"Angels Over Broadway" is billed as a comedy, crime and adventure - the latter first. It's much more film noir than anything. And it's no more an adventure than going on carnival rides or to a wax museum. I think the vast majority of people have a completely different notion of adventure.
This is an odd story with some oddball characters coming together. It was a trait of Ben Hecht the writer who, in the early to mid-20th century wrote or worked on 165 screenplays. Hecht was a versatile talent who also wrote books and worked for newspapers. He wrote stage plays, some of which were also made into movies. And, he also directed and produced some films, and acted in some, mostly in uncredited roles.
This is one of a handful of films that Hecht wrote, produced, directed and acted in. It has the snappy dialog that Hecht often wrote -here in Bill O'Brien, the main male lead played by Douglas Fairbanks Jr. Fairbanks is very good in his role. But the role of Rita Hayworth is quite strange. Was she a woman of the night - a hooker, or not? The dialog and plot goes back and forth on that, and never seems to get it straight. Aside from that, this story is very heavy with dialog. Thomas Mitchell gives very long winded orations at times. Although they have some wit and cleverness, they give the feel of a stage performance. And the entire film has a stagy feel. Indeed, this is a story that seems written for the stage.
The plot has holes and the characters come across as acting for the stage. This is not one of Hecht's better movies. It's nowhere near the quality of his work for such films as "The Front Page," "The Twentieth Century," "Comrade X," or "Nothing Sacred." Interestingly, Hecht was nominated for an Academy Award for most original screenplay. He clearly was a darling and favorite of Hollywood by 1940.
Thomas Michell's Gene Gibbons has the best line in this film. "Yesterday's pain is tomorrow's joke. And you'll always end up laughing if you can manage not to cut your throat first."
This is an odd story with some oddball characters coming together. It was a trait of Ben Hecht the writer who, in the early to mid-20th century wrote or worked on 165 screenplays. Hecht was a versatile talent who also wrote books and worked for newspapers. He wrote stage plays, some of which were also made into movies. And, he also directed and produced some films, and acted in some, mostly in uncredited roles.
This is one of a handful of films that Hecht wrote, produced, directed and acted in. It has the snappy dialog that Hecht often wrote -here in Bill O'Brien, the main male lead played by Douglas Fairbanks Jr. Fairbanks is very good in his role. But the role of Rita Hayworth is quite strange. Was she a woman of the night - a hooker, or not? The dialog and plot goes back and forth on that, and never seems to get it straight. Aside from that, this story is very heavy with dialog. Thomas Mitchell gives very long winded orations at times. Although they have some wit and cleverness, they give the feel of a stage performance. And the entire film has a stagy feel. Indeed, this is a story that seems written for the stage.
The plot has holes and the characters come across as acting for the stage. This is not one of Hecht's better movies. It's nowhere near the quality of his work for such films as "The Front Page," "The Twentieth Century," "Comrade X," or "Nothing Sacred." Interestingly, Hecht was nominated for an Academy Award for most original screenplay. He clearly was a darling and favorite of Hollywood by 1940.
Thomas Michell's Gene Gibbons has the best line in this film. "Yesterday's pain is tomorrow's joke. And you'll always end up laughing if you can manage not to cut your throat first."