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Angel (1984) - feat. Susan Tyrrell, Dick Shawn & Rory Calhoun

Donald P. Borchers
213K subscribers
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246K views 2 years ago LOS ANGELES
I had just finished my work on THE BEASTMASTER. One morning before 6 AM my phone rang. It was Sandy Howard. He had a penchant for making phone calls during his morning crap. He said he had just read a 2-page treatment by Robert Vincent O'Neill entitled, "Hollywood Starr." I insisted we change the name to "Angel" and then worked with RVO & Joe Calla to develop the script. This was the first movie I both produced and received a full producer's credit for my work. Fifteen-year-old honor student Molly Stewart (Donna Wilkes) attends private prep school in the Los Angeles area in the daytime, but transforms herself to "Angel" at night:  …...more
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Angel (1984) - feat. Susan Tyrrell, Dick Shawn & Rory Calhoun
I had just finished my work on THE BEASTMASTER. One morning before 6 AM my phone rang. It was Sandy Howard. He had a penchant for making phone calls during his morning crap. He said he had just read a 2-page treatment by Robert Vincent O'Neill entitled, "Hollywood Starr." I insisted we change the name to "Angel" and then worked with RVO & Joe Calla to develop the script. This was the first movie I both produced and received a full producer's credit for my work. Fifteen-year-old honor student Molly Stewart (Donna Wilkes) attends private prep school in the Los Angeles area in the daytime, but transforms herself to "Angel" at night: a leather mini-skirted, high-heeled street teenage streetwalker who works Hollywood Boulevard. Angel has a "street family" made up of aging movie cowboy Kit Carson (Rory Calhoun), street performer Yoyo Charlie (Steven M. Porter), drag performer Mae (Dick Shawn), fellow hookers Crystal (Donna McDaniel) and Lana (Graem McGavin), and her landlady, eccentric painter Solly Mosler (Susan Tyrrell). The family that Angel /Molly has found on the streets is better than the family that abandoned her. The street's dangers increase as a psycho-necrophiliac serial killer begins to stalk and murder streetwalkers. Los Angeles Police Lt. Andrews (Cliff Gorman) is assigned to the case but finds no leads. Tragedy strikes Angel's group of friends when Crystal becomes a victim. The next day at school, Molly is confronted by teacher Patricia Allen (Elaine Giftos), who is concerned about Molly's lack of extracurricular activities. Molly explains that her mother was paralyzed by a stroke and she has to head home immediately after school each day to care for her. Lt. Andrews advises the hookers to work in pairs. Angel teams up with Lana. Lana takes a potential client to a motel room that she and Angel share. When Angel shows up at the room with a client of her own( Peter Jason) a couple of hours later she finds Lana's body in the shower. Angel gives the police a description of the suspect and a composite sketch is made. The killer (John Diehl) is brought in for a lineup and Angel recognizes him, but he shoots his way out of the police station and escapes. Andrews takes Molly/Angel home to speak with her parents, but discovers that Molly's father left nine years ago and her mother abandoned her three years ago. Molly maintains the pretense of a mother at home so that she will not be sent to a foster home. She believes that her father will return someday. She has paid her rent, school tuition and living expenses through streetwalking since she was 12. Despite Andrews' warnings to stay off the street, Angel/Molly purchases a pistol and returns to work. Her masquerade falls apart that night when some classmates recognize her on the street. Word flashes through the students at her school and soon everyone knows that Molly spends her evenings as a Hollywood hooker. The next day, Ms. Allen visits Molly's apartment and insists on meeting her mother. Mae pretends to be Molly's mother, but Allen is not fooled. Mae is still at the apartment when the killer shows up later. They fight, and he stabs her, leaving her mortally wounded. Solly discovers Mae and the two share a tender moment of friendship before Mae succumbs to her wounds. Andrews and Molly return to her apartment and find Mae's body. Molly heads out on the streets with Solly's huge long-barreled Magnum to avenge Mae and Andrews goes after her. After a fight and chase, Carson, whom Andrews enlisted to help, shoots the killer. Molly, Andrews, and a wounded Carson walk off together. A 1984 American street action thriller film directed by Robert Vincent O'Neil, written by O'Neil and Joseph Michael Cala, produced by Donald P. Borchers, cinematography by Andrew Davis (THE FUGITIVE), and starring Donna Wilkes, Cliff Gorman, Susan Tyrrell, Dick Shawn, and Rory Calhoun. Casting by Linda Francis. Released by New World Pictures, it was the first installment in the Angel film series. Angel was released in theaters in the United States by New World Pictures on January 13, 1984. The film failed to open in the top 5 at the box office, yet grossed $2.2 million on its opening weekend. The film managed to stay in the box office top ten for several months, becoming a sleeper hit and eventually earning $17,488,564. It was New World's highest grossing picture that year, spawning two sequels. Filmed in 1983, lead actress Donna Wilkes was 24 years old when she played the 15-year-old student. Wilkes prepared for the role by talking to real-life streetwalkers on Hollywood Boulevard, spent time with the Los Angeles Police Department, and in various halfway houses for underage children living on the streets of Los Angeles. Composer Craig Safan wrote the score to this film in less than a week. Safan's score was released by Intrada Records in 1993. The film premiered at the Hollywood Pacific Theatre on Hollywood Boulevard, the theatre featured in the climax of the film.

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Donald P. Borchers

213K subscribers