Band of Angels (1957)

User Rating:

6.4/10   

Director:

Raoul Walsh

Writers:

Robert Penn Warren (novel)
John Twist (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

3 August 1957 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Tagline:

You're no blue blood any more, honey. The master bought you...and now he's waitin'!

Plot:

Living in Kentucky prior to the Civil War, Amantha Starr is a privileged young woman. Her widower father...

Plot Keywords:

Plantation | Plantation Owner | Slave | Slave Trader | Civil War

Cast

Clark Gable	...	Hamish Bond
Yvonne De Carlo	...	Amantha Starr
Sidney Poitier	...	Rau-Ru
Efrem Zimbalist Jr.	...	Lt. Ethan Sears
Rex Reason	...	Capt. Seth Parton (Union officer)
Patric Knowles	...	Charles de Marigny
Torin Thatcher	...	Capt. Canavan
Andrea King	...	Miss Idell
Ray Teal	...	Mr. Calloway
Russell Evans	...	Jimmee (Bond's steward)
Carolle Drake	...	Michele (Bond's housekeeper)
Raymond Bailey	...	Mr. Stuart (plantation owner)
Tommie Moore	...	Dollie (Bond's house servant)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Roy Barcroft	...	Gillespie - Starrwood Plantation Overseer (uncredited)
Larry J. Blake	...	Auctioneer (uncredited)
Marshall Bradford	...	Maj. Gen. Benjamin Butler (uncredited)
X. Brands	...	Officer (uncredited)
Robert Carson	...	Bidder (uncredited)
Robert Clarke	...	Auction Participant (uncredited)
Miles Clark	...	Black Child (uncredited)
Zelda Cleaver	...	Sukie (uncredited)
Myron Cook	...	Officer (uncredited)
Noreen Corcoran	...	Young Manty (uncredited)
Giselle D'Arc	...	Salesgirl (uncredited)
Ann Doran	...	Mrs. Morton (uncredited)
Pete Dunn	...	Officer (uncredited)
William Fawcett	...	Mourner (uncredited)
Harry Fleer	...	Aide (uncredited)
William Forrest	...	Aaron Starr (uncredited)
Anthony Ghazlo Jr.	...	Driver (uncredited)
Joe Gilbert	...	Bidder (uncredited)
Janine Grandel	...	Proprietor (uncredited)
Carl Harbaugh	...	Seaman (uncredited)
Jean Harvey	...	Mourner (uncredited)
Jim Hayward	...	Sheriff (uncredited)
Charles Heard	...	Helper (uncredited)
Charles Horvath	...	Soldier (uncredited)
William Hudson	...	Officer (uncredited)
Mayo Loiseaux	...	Girl (uncredited)
Maurice Marsac	...	Auction Participant (uncredited)
Paul McGuire	...	Officer (uncredited)
Carla Merey	...	Girl (uncredited)
Ewing Mitchell	...	Old Gentleman (uncredited)
Juanita Moore	...	Budge (uncredited)
Forbes Murray	...	Younger Man (uncredited)
Zon Murray	...	Union Corporal (uncredited)
Joseph C. Narcisse	...	Chad (uncredited)
Riza Royce	...	Mrs. Hopewell (uncredited)
William Schallert	...	Union Lieutenant (uncredited)
Morgan Shaan	...	Corporal (uncredited)
Martin Smith	...	Officer (uncredited)
Walter Smith	...	Black Soldier (uncredited)
Ann Staunton	...	Mother (uncredited)
Bob Steele	...	Union Private (uncredited)
Madame Sul-Te-Wan	...	Flower Vendor (uncredited)
Charles Victor	...	Officer (uncredited)
Dan White	...	Trader (uncredited)
Guy Wilkerson	...	Minister (uncredited)
Jack Williams	...	Runaway (uncredited)

Directed by
Raoul Walsh

Writing credits
Robert Penn Warren		(novel "Band of Angels")
John Twist		(screenplay) and
Ivan Goff		(screenplay) and
Ben Roberts		(screenplay)

Original Music by
Max Steiner
Carl Sigman		(uncredited)

Cinematography by
Lucien Ballard		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Folmar Blangsted

Art Direction by
Franz Bachelin

Set Decoration by
William Wallace

Costume Design by
Marjorie Best

Makeup Department
Gordon Bau	....	makeup supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Al Alleborn	....	assistant director
Russell Saunders	....	assistant director (as Russ Saunders)

Sound Department
Eugene Marks	....	sound editor
George Reid	....	sound editor
Francis E. Stahl	....	sound (as Francis Stahl)
Finn Ulback	....	sound editor

Stunts
Fred Carson	....	stunts (uncredited)
Charles Horvath	....	stunts (uncredited)
Bob Morgan	....	stunts (uncredited)

Music Department
Murray Cutter	....	orchestrator
Jester Hairston	....	choral director (uncredited)

Other crew
Lewis Smith	....	dialogue supervisor

Production Companies

• Warner Bros. Pictures

Distributors

• Warner Bros. Pictures (1957) (USA) (theatrical)
• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1973) (USA) (TV) (network premiere)
• AFEX (1957) (Austria) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (1957) (West Germany) (theatrical)

Runtime:

125 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Warnercolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound Recording)

Certification:

West Germany:12 (f) (re-rating) | West Germany:16 (f) (original rating) | Finland:K-12

Filming Locations:

Ashland-Belle Helene Plantation - State Highway 75, Geismer, Louisiana, USA

Company:

Warner Bros. Pictures

Trivia:

The film proved to be a complete failure on release, both critically and commercially. Clark Gable was annoyed by the comparisons with Gone with the Wind (1939) and instructed his agent, "If it doesn't suit an old geezer with false teeth, forget about it." He also decided to part company with Raoul Walsh, previously one of his favorite directors.

Movie Connections:

Edited into La classe américaine (1993) (TV)

Great popcorn flick!

I don't know how many times I've seen this movie--I've lost count. It's not a classic like Gone with the Wind, but it's got that kind of "soapy" feel--like Imitation of Life, Madame Bovary, or Madame X. What is enjoyable about the film is the fact that it tries like hell to be politically correct in some areas (e.g. Sidney Poitier prancing about as if he were Hamish Bond's son, yet he has this love-hate relationship with him), but doesn't bother to be politically correct in others, with slaves singing happily (why do slaves always sing in these stupid movies?) & Dolly (like Prissy from GWTW). It's obvious that the beginnings of the Civil Rights movement impacted this film to a degree. Sydney's character has so much attitude that there's no way he would have really survived in those days, but who cares? He's definitely sexy in this movie.

Still, with all of its faults, it's an enjoyable movie--just don't take any of it too seriously or as a piece of history in any way. It's just great to see up & coming Sydney the actor with the Clark Gable the legend playing a character similar to Rhett Butler, and for the last time. Yvonne's great, too (who knew she would eventually become Lily Munster?) and the rest of the movie is well-cast. I like the scene when Hamish's old sea buddy comes by, gets drunk, and while the wind & rain is swirling about him he holds up his finger and says "I think there's a wee breeze..." or something to that effect. Clark is just looking at him, smiling, and I just crack up over that part.