Consider the casting for the three leads in "We're No Angels" - Humphrey Bogart, Peter Ustinov and Aldo Ray. It doesn't seem to work on paper, but in this film, the trio have such a comedic rapport that the film winds up a delight. The setting is Christmas Day 1895, and all three are escaped convicts from Devil's Island with the notion of returning to Paris aboard a ship anchored in Cayenne harbor.
What starts out as a casual afternoon to steal some money and kill some time, turns into a mission for the amiable villains. They spot a likely target, the shop of proprietors Felix and Amelie Ducotel (Leo G. Carroll and Joan Bennett). Offering their help to fix the shop's roof, they eavesdrop their way into the lives and hearts of their hosts, which also includes daughter Isabelle (Gloria Talbott).
Leo G. Carroll plays his role along the same lines as his Topper character, amiable but somewhat bumbling. It's no wonder the shop makes no money; Bogart's observation - "I got ten years for a better set of books than this".
To create just the right amount of tension, Felix Ducotel's cousin Andre Trochard (Basil Rathbone) arrives to take stock of the business, and can find no better fun than to spend Christmas Day going over the books. In tow is his nephew Paul (John Baer), for whom Isabelle has nursed a year long crush. In a mock trial, the criminal trio find Andre guilty and leave it to their pet snake Adolph to carry out the sentence.
"We're no Angels" is one of those rare films in which you find yourself rooting for the bad guys. The one liners are brilliant, and shared equally among the three rogues. With deadpan delivery, Ustinov's Character Jules lovingly refers to the Ducotel's - "People like that, how can you cut their throats?".
At film's end, the strain of playing it straight with the Ducotel's causes the convicts to reevaluate their plans; it would be much easier to return to prison where they can feel more at home. The dapper trio sport halos as they make their way back, with one more for good measure for Adolph. This is not your typical Christmas movie fare, but I can understand how it could wind up on your list of holiday favorites.
What starts out as a casual afternoon to steal some money and kill some time, turns into a mission for the amiable villains. They spot a likely target, the shop of proprietors Felix and Amelie Ducotel (Leo G. Carroll and Joan Bennett). Offering their help to fix the shop's roof, they eavesdrop their way into the lives and hearts of their hosts, which also includes daughter Isabelle (Gloria Talbott).
Leo G. Carroll plays his role along the same lines as his Topper character, amiable but somewhat bumbling. It's no wonder the shop makes no money; Bogart's observation - "I got ten years for a better set of books than this".
To create just the right amount of tension, Felix Ducotel's cousin Andre Trochard (Basil Rathbone) arrives to take stock of the business, and can find no better fun than to spend Christmas Day going over the books. In tow is his nephew Paul (John Baer), for whom Isabelle has nursed a year long crush. In a mock trial, the criminal trio find Andre guilty and leave it to their pet snake Adolph to carry out the sentence.
"We're no Angels" is one of those rare films in which you find yourself rooting for the bad guys. The one liners are brilliant, and shared equally among the three rogues. With deadpan delivery, Ustinov's Character Jules lovingly refers to the Ducotel's - "People like that, how can you cut their throats?".
At film's end, the strain of playing it straight with the Ducotel's causes the convicts to reevaluate their plans; it would be much easier to return to prison where they can feel more at home. The dapper trio sport halos as they make their way back, with one more for good measure for Adolph. This is not your typical Christmas movie fare, but I can understand how it could wind up on your list of holiday favorites.