It proved to be an enjoyable film, part of a surprisingly named but reasonably priced Mill Creek collection of 'Classic Romances,' which I bought because I enjoy older movies and the set only cost $10. While it technically qualifies as a romance if you extend the definition quite far, that element is really just a small piece of what makes this film—and the others in the group—work. Ben Hecht, who had won two Oscars …

It’s remarkable how this movie managed to avoid my attention until recently, when it appeared on British Freeview television. Angels Over Broadway, written, directed, and produced by Ben Hecht, features an impressive cast that genuinely took me by surprise—Douglas Fairbanks Jr., Rita Hayworth, Thomas Mitchell, and John Qualen are all present. It's also astonishing to discover that contemporary critics faulted the fil…