26. The Shopworn Angel
Unfortunately, I missed the first fifteen minutes or so of The Shopworn Angel, but honestly, I don't think it really mattered. The Shopworn Angel is another James Stewart-Margaret Sullavan vehicles, and is actually quite entertaining in a light-fluffy way.
Bill (Stewart) is the army -- it's before WWI -- and he's training at a camp near New York City. He ends up pretending that Daisy (Sullavan), a famous Broadway actress, is his girlfriend because she gave him a ride. Bill hasn't ever had a girlfriend, and he treats her very nicely. Daisy doesn't want Bill, but his sacrifice to become a soldier eventually gets to her. Daisy finally realizes that war isn't fun and that Bill is more than likely going to die, so she takes him to Coney Island for a Saturday of fun.
Daisy has another man on a string -- Sam (Walter Pidgeon) -- her agent who becomes jealous of Bill. They love each other, but Bill shows up after learning that his unit is heading out to France, she decides to marry him. They get married that evening, and Sam shows up at the wedding to give her away. Sadly, the marriage is never consumated, and they correspond every day. (Perhaps this is their preparation for The Shop Around the Corner?) But one day Daisy's maid (Hattie McDaniel) gets a registered letter -- poor Bill is dead.
The Shopworn Angel is okay. I didn't expect it to be a fantastic film, and most WWI movies just have a dated feel to them. But as light entertainment with a sad ending, you can expect The Shopworn Angel to fit the bill.
FILE UNDER: Classic Film ; 31 Films in 31 Days
Bill (Stewart) is the army -- it's before WWI -- and he's training at a camp near New York City. He ends up pretending that Daisy (Sullavan), a famous Broadway actress, is his girlfriend because she gave him a ride. Bill hasn't ever had a girlfriend, and he treats her very nicely. Daisy doesn't want Bill, but his sacrifice to become a soldier eventually gets to her. Daisy finally realizes that war isn't fun and that Bill is more than likely going to die, so she takes him to Coney Island for a Saturday of fun.
Daisy has another man on a string -- Sam (Walter Pidgeon) -- her agent who becomes jealous of Bill. They love each other, but Bill shows up after learning that his unit is heading out to France, she decides to marry him. They get married that evening, and Sam shows up at the wedding to give her away. Sadly, the marriage is never consumated, and they correspond every day. (Perhaps this is their preparation for The Shop Around the Corner?) But one day Daisy's maid (Hattie McDaniel) gets a registered letter -- poor Bill is dead.
The Shopworn Angel is okay. I didn't expect it to be a fantastic film, and most WWI movies just have a dated feel to them. But as light entertainment with a sad ending, you can expect The Shopworn Angel to fit the bill.
FILE UNDER: Classic Film ; 31 Films in 31 Days
posted by Rebecca at 9:38 PM
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