You pick up some interesting tidbits watching these old flicks on Turner Classics when they're hosted by one of their movie critic pros. For example, when Janet Leigh visited Forbes Field to see where this movie was being filmed, she stepped on the infield grass in her high heels and they immediately sank into the turf. Pittsburgh Pirate Ralph Kiner came to her rescue and carried her off the field and some newspaper photographers captured the moment. What seemed like a romantic match-up turned to naught because Leigh was engaged to Tony Curtis at the time.Well this was a nice engaging family picture with a baseball backdrop but I think there was a missed opportunity. Being a fantasy, it could have been more whimsical if the film makers had actually put some angels on screen, you know, maybe borrow someone like Cary Grant or Constance Bennett from 1937's "Topper" to liven things up. OK, they were ghosts but you know what I mean. A couple of winged apparitions behind each of the players might have given more credence to the title.I'd also question the casting of Paul Douglas and Janet Leigh as potential romantics. It worked out for the story but I don't see the connection to reality if you wanted to maintain some credibility for the outcome. Oh well, with angels in the outfield, there wasn't going to be a lot of credibility left to go around anyway.What I really found interesting was seeing Forbes Field the way it was back in the day. To me it didn't look much bigger or better looking than the ball field my home town semi-pro team used back in the early Sixties. I never went to a professional baseball game as a kid, and was never to a big league ball park until the Seventies, so my only basis for comparison would be the old Shea Stadium and Yankee Stadium in New York. Come to think of it, those aren't around anymore either. Boy, time does go by.I'll say one thing though. The story really made you think about the plight of orphans, as in little Bridget's (Donna Corcoran) case where she had spent her entire life of eight years in one. It seemed extremely sad that she was 'given' a birthday by the nuns because no one knew when she was really born. That seemed just so incredibly sad, on top of the ruses the orphan girls thought they needed to attract potential parents, like taking off their glasses. It really makes you think about how lucky most of us are.Well anyway, long before the Los Angeles Angels ever held a home field advantage, this film entertained a good idea about how to treat one another both on and off the field. It might not be the greatest baseball movie, but where else would you ever be able to see Joe DiMaggio, Ty Cobb and Bing Crosby all in one place at the same time. And if you're a seasoned citizen like myself, you won't have any trouble picking out the Beav's mom herself, Barbara Billingsley in a couple of scenes as the hat check girl at Johnny's Steakhouse. Just another reason I get a kick out of these old pictures.

It's hard to believe that this movie was directed by Clarence Brown, who gave us such masterpieces as Garbo in Anna Karenina, Gable and Shearer in Idiot's Delight, and a very moving adaptation of Faulkner's Intruder in the Dust. Be that as it may, this a a generally flat film, with no real sense of pacing. The actors are all fine - indeed, much better than their material - but they can't make a silk purse out of this sow's ear.Which is not to say that there is nothing of value here, however. The last part of the movie, which doesn't build a lot of tension, nevertheless shows the main character doing something very decent. It could be developed a lot more effectively, I suppose, but there's something very satisfying about that. (I won't go into details, because I wouldn't want to ruin it for anyone.) Yes, this movie is worth watching. It's not close to being a great movie, but it won't waste your time, either.-------------------------I watched this again tonight on TCM. The basic plot - a baseball manager's conversations with angels - is pure fantasy, and not that interesting. It is also very much a repeat of the 1947 20th Century Fox hit Miracle on 34th Street, especially in the final courtroom scene, where, this time, various witnesses are called in to prove the existence of angels, as opposed to Santa Claus. For that, Miracle was a much better movie than this.But where this movie is interesting is its recreation of baseball in the late 1940s/early 1950s. The Pittsburgh "fans" turn downright vicious when they fear leaving an aging pitcher in will cause them to lose the game they need to win the pennant. There are other touches here and there that come off as very real, despite the fantasy of the main story line.As I wrote last year, you won't waste your time watching this movie. Some of it is blatant emotion manipulation. But there are interesting elements in it as well.

"Angels in the Outfield" (1951) is the one of the best and most original comedies ever made. It is about a baseball manager (Paul Douglas) who loses his temper too much until he hears an angel's voice (James Whitmore), who makes a deal with him. He and his other angels will help the baseball team win games if the manager stops losing his temper. When the deal is set, the manager's life changes. It is a lovely movie to watch. The movie should have been nominated with Academy Awards for the major categories. It was totally ignored. Paul Douglas and Bruce Bennett, as the aging baseball player, should have been nominated for best actor and best supporting actor. They have something in common; both of them made another great movie in their long careers: Douglas made "Letter to Three Wives" and Bennett made "Mildred Pierce". "Angels in the Outfield" was perfectly cast. Another outstanding performance was by Kennan Wynn in his best role and best movie. Mr. Wynn should have been nominated for best supporting actor, too.

I caught this movie on AMC late one Saturday night. The difference from this movie classic and the Disney effort was like night and day. This movie had more feeling and better acting. Don't Get me wrong, Danny Glover and Joseph Gordan-Levett, and Tony Danza did well, but not as good as the original cast.