I had a chance to watch
Street Angel a few days ago and I really enjoyed it. I like
Seventh Heaven better, but
Street Angel was very good.
I thought the scene at the beginning where Janet’s character (Angela) resorted to prostitution to get money for her sick mother’s medicine was done very well. She seemed awkward as she tried to proposition a couple of men and they could tell she didn’t really know what she was doing and therefore got no takers. That’s when she decided to steal money from one of them leading to her being chased by the police and hidden from them by a band of circus folk.
She takes to circus life well and seems to be a stronger, tougher gal than the one we saw at the beginning of the film. One thing I’m curious about though is why she seems to be a bit of a man hater. When she meets Charles’ character (Gino), a vagabond painter who joins the circus too, she lets him know right off the bat that she’s not interested in men. We never get an explanation why though. Perhaps it has to do with a bad relationship with her father who isn’t around, or maybe she just doesn’t want to get close to anyone and lose them like she did her mother.
Gino is persistent though and finally convinces Angela to sit for him so he can paint her portrait (which was beautifully done). He paints her the way he thinks she really is deep down and not the hardened person she appears to be. She has a softer expression but doesn’t look weak. She looks beautiful and very earthy and is quite moved by how it turned out.
While performing one day, she sees a police man and has flashbacks to when they were chasing her earlier causing her to fall and break her ankle. Gino, who is in love with her by this point, tells everyone he will take her to a good doctor and the scene where he carries her to the boat and holds her while they are being rowed away, was very sweet and touching. She is afraid b/c they are going back to Naples where she is wanted by the police but you can tell she feels safe with Gino and loves him too.
Once in Naples, she and Gino share adjoining apartments and are leading a happy life. I really liked the scene where he was supposed to get groceries but he forgot and all he comes home with is a flower for Angela. She fussed at him for forgetting and laid the flower down on the window sill as she went out to do the shopping. We see Gino sitting in front of the fireplace moping a little b/c he upset her but then we see Angela sneak back around and pick up the flower. Gino sees her and he smiles, feeling better that she isn’t really that mad at him. That was a nice touch to show that they aren’t just all moony eyed over each other.
After Gino gets a job painting a large mural, he and Angela decide to get married. Of course, we’ve got to have a little drama here and Angela is spotted by one of the policeman who chased after her at the beginning and he eventually remembers why she looked familiar to him and he goes to arrest her. She begged him just to give her an hour with Gino and then she would go with him to prison to serve her sentence for robbery while soliciting. This scene is very well done as Gino is bubbling over with happiness and Angela is consumed with sadness. He doesn’t know why she is gone but when he realizes the next morning that she has left he becomes despondent. We see him sitting on the scaffolding slumped over unable to do his work. He is fired and becomes a drunk bum. When he finds out from another prostitute who was in prison with Angela, what became of her, he goes from despair to rage.
Here’s where I have a problem with the story. When Gino runs into Angela after she’s released, he doesn’t even give her a chance to explain. He chases after her and nearly chokes her to death in a church. He only stops when he looks up and sees the painting he made of her. It was purchased by a man who takes cheap paintings and doctors them up to look like old, rare artworks to sell to unsuspecting collectors. The portrait has been altered to make her look like an angel.
I’m not a radical feminist or anything, but us chicks gotta stand up for ourselves and it’s disheartening how many movies have been made over the years that show violence towards women as if it’s acceptable. Domestic violence is part of life and if shown in the right context is fine, but what bothers me is men attacking women and then the women not really having a problem with it.
I totally understand Gino being angry to learn that his angel Angela had a criminal past, I just think it was a little much having him choke her nearly to death and she forgiving him so quickly. Also, I don’t like this double standard of women must be pure and men can do whatever they want. For all we know, Gino may also be a “good boy” but you’re telling me a good looking young man who has spent his adult years travelling around painting people, hasn’t had a little fun with a lady or two?
![Wink :wink:](./images/smilies/icon_wink.gif)
Of course, there is a difference when you’re getting paid for it, but I still don’t like the double standard.
Okay, I’ll quit ranting
![Razz :P](./images/smilies/icon_razz.gif)
. Overall though, I really enjoyed this one and I have become totally smitten by Janet and Charles. Physically, they were very cute together as he was a strapping 6’2” and she was a petite 5’. So far I’ve only seen two of their films together (
Seventh Heaven and
Street Angel) but I have copies of three of their talkies together on the way and I’m really anxious to hear what they sounded like.
I do have several silent films however that Charles did on his own, including one of his earliest major roles in
Clash of the Wolves, a Rin-Tin-Tin picture where he plays the leading (human) actor. I’m surprised at how many people dismiss his acting ability, especially in reviews I’ve read of the films he and Janet made together. I do think she was the stronger actor of the two, but he has done a fine job in everything I’ve seen him in. Another reason I’ve taken a shine to him, is that he had a real ‘Gary Cooper’ quality about him, if that makes any sense
![Laughing :lol:](./images/smilies/icon_lol.gif)
. Physically they were similar, but they also just gave off that good guy vibe. I’m telling you, if Charles was alive today, I’d cast him as the next Superman. He totally has a Clark Kent thing going on!
Also, to my great delight I found a pic of Gary and Charles together from 1933 in one of my old movie mags. I was looking back through some of them this weekend and when I first got that particular one (that has Janet on the cover by the way
![Very Happy :D](./images/smilies/icon_biggrin.gif)
), I didn’t know who Charles was. The pic was taken at a party and Gary is wearing a tux and Charles is wearing white tie and tails and they both look very dashing and happy.