough of that. When I popped this one in and saw him I thought..."Uh Oh". I honestly think his career was due to 2 things...his good looks and the fact he was in WW2 as a navy frogman. Maybe some producer thought was an interesting take but I think actual acting ability needs to be considered...and I don't think he had much.
The premise is OK but it's just not that special of a film. You won't ever remember this over say...African Queen or High Sierra. I think if they would have just concentrated on the family who own the shop it would have been better but what we get is a Bogey vehicle to bring in the movie goers.
In the end it just didn't work for me. I wasn't remotely impressed with this one.
I think my main quibble with this film is the casting. Specifically...Aldo Ray. He's just terrible in this. Ustinov is OK but if they would have givin him more lines and eliminated the Ray character it could have worked for me. Aldo Ray has mainly played the same character in about everything he did and after watching "Pat and Mike", I had enough of that. When I popped this one in and saw him I thought..."Uh Oh". I honestly think his career was due to 2 things...his good looks and the fact he was in WW2 as a navy frogman. Maybe some producer thought was an interesting take but I think actual acting ability needs to be considered...and I don't think he had much.
The premise is OK but it's just not that special of a film. You won't ever remember this over say...African Queen or High Sierra. I think if they would have just concentrated on the family who own the shop it would have been better but what we get is a Bogey vehicle to bring in the movie goers.
In the end it just didn't work for me. I wasn't remotely impressed with this one.