Yes, this film is a bit odd. I don't mean that in a bad way. I don't mean that in a good way. It's just different. And, I'm not exactly sure what the point was. And yet, even after saying that, make no mistake -- it is a film worth watching.
I had always avoided Paul Muni films because I associated him with Warner Brothers gangster films...a genre I dislike immensely (with a very occasional exception). The only Muni performance I had seen prior to this week was his portrayal of Dr. Louis Pasteur. With TCM's retrospective this week, I suddenly watched 4 Muni films in 2 days. Two things struck me, overall. First, Muni was a master of disguise. You could have almost watched the 4 films and not realized the lead in each was the same man. The other thing that struck me was that he played the characters so thoroughly that I could get no sense of who Paul Muni was. We may not always be right, but usually, audiences have a sense of who a star is as a person. With Muni, I can't get a grip on that, and I suspect that means that he was a true actor, rather than a star.
As I said earlier, I'm not sure what the point of the movie was, but the plot involves a television producer (David Wayne) who stumbles upon a humble doctor (Muni) living in a declining neighborhood. He realizes the doctor would be perfect for a new television program sponsored by a drug company. Meanwhile, the doctor is attempting to treat an irascible young Black man who is having occasional seizures. Things come to a head just as the show is about to go live...but doesn't because the doc saves the soul (well, sort of) of the young Black man, but has a fatal heart attack while doing so.
This film is a good example of how good an actor David Wayne was. Wayne typically played the best friend type of role, but every once in a while got a top role himself...as he did here. He's excellent as the somewhat cynical television producer.
I remember Betsy Palmer as a television personality back in the 1950s and 1960s; can't say much for her acting her as the wife of David Wayne. Luther Adler was good as a doctor friend of Muni. Billy Dee Williams...his first film role...a bit of overacting...but interesting to see. Godfrey Cambridge has a forgettable role as a young Black punk.
I think the title of this film is all wrong. Paul Muni's character is not an angry, he's a frustrated man. Nevertheless, and despite probably not being what you think it's going to be, this is a film worth watching for the quality of several performances.
I had always avoided Paul Muni films because I associated him with Warner Brothers gangster films...a genre I dislike immensely (with a very occasional exception). The only Muni performance I had seen prior to this week was his portrayal of Dr. Louis Pasteur. With TCM's retrospective this week, I suddenly watched 4 Muni films in 2 days. Two things struck me, overall. First, Muni was a master of disguise. You could have almost watched the 4 films and not realized the lead in each was the same man. The other thing that struck me was that he played the characters so thoroughly that I could get no sense of who Paul Muni was. We may not always be right, but usually, audiences have a sense of who a star is as a person. With Muni, I can't get a grip on that, and I suspect that means that he was a true actor, rather than a star.
As I said earlier, I'm not sure what the point of the movie was, but the plot involves a television producer (David Wayne) who stumbles upon a humble doctor (Muni) living in a declining neighborhood. He realizes the doctor would be perfect for a new television program sponsored by a drug company. Meanwhile, the doctor is attempting to treat an irascible young Black man who is having occasional seizures. Things come to a head just as the show is about to go live...but doesn't because the doc saves the soul (well, sort of) of the young Black man, but has a fatal heart attack while doing so.
This film is a good example of how good an actor David Wayne was. Wayne typically played the best friend type of role, but every once in a while got a top role himself...as he did here. He's excellent as the somewhat cynical television producer.
I remember Betsy Palmer as a television personality back in the 1950s and 1960s; can't say much for her acting her as the wife of David Wayne. Luther Adler was good as a doctor friend of Muni. Billy Dee Williams...his first film role...a bit of overacting...but interesting to see. Godfrey Cambridge has a forgettable role as a young Black punk.
I think the title of this film is all wrong. Paul Muni's character is not an angry, he's a frustrated man. Nevertheless, and despite probably not being what you think it's going to be, this is a film worth watching for the quality of several performances.