The Angel Who Pawned Her Harp *** (1954, Diane Cilento, Felix Aylmer, Jerry Desmonde) – Classic Movie Review 13,123

The appealing 1954 British fantasy comedy film The Angel Who Pawned Her Harp is based on a novel and subsequent 1951 TV play by Charles Terrot, and stars Diane Cilento as The Angel, Felix Aylmer as the pawnbroker, and Jerry Desmonde. 

Director Alan Bromly’s appealing 1954 British film The Angel Who Pawned Her Harp is based on a novel and subsequent 1951 TV play by Charles Terrot, and stars Diane Cilento, Felix Aylmer, and Jerry Desmonde. It is nice, sweet and cosy, but not too much, with some excellent performance to smooth the way, with Cilento charming and Aylmer winning.

The Angel Who Pawned Her Harp is an easy-going, antique-style fantasy comedy that sees an angel (Diane Cilento) appear in the Angel district of Islington, north London, and set about solving some of the inhabitants’ ills and local crimes after warming the heart of the tough-hearted local pawnbroker Joshua Webman (Felix Aylmer) while pawning her harp.

This sweet and effective whimsical fairy tale is rewarded with amusing playing from a vintage Brit cast (notably Jerry Desmonde, Alfie Bass, Maurice Kaufmann and David Kossoff) and boasts a warm-hearted soft centre that avoids being twee and provides pleasing old-fashioned, lightweight enjoyment.

Plus, for further pleasure, there’s a tasty flavour of a long-lost London from 1954 thanks to the attractive location shooting.

It is Cilento’s first film.

It is shot in black and white at Beaconsfield Studios with location shooting around Islington, north London.

The Angel Who Pawned Her Harp is directed by Alan Bromly, runs 76 minutes, is made by Group 3 Films, is distributed by British Lion Film Corporation, is written by Sidney Cole and Charles Terrot, based on The Angel Who Pawned Her Harp by Charles Terrot, is produced by Sidney Cole, is shot by Arthur Grant, is scored by Antony Hopkins, and is designed by Ray Simm (art director).

Release date: 9 September 1954 (London).

The cast are Felix Aylmer as pawnbroker Joshua Webman, Diane Cilento as the Angel, Jerry Desmonde as Parker, Robert Eddison as the voice, Joe Linnane as Ned Sullivan, Phyllis Morris as Mrs Trap, Sheila Sweet as Jenny Lane, Philip Guard as Len Burrows, Genitha Halsey as Mrs. Burrows, Edward Evans as Sergeant Lane, Elaine Wodson as Mrs Lane, Thomas Gallagher as Boyd, Alfie Bass as Lennox, June Ellis as Sally, Herbert C Walton as Mr Meek, Freddie Watts as bookmaker, Maurice Kaufmann as Reg, David Kossoff as Schwartz, Raymond Rollett as Stillvane, Cyril Smith as dog owner, Jean Aubrey as Sue, Thomas Moore as small boy, and Nelson’s Gift as Spiderflash.

It was remade as a West German film in 1959, Der Engel, der seine Harfe versetzte, directed by Kurt Hoffmann and starring Nana Osten, Henry Vahl and Ullrich Haupt.

Jerry Desmonde became a popular TV game show host, and presented ATV’s Hit The Limit (1956) and The 64,000 Question (1956), appearing on the front cover of TV Times in 1956.

Australian actress Diane Cilento (2 April 1932 – 6 October 2011) is best known for Tom Jones (1963), which earned her an Academy Award nomination, Hombre (1967) and The Wicker Man (1973). She is the mother of Jason Connery.

© Derek Winnert 2024 – Classic Movie Review 13,123

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