We're No Angels
Encyclopedia
We're No Angels is a 1955 Christmas comedy
picture starring Humphrey Bogart
, Peter Ustinov
, Aldo Ray
, Joan Bennett
, Basil Rathbone
, and Leo G. Carroll
. It was directed by Michael Curtiz
, who had directed Bogart in Casablanca
, when both were under contract to Warner Brothers. It is one of the rare comedies that Bogart made. Paramount filmed the production at its Hollywood studios in VistaVision
and Technicolor
.
It was based upon My Three Angels
, written by Samuel and Bella Spewack
. The screenplay was written by Ranald MacDougall
. Mary Grant designed the film's costumes.
just before Christmas and arrive at a nearby French colonial town. They go to the store of the Ducotels - Felix and Amelie, and their daughter Isabelle - the only store that gives supplies on credit. While there, they notice that his roof is leaking, and offer to fix it. They do not actually intend to fix it, but decide to remain there, until nightfall, when they will steal clothes and supplies, and escape on the ship waiting in the harbour. As they stay in the store, they find that the family is currently in financial distress and offer their services to hide their all-too-sinister ruse. Joseph even gets to work conning people and falsifying records to make the store prosperous. However, the three felons begin to have a change of heart after they fix a delicious Christmas dinner for the family: mostly made of stolen items.
Andre Trochard, who owns the store but lives in Paris, arrives on the island with his nephew Paul, with whom Isabelle is infatuated. The two plan on taking control of the store due to a lack of profit from the use of credit. Also, Paul is betrothed to another woman, which dismays Isabelle. Before any action against the Ducotels is taken, both of the men are bitten by Albert's pet viper
, Adolphe, and they die nearly instantly. Isabelle finds another love, and the family is happy as the convicts successfully make their final escape. While waiting on the docks for their boat to arrive, the three escaped men finally decide to turn themselves back in at the prison, judging that the outside world was likely to be worse than that of the prison. As they walk away in the final shot, angelic halos
appear over each of their heads...and finally another pops up over the cage of Adolphe.
Uncredited cast
in downtown Toronto
, a musical version was presented with book by the Spewacks and songs by Canadian composer David Warrick.
Comedy
Comedy , as a popular meaning, is any humorous discourse or work generally intended to amuse by creating laughter, especially in television, film, and stand-up comedy. This must be carefully distinguished from its academic definition, namely the comic theatre, whose Western origins are found in...
picture starring Humphrey Bogart
Humphrey Bogart
Humphrey DeForest Bogart was an American actor. He is widely regarded as a cultural icon.The American Film Institute ranked Bogart as the greatest male star in the history of American cinema....
, Peter Ustinov
Peter Ustinov
Peter Alexander Ustinov CBE was an English actor, writer and dramatist. He was also renowned as a filmmaker, theatre and opera director, stage designer, author, screenwriter, comedian, humourist, newspaper and magazine columnist, radio broadcaster and television presenter...
, Aldo Ray
Aldo Ray
Aldo Ray was an American actor.-Life and career:Ray was born in Pen Argyl, PA, to an Italian family of five brothers and one sister. His brother Mario lettered in football at USC in the years 1952-54...
, Joan Bennett
Joan Bennett
Joan Geraldine Bennett was an American stage, film and television actress. Besides acting on the stage, Bennett appeared in more than 70 motion pictures from the era of silent movies well into the sound era...
, Basil Rathbone
Basil Rathbone
Sir Basil Rathbone, KBE, MC, Kt was an English actor. He rose to prominence in England as a Shakespearean stage actor and went on to appear in over 70 films, primarily costume dramas, swashbucklers, and, occasionally, horror films...
, and Leo G. Carroll
Leo G. Carroll
Leo Gratten Carroll was an English-born actor. He was best known for his roles in several Hitchcock films and The Man from U.N.C.L.E. and Topper.-Early life:...
. It was directed by Michael Curtiz
Michael Curtiz
Michael Curtiz was an Academy award winning Hungarian-American film director. He had early creditsas Mihály Kertész and Michael Kertész...
, who had directed Bogart in Casablanca
Casablanca (film)
Casablanca is a 1942 American romantic drama film directed by Michael Curtiz, starring Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman and Paul Henreid, and featuring Claude Rains, Conrad Veidt, Sydney Greenstreet, Peter Lorre and Dooley Wilson. Set during World War II, it focuses on a man torn between, in...
, when both were under contract to Warner Brothers. It is one of the rare comedies that Bogart made. Paramount filmed the production at its Hollywood studios in VistaVision
VistaVision
VistaVision is a higher resolution, widescreen variant of the 35mm motion picture film format which was created by engineers at Paramount Pictures in 1954....
and Technicolor
Technicolor
Technicolor is a color motion picture process invented in 1916 and improved over several decades.It was the second major process, after Britain's Kinemacolor, and the most widely used color process in Hollywood from 1922 to 1952...
.
It was based upon My Three Angels
My Three Angels
My Three Angels is a comedy play by Samuel and Bella Spewack. The show is based on the French play La Cuisine Des Anges by Albert Husson, and is their only play that is regularly performed in repertory theater...
, written by Samuel and Bella Spewack
Samuel and Bella Spewack
Samuel and Bella Spewack were a husband-and-wife writing team.Samuel, who also directed many of their plays, was born in the Ukraine...
. The screenplay was written by Ranald MacDougall
Ranald MacDougall
Ranald MacDougall was an American screenwriter who scripted such films as Mildred Pierce , The Unsuspected , June Bride , and The Naked Jungle ....
. Mary Grant designed the film's costumes.
Plot summary
Three convicts - Joseph, Albert and Jules - escape from prison on Devil's IslandDevil's Island
Devil's Island is the smallest and northernmost island of the three Îles du Salut located about 6 nautical miles off the coast of French Guiana . It has an area of 14 ha . It was a small part of the notorious French penal colony in French Guiana until 1952...
just before Christmas and arrive at a nearby French colonial town. They go to the store of the Ducotels - Felix and Amelie, and their daughter Isabelle - the only store that gives supplies on credit. While there, they notice that his roof is leaking, and offer to fix it. They do not actually intend to fix it, but decide to remain there, until nightfall, when they will steal clothes and supplies, and escape on the ship waiting in the harbour. As they stay in the store, they find that the family is currently in financial distress and offer their services to hide their all-too-sinister ruse. Joseph even gets to work conning people and falsifying records to make the store prosperous. However, the three felons begin to have a change of heart after they fix a delicious Christmas dinner for the family: mostly made of stolen items.
Andre Trochard, who owns the store but lives in Paris, arrives on the island with his nephew Paul, with whom Isabelle is infatuated. The two plan on taking control of the store due to a lack of profit from the use of credit. Also, Paul is betrothed to another woman, which dismays Isabelle. Before any action against the Ducotels is taken, both of the men are bitten by Albert's pet viper
Viperidae
The Viperidae are a family of venomous snakes found all over the world, except in Antarctica, Australia, Ireland, Madagascar, Hawaii, various other isolated islands, and above the Arctic Circle. All have relatively long, hinged fangs that permit deep penetration and injection of venom. Four...
, Adolphe, and they die nearly instantly. Isabelle finds another love, and the family is happy as the convicts successfully make their final escape. While waiting on the docks for their boat to arrive, the three escaped men finally decide to turn themselves back in at the prison, judging that the outside world was likely to be worse than that of the prison. As they walk away in the final shot, angelic halos
Halo (religious iconography)
A halo is a ring of light that surrounds a person in art. They have been used in the iconography of many religions to indicate holy or sacred figures, and have at various periods also been used in images of rulers or heroes...
appear over each of their heads...and finally another pops up over the cage of Adolphe.
Cast
- Humphrey BogartHumphrey BogartHumphrey DeForest Bogart was an American actor. He is widely regarded as a cultural icon.The American Film Institute ranked Bogart as the greatest male star in the history of American cinema....
as Joseph - Aldo RayAldo RayAldo Ray was an American actor.-Life and career:Ray was born in Pen Argyl, PA, to an Italian family of five brothers and one sister. His brother Mario lettered in football at USC in the years 1952-54...
as Albert - Peter UstinovPeter UstinovPeter Alexander Ustinov CBE was an English actor, writer and dramatist. He was also renowned as a filmmaker, theatre and opera director, stage designer, author, screenwriter, comedian, humourist, newspaper and magazine columnist, radio broadcaster and television presenter...
as Jules - Joan BennettJoan BennettJoan Geraldine Bennett was an American stage, film and television actress. Besides acting on the stage, Bennett appeared in more than 70 motion pictures from the era of silent movies well into the sound era...
as Amelie Ducotel - Basil RathboneBasil RathboneSir Basil Rathbone, KBE, MC, Kt was an English actor. He rose to prominence in England as a Shakespearean stage actor and went on to appear in over 70 films, primarily costume dramas, swashbucklers, and, occasionally, horror films...
as Andre Trochard - Leo G. CarrollLeo G. CarrollLeo Gratten Carroll was an English-born actor. He was best known for his roles in several Hitchcock films and The Man from U.N.C.L.E. and Topper.-Early life:...
as Felix Ducotel - John BaerJohn BaerJohn M. Baer is an American journalist working for the Philadelphia Daily News.Baer earned a degree from Mount St. Mary's University in Maryland and a Masters Degree from Temple University. He studied at the Brookings Institution and worked in Congress as a Fellow of the American Political Science...
as Paul Trochard - Gloria TalbottGloria TalbottGloria Talbott was an American film and television actress.-Early life and career:She grew up in Glendale, California...
as Isabelle Ducotel - Lea Penman as Mme. Parole
- John SmithJohn Smith (actor)John Smith was an American actor remembered in particular for two NBC western television series.-Early life and career:He was born Robert Errol Van Orden, in Los Angeles, California...
as Arnaud
Uncredited cast
- Jack Del Rio as Gendarme
- Joe Ploski as Customs Inspector
- Louis Mercier as Celeste
- George Dee as Coachman
- Victor Romito as Gendarme
- Torben MeyerTorben MeyerTorben Emil Meyer was a Danish character actor who appeared in over 190 films in a 55-year career.-Early career:...
as Butterfly Man - Paul NewlanPaul NewlanPaul Emory Newlan was an American film and TV character actor from Plattsburgh, New York. He was best known for his role as Captain Grey on the NBC police series M Squad and for his roles in films including The Americanization of Emily and The Slender Thread.-Career:Newlan appeared in dozens of...
as Port Captain
Musical version
In 1985 at the St. Lawrence Centre for the ArtsSt. Lawrence Centre for the Arts
The St Lawrence Centre for the Arts is a performing arts theatre complex located in downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Located on Front Street one block east of Yonge Street, it was Toronto's official centennial project, commemorating the 1967 Canadian Centennial...
in downtown Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, a musical version was presented with book by the Spewacks and songs by Canadian composer David Warrick.