...but falls woefully short in execution. But does manage to come up with a Broadway angel (show backer) that turns out to be an actual angel. The plot of "An Angel Comes To Brooklyn" begins...
High up in Actors' Heaven---where those actors who have taken their final curtain on earth still maintain a lively interest in theatrical activity---there is a bell which has been named Minnie. When a struggling young actor on Broadway has sufficient faith in himself---if he believes strongly enough in his ability and talent---then Minnie rings out clearly, signaling that the time is right for an angel to leave Actors' Heaven and go down to earth to help a worthy, but-as-yet-successful actor or actress. (Hey, this is 1945 and gender hasn't yet become a politically-incorrect issue for future revisionists.) When versatile, young Karen James (billed as KAYE Dowd), refuses to be discouraged by her rejection by producer Rodney Lloyd (Wilton Graff), Minnie rings out loudly and clearly. Phineas Aloysius Higby (Charles Kemper), who was a magician before he was called to Actor's Heaven, begs to be allowed to go earthward to help Karen and is finally assigned the job. Phineas rents a room in the theatrical boarding house run by Madam Della (Marguerite D'Alvarez), an ex-prima donna who has never gotten over it. Karen also lives there, as well as David Randall (Robert Duke), a young artist. David conceals his love for Karen because he believes she loves Paul Blake (David Street), an advertising writer who pretends, for Karen's sake, that he has playwriting ambitions.
Phineas befriends Karen and David and accompanies them to another audition for Rodney Lloyd, who rejects Karen again but is entranced by Phineas' magic and tries to sign him up. Phineas consults Sir Henry Bushnell (C. Montague Shaw), head man of Actors' Heaven, and secures his permission to pretend to be a producer in order to encourage Karen. Phineas then promises to produce a show to be written by Paul (who can't write)and to star Karen and her friends, Tiny (Betzi Beaton), Rosie (Sherle North), Susie (Alice Tyrrell), Kay (June Carroll), Barbara (Barbara Perry), and others, all theatrically ambitious, talented kids now working in a department store. David dreams up several production numbers, and even Madam Della's maid, Theresa (Billie Haywood), who also sings in a night club, and her accompanist and agent, Cliff (Cliff Allen), join in with a hot number of their own.
But complications arise and, before long, Phineas has created many problems and soon has Minnie the Bell ringing constantly and boisterously.
(No, we don't know the name of the bell that played Minnie.) We believe in Actors' Heaven. We believe in Minnie the Bell. We do not believe, for one moment, that the real Minnie the Bell would have ever dinged one ring for most of this cast. Stellar-troupers Charles Kemper and Wilton Graff provide most of the bell-ringing moments in this one.
High up in Actors' Heaven---where those actors who have taken their final curtain on earth still maintain a lively interest in theatrical activity---there is a bell which has been named Minnie. When a struggling young actor on Broadway has sufficient faith in himself---if he believes strongly enough in his ability and talent---then Minnie rings out clearly, signaling that the time is right for an angel to leave Actors' Heaven and go down to earth to help a worthy, but-as-yet-successful actor or actress. (Hey, this is 1945 and gender hasn't yet become a politically-incorrect issue for future revisionists.) When versatile, young Karen James (billed as KAYE Dowd), refuses to be discouraged by her rejection by producer Rodney Lloyd (Wilton Graff), Minnie rings out loudly and clearly. Phineas Aloysius Higby (Charles Kemper), who was a magician before he was called to Actor's Heaven, begs to be allowed to go earthward to help Karen and is finally assigned the job. Phineas rents a room in the theatrical boarding house run by Madam Della (Marguerite D'Alvarez), an ex-prima donna who has never gotten over it. Karen also lives there, as well as David Randall (Robert Duke), a young artist. David conceals his love for Karen because he believes she loves Paul Blake (David Street), an advertising writer who pretends, for Karen's sake, that he has playwriting ambitions.
Phineas befriends Karen and David and accompanies them to another audition for Rodney Lloyd, who rejects Karen again but is entranced by Phineas' magic and tries to sign him up. Phineas consults Sir Henry Bushnell (C. Montague Shaw), head man of Actors' Heaven, and secures his permission to pretend to be a producer in order to encourage Karen. Phineas then promises to produce a show to be written by Paul (who can't write)and to star Karen and her friends, Tiny (Betzi Beaton), Rosie (Sherle North), Susie (Alice Tyrrell), Kay (June Carroll), Barbara (Barbara Perry), and others, all theatrically ambitious, talented kids now working in a department store. David dreams up several production numbers, and even Madam Della's maid, Theresa (Billie Haywood), who also sings in a night club, and her accompanist and agent, Cliff (Cliff Allen), join in with a hot number of their own.
But complications arise and, before long, Phineas has created many problems and soon has Minnie the Bell ringing constantly and boisterously.
(No, we don't know the name of the bell that played Minnie.) We believe in Actors' Heaven. We believe in Minnie the Bell. We do not believe, for one moment, that the real Minnie the Bell would have ever dinged one ring for most of this cast. Stellar-troupers Charles Kemper and Wilton Graff provide most of the bell-ringing moments in this one.
