Almost Angels (1962)

 

Almost Angels (1962

 

 ‘I don’t expect you to act like a bunch of angels even though you sing like them.’   -Peter Weck as Choir  Director Max Heller

 For Tony getting accepted into the Vienna Boys' Choir was tough enough, but once he got in he had to deal with the jealous tendencies of lead Vienna boy singer Peter. There can only be one lead singer and Peter is determined to not let Tony fly higher than him in angelic choir.  Don’t let this sentence mislead you; the film is not as exciting as all that. It is a simple quant movie with a Hallmark type flavor to it. 

Folks looking for an exciting film with fighting and adventure daring do will be disappointed.

There are no action scenes, although Tony does scale around the ledge of a one story building to make a dazzling entrance into the children’s wing of the hospital to sing his first solo with the rest of the boys.

What the movie has going for it and why it is worth a look and a listen is the beautiful cinematography and beautiful music throughout the picture. The musical appreciation grew as I continued to watch the boys singing in and around different locations including a beautiful pre-Vatican II Catholic Church and on stage with a Romeo and Juliet type number with the boys playing both parts just as they did in Shakespeare’s time.  

 The big dramatic turning point of the film is when one of the two boy’s singing voices decides to come of age just before the big tour. Will the former rivals find a way to band together so that one of them is not left out of the big show?

 This is one of those Disney rarities that can only be seen by shelling out a lot of money to the Disney Exclusive Movie Club. I found a copy at a library 40 minutes away and only had to pay a dollar. I’m not sure why Disney had not made this movie more available to the general public. My wife thinks the reason that this movie is not as famous as it might have been is because it is a children’s movie with only adult themed music. Although, I think that is its charm. There is a loss of appreciation for good music nowadays and this film highlights the beauty of such music sung around a story of friendship, loyalty, and self sacrifice.

If you cannot access this film, there are other great films about choirs and good music. ‘August Rush’ is among those great pictures.