Three escapees from Devil’s Island (Humphrey Bogart, Aldo Ray, Peter Ustinov) intend to rob a store, but end up acting as angels for the store-keeper and his family over Christmas. However, these angels are more Old Testament than New.
Why is this movie forgotten? Directed by Michael Curtiz (The Adventures of Robin Hood, Casablanca), my pick as the finest director of all time, and staring Humphrey Bogart in one of his last films, We’re No Angels is funny and heartwarming without being saccharine. It avoids Hollywood Christmas convention. The three convicts are unapologetic killers who are surprised to hear their guard survived their escape. They hide out in a general store, talking the manager into having them repair the roof. Soon they are cheating the customers and planning an unpleasant fate for the shopkeeper, but they are also watching his life and becoming involved with his family. His problems, particularly the arrival of the store’s miserly owner (Basil Rathbone) on Christmas, become their problems. Bogart, not known for his comedy, shows a real gift for humor, though Ray and Ustinov also shine. This isn’t the kind of Christmas film where sinners convert to saints. The three “angels” are there to solve the shopkeeper’s family’s problems, not to become new men. And the owner isn’t going to see the error of his ways. For 1955, there’s some radical stuff here, particularly in a Christmas film. We’re No Angels can best be understood by one of Bogart’s character’s lines: “We came here to rob them and that’s what we’re gonna do – beat their heads in, gouge their eyes out, slash their throats. Soon as we wash the dishes.” Add viewing this film to your list of Christmas traditions.