Post by petrolino on Jul 22, 2017 22:04:30 GMT
'Angel And The Badman' tells the tale of feared gunfighter Quirt Evans (John Wayne) who finds himself in the care of peaceful Quaker Mr. Thomas Worth (John Halloran) and his gentle wife Mrs. Worth (Irene Rich) at their isolated farmhouse. The Worths originate from rural Pennsylvania and refuse to relinquish their rights or trade their values. Quirt is keen to ditch these squares until he spies their daughter Penelope (Gail Russell) who's ripe for the picking. Torn between his hedonistic lifestyle as a renegade outlaw and the promise of a faithful young woman tending to his homestead, Quirt weighs up his options and determines to settle at least one last score.
'Angel And The Badman' is an elegant western co-produced by genre icon John Wayne. I've heard it said you can take the farmboy out of Iowa but you can't take Iowa out of the boy, so this story of farm life may have appealed to Wayne while considering his roots in Winterset, Iowa (his cinematographer here is his friend Archie Stout who was from Renwick, Iowa). Screenwriter James Edward Grant steps up to direct one of just two projects he'd steer, the other being cult curio 'Ring Of Fear' (1954) with Ohio lion tamer Clyde Beatty and New York pulp writer Mickey Spillane. Grant's delicate handling of the material achieves a fine balance between conflicting worlds, bringing levity to the storytelling and creating an atmosphere of leisure. There are several rowdy action sequences but it's the various relationships Quirt develops that drive the narrative forward.
The Duke's tenderness is tested by Gail Russell's daring performance as the girl he takes a shine to. Penny has an impulsive nature that's somewhat at odds with her religion and it's hard for Quirt to tell if she's as simple, earnest and direct as first appears or just playing games. Quirt and Penny wrestle with the idea that maybe sin and faith can live side by side if a balance is achieved and conservatism can be maintained, making sure to resist all temptations of instant gratification. For Quirt, the lure of easy money and pleasures of the flesh is a driver, while Penny's keen to follow in her mother's footsteps and preserve family tradition. Between Quirt's dominant strides and Penny's carnal gestures, there's a smouldering sensuality at work, fuelled by a strong chemistry between Wayne and Russell.
'Angel And The Badman' is a strange and delightful western that feels a little different to what came before, something that can be said for several westerns with a psychological angle that emerged in the late 1940s. A television remake starred Lou Diamond Phillips as Quirt Evans. Among films that have been directly inspired by the original is the Amish community crime thriller 'Witness' (1985) starring Harrison Ford, Kelly McGillis and the great Danny Glover (who celebrates his 71st birthday today). Quirt's night out features 'A Little Bit Different' performed by Joan Barton.
"So that's Quirt Evans. Mmm, he's quite a man with the girls. They say he's closed the eyes of many a man and opened the eyes of many a woman."
'Angel And The Badman' is an elegant western co-produced by genre icon John Wayne. I've heard it said you can take the farmboy out of Iowa but you can't take Iowa out of the boy, so this story of farm life may have appealed to Wayne while considering his roots in Winterset, Iowa (his cinematographer here is his friend Archie Stout who was from Renwick, Iowa). Screenwriter James Edward Grant steps up to direct one of just two projects he'd steer, the other being cult curio 'Ring Of Fear' (1954) with Ohio lion tamer Clyde Beatty and New York pulp writer Mickey Spillane. Grant's delicate handling of the material achieves a fine balance between conflicting worlds, bringing levity to the storytelling and creating an atmosphere of leisure. There are several rowdy action sequences but it's the various relationships Quirt develops that drive the narrative forward.
"The Angel and the Badman is one of the most unusual Westerns in John Wayne's filmography. It has all of the prototypes of a gunslinger film, but the movie's focus on nonviolence makes it unique. The outlaw Quirt is quite similar to Wayne's breakthrough role as the Ringo Kid in John Ford's masterpiece, Stagecoach (1939). That film made Wayne a huge star, and it also established and defined the Western genre for decades to come. The Angel and the Badman turns the gunslinger myth on its ear by having Quirt, who has now converted to the Quaker faith to please his lady love, show up for the final gunfight without a weapon. Wayne had been Republic Pictures biggest star for almost a decade when he made The Angel and the Badman. Wayne was itching to have more control of his own films, so Republic allowed him to produce the film himself. Wayne hired James Edward Grant, who had only worked as a screenwriter, to write the original story and direct the film. Wayne also hired famed stuntman Yakima Canutt to handle the action sequences, which included a spectacular wagon chase over the scenic canyons of Arizona. Wayne placed top talent in front of the camera, including legendary Western actor Harry Carey, who plays Quirt's nemesis Marshal Wistful McClintock (this surely has to be one of the best character names in Western history)."
- Amanda Garrett, Old Hollywood Films
"All the real motion picture people have always made family pictures. But the downbeats and the so-called intelligentsia got in when the government stupidly split up the production companies and the theaters. The old giants -- Mayer, Thalberg, even Harry Cohn, despite the fact that personally I couldn't stand him - were good for this industry. Now the goddamned stock manipulators have taken over. They don't know a goddamned thing about making movies. They make something dirty, and it makes money, and they say, 'Jesus, let's make one a little dirtier, maybe it'll make more money.' And now even the bankers are getting their noses into it. I'll give you an example. Take that girl, Julie Andrews, a refreshing, openhearted girl, a wonderful performer. Her stint was 'Mary Poppins' and 'The Sound of Music.' But she wanted to be a Theda Bara. And they went along with her, and the picture fell on its face. A Goldwyn would have told her, 'Look, dear, you can't change your sweet and lovely image..."
- John Wayne speaking with Roger Ebert, The Chicago Sun-Times
- Amanda Garrett, Old Hollywood Films
"All the real motion picture people have always made family pictures. But the downbeats and the so-called intelligentsia got in when the government stupidly split up the production companies and the theaters. The old giants -- Mayer, Thalberg, even Harry Cohn, despite the fact that personally I couldn't stand him - were good for this industry. Now the goddamned stock manipulators have taken over. They don't know a goddamned thing about making movies. They make something dirty, and it makes money, and they say, 'Jesus, let's make one a little dirtier, maybe it'll make more money.' And now even the bankers are getting their noses into it. I'll give you an example. Take that girl, Julie Andrews, a refreshing, openhearted girl, a wonderful performer. Her stint was 'Mary Poppins' and 'The Sound of Music.' But she wanted to be a Theda Bara. And they went along with her, and the picture fell on its face. A Goldwyn would have told her, 'Look, dear, you can't change your sweet and lovely image..."
- John Wayne speaking with Roger Ebert, The Chicago Sun-Times
The John Wayne Birthplace Museum in Iowa
John Wayne's Family Home in Iowa
'Angel And The Badman' - Johnny Cash
John Wayne's Family Home in Iowa
'Angel And The Badman' - Johnny Cash
The Duke's tenderness is tested by Gail Russell's daring performance as the girl he takes a shine to. Penny has an impulsive nature that's somewhat at odds with her religion and it's hard for Quirt to tell if she's as simple, earnest and direct as first appears or just playing games. Quirt and Penny wrestle with the idea that maybe sin and faith can live side by side if a balance is achieved and conservatism can be maintained, making sure to resist all temptations of instant gratification. For Quirt, the lure of easy money and pleasures of the flesh is a driver, while Penny's keen to follow in her mother's footsteps and preserve family tradition. Between Quirt's dominant strides and Penny's carnal gestures, there's a smouldering sensuality at work, fuelled by a strong chemistry between Wayne and Russell.
"This film was Gail Russell's first movie with John Wayne, and her first Western. This was also Wayne's first try at producing his own films, and he passed over 50 actresses on the Republic Studio roster to borrow Gail Russell from Paramount Studios to portray Penelope Worth in "Angel and the Badman" in 1947. This was, and still is, one of the great Westerns on film, yet much underrated today. It had a great script and direction by James Edward Grant, a great cast - John Wayne, Gail Russell, Harry Carey, Bruce Cabot, Irene Rich, Lee Dixon, superb cinematography by Archie Stout, plus a clever mixture of action, romance, comedy, and drama. Yet it is the endearing performance of Gail Russell that sets it apart from other Westerns. Her portrayal of Penny Worth, with its innocence, charm, and enchanting beauty, is unforgettable, and remains with the viewer long after the film is over. Gail's chemistry with Wayne during their love scenes was very charming and poignant. He was the only actor, besides Ginger Rogers and Ray Milland, who went out of his way to help Gail become a better actress in front of the movie camera. I am reminded of that quote of Catalina Lawrence, who was the script supervisor on "Angel and the Badman" at Republic Studios in 1946, and vividly remembers working with the lovely, brunette actress. She said, "Gail was just so beautiful, and nobody, not even Elizabeth Taylor, was as beautiful as Gail Russell". If you would like to know more about Gail Russell, "Hollywood's Forgotten Legend", JC Publications has published my biography of Gail Russell, "Fallen Star" (now available on Amazon Books)"
- Steven Glenn Ochoa, Turner Classic Movies
"We lived first in Chicago, came gypsying to California. When my family first came here it was a vacation, really. Then we put a down payment on a house and a down payment on some furniture. My brother went into the Army and one by one pieces of furniture went. When I was discovered for the movies I was sleeping on the living room floor on newspapers. I went for my first interview with paint all over my face--I'd been helping paint a room at the technical school. Paramount offered me a minimum salary--$50 a week--and Mom said, 'Take it, we need the money.' Mother practically dragged me in to see William Meiklejohn, supervisor of talent and casting at Paramount, who had tracked me down at University [Santa Monica] High School. I was petrified. Mr. Meiklejohn, a kindly man, kept trying to get me to talk, but nothing would come out. For my first test they put me into an evening gown. I had never even worn high heels before--or makeup of any kind. To say I was self-conscious is understatement plus. A week later they cast me in a Henry Aldrich picture, wearing a bathing suit and a transparent raincoat. It had been raining and there was a large puddle across from the studio commissary where the scene was to be shot. Of course they had to do it just as the sets broke for lunch and such stars as Alan Ladd, Bing Crosby and others were passing by. There I was trying to speak my lines while holding an umbrella which kept slipping from my nervous fingers. To this day I refuse all bathing suit scenes in public or private."
- Gail Russell, The Daily Mirror
John Wayne, Gail Russell & James Edward Grant
Gail Russell
- Steven Glenn Ochoa, Turner Classic Movies
"We lived first in Chicago, came gypsying to California. When my family first came here it was a vacation, really. Then we put a down payment on a house and a down payment on some furniture. My brother went into the Army and one by one pieces of furniture went. When I was discovered for the movies I was sleeping on the living room floor on newspapers. I went for my first interview with paint all over my face--I'd been helping paint a room at the technical school. Paramount offered me a minimum salary--$50 a week--and Mom said, 'Take it, we need the money.' Mother practically dragged me in to see William Meiklejohn, supervisor of talent and casting at Paramount, who had tracked me down at University [Santa Monica] High School. I was petrified. Mr. Meiklejohn, a kindly man, kept trying to get me to talk, but nothing would come out. For my first test they put me into an evening gown. I had never even worn high heels before--or makeup of any kind. To say I was self-conscious is understatement plus. A week later they cast me in a Henry Aldrich picture, wearing a bathing suit and a transparent raincoat. It had been raining and there was a large puddle across from the studio commissary where the scene was to be shot. Of course they had to do it just as the sets broke for lunch and such stars as Alan Ladd, Bing Crosby and others were passing by. There I was trying to speak my lines while holding an umbrella which kept slipping from my nervous fingers. To this day I refuse all bathing suit scenes in public or private."
- Gail Russell, The Daily Mirror
John Wayne, Gail Russell & James Edward Grant
Gail Russell
'Angel And The Badman' is a strange and delightful western that feels a little different to what came before, something that can be said for several westerns with a psychological angle that emerged in the late 1940s. A television remake starred Lou Diamond Phillips as Quirt Evans. Among films that have been directly inspired by the original is the Amish community crime thriller 'Witness' (1985) starring Harrison Ford, Kelly McGillis and the great Danny Glover (who celebrates his 71st birthday today). Quirt's night out features 'A Little Bit Different' performed by Joan Barton.
'It's Got To Be This Or Be That' - Joan Barton
