Angel Baby (1961)

A mute girl (Salome Jens) is taken to an evangelist (George Hamilton) and her power of speech is restored. She devotes her life to God but is ultimately exploited by those out to make a profit out of religion. This film came out the year after the superior ELMER GANTRY and can't transcend its exploitation roots. It's derivative in so many ways and clumsily put together. It seems to condescend to the "white trash" believers exploiting them in the same way the evangelical hucksters did but also pandering to the "superiority" the audience is supposed to feel toward them. Jens as the Angel Baby of the title is actually very good and if the film had been better, or even a hit, it's the kind of performance and role that would have propelled her to stardom. But her performance isn't enough to save the film and she's saddled with George Hamilton's performance which is inadequate to the demands of the role. I'm ambivalent about the hysterical Mercedes McCambridge as Hamilton's bible spouting wife. She's either brilliant or godawful, I still haven't decided. Two old pros, Joan Blondell and Henry Jones, bring what they can as a boozing couple watching out for Jens but a young Burt Reynolds is still too wet around the edges. Directed by Paul Wendkos (THE MEPHISTO WALTZ).