3 Godfathers (1948)

Our 2021 edition of "Oscar Takes A Holiday" concludes with a review of 3 Godfathers.

This film features several Academy Award winners.

John Wayne won the Best Actor Oscar in 1969 for his portrayal of Rooster Cogburn in True Grit.

This film features Jane Darwell in a small role as Miss Florie.  

Darwell was a great character actress and she won an Oscar for playing Ma Joad in The Grapes Of Wrath.

Jane Darwell receives her Oscar.  At the time Supporting Actresses and Actor only got small plaques (seen in Darwell's left hand), not full Oscar statuettes.

John Ford directed 3 Godfathers and he won a record four Best Director Oscars, for The Informer, The Grapes Of Wrath, How Green Was My Valley and The Quiet Man.  Additionally, Ford won two Academy Awards for the WWII documentaries December 7 and The Battle Of Midway.  While Ford was famous for directing Western cowboy films, none of his Oscars were for Westerns.  

John Ford, with one of his Oscars.

Ben Johnson has a small (unnamed) role as a member of the posse that pursues the "3 godfathers." 

Johnson won the Academy Award for Best Supporting actor in 1972 for playing Sam the Lion in The Last Picture Show.

Now for our review:

A trio of small-time criminals named Bob Hightower (John Wayne), Pedro Encarnación Escalante (Pedro Armendariz), who answers to "Pete," and William Kearney (Harry Carey Jr.), AKA "The Abilene Kid," visit the town of Welcome, Arizona, planning to rob the local bank.  

The pass by the home of Buck Sweet (Ward Bond) and his wife (Mae Marsh).  Mrs. Sweet mentions that they are preparing for a Christmas visit from her niece and her husband.  

The Sweets have a pleasant exchange with the trio, until Buck puts on his vest, which displays his U.S. Marshal badge.  This leads to a slight bit of tension, which leads Sweet to believe he may be seeing them soon in a more official capacity.  

After hitting the bank, the take off, but the Kid is shot and loses his horse and the loot.  Bob and Pete rescue him and take off into the desert, with Marshal Sweet in hot pursuit. Water is scarce in the desert, so Sweet shoots their water pouch, knowing it will limit their escape options.

Later, when Bob, Pete and the Kid visit a depot to get water, Sweet's posse gets there first and guards the water tank, making it inaccessible to the fugitives. 

The trio's search for water and safety leads them to a woman (Mildred Natwick) who is about to give birth.  Unbeknownst to Bob and friends, the woman is Buck Sweet's niece, who was on the way to visit the Sweets for Christmas. 

There is no water in sight because her husband (who has disappeared) dynamited the well, hoping it would get more water into it.  (The dynamite has the opposite effect, rendering the well useless.) Pete helps her give birth, while Pete and Kid  get her water from cacti.  She lives long enough to thank them and name her baby "Robert William Pedro Hightower" to honor all of them.  The new mother asks all three men to serve as godfathers to her son

The Kid picks up the woman's Bible and finds it opened to a page that talks about bringing newborn children to Jerusalem in order to present them to God.  They decide it's a sign from above and take the baby to New Jerusalem.  Kid says they're the modern equivalent of the three wise men from the Nativity story and they follow the star that will lead them to New Jerusalem.  

Meanwhile, Sweet and his posse continue to chase the three godfathers.  When they find the abandoned site where the baby was born, they presume the mother and her baby were killed by Bob and his gang.  Sweet also discovers that the water well has been blown up, which will result in future deaths and presumes that the fugitives are responsible for this as well.  Buck now wants Bob, Pedro and Kid killed for their (presumed) crimes!

Can Bob, Pedro and Kid survive long enough to get the baby to New Jerusalem?  

J.A. Morris says:

After hundreds of reviews, this is our first review of a Western movie or TV show.  

3 Godfathers is a good Western, with larger-than-life characters featured on both sides of the law.  John Wayne was already established as a major star and he plays a character similar to lots of his other characters.  That's okay, because Wayne was so good playing cowboys.  

Pedro Armendariz is equally good.  Pedro is a somewhat stereotypical "pistolero," but Armendariz delivers performance that imbues his character with humanity and kindness.  

Harry Carey, Jr. is believable as the in-over-his head Abilene Kid.

Ward Bond provides a good opponent to the godfathers as Buck Sweet.  There are some nice scenes where Buck and Bob play a game of chess trying guess where the other will go next.  

There's a little bit of back story about Harry Carey, Jr. and his father.  During the opening credits, we see this dedication:

The senior Carey worked with director John Ford on multiple films.  One of their collaborations was Marked Men, a 1919 silent adaptation of 3 Godfathers and Carey Sr. also appeared in a 1916 version of the same story.  So Jr.'s presence in the film adds a nice connection to the earlier versions.  

It's also worth noting that prominent character actor Guy Kibbee has a cameo as a judge near the end of the movie.

In addition to the actors, the other "star" of 3 Godfathers is its filming locations.  It was shot on location in California's Death Valley, which means we're treated to lots of breathtaking shots of mountains and deserts.  The dried-up salt lake scene is particularly memorable.  

If there's anything in 3 Godfathers that doesn't quite work, it's the ending.  It feels a bit too pat and tacked on.  However, it's not enough to ruin the rest of the film.  I'm hesitant to say more about the ending because I don't want to spoil it (even if the film was released more than 70 years ago!).  

3 Godfathers is an entertaining Christmas cowboy movie full of action, drama and holiday sentiment, but the ending prevents me from giving it a higher rating.

J.A. Morris' rating:

3 candy canes.

RigbyMel says: 

Despite my dad being a big John Wayne fan, I had never seen this Western set at Christmastime.  3 Godfathers uses its Christmas setting to tell a tale of sacrifice and (possible) redemption for three not-quite as-wise-as-they-think men as they attempt to rescue a baby from certain death.  

I found myself being drawn in to the story because of appealing performances by all the actors involved (especially the three godfathers themselves) and quite enjoyed the chess-like back and forth between Hightower and Marshal Sweet as they try to outwit each other.  

There's also something kind of sweet about how the three hardened criminals become so attached to and protective of their infant charge.  Their early grappling with the unaccustomed tasks associated with infant care are endearing.  This is a trope in a lot of movies (think Three Men and a Baby for a more recent example), but it works well and the man vs. nature intensity of the Western setting adds dramatic tension.   

Baby "Robert William Pedro Hightower" was played (uncredited - in close-up shots) by baby Amelia Yelda

It's also worth noting the many parallels between this western and the original Nativity story, for example, the desert setting parallels the hot, dry climate the original New Testament tale. There are also elements of Mary and Joseph's flight into Egypt to save the infant Jesus that are reflected in the godfathers' flight towards New Jerusalem.   And although the poor woman who leaves the baby in our unlikely trio's care is never named in the film, I really, really want her to be called Mary.  

3 Godfathers was based on novel by Peter B. Kyne that has been adapted and filmed multiple times and I highly recommend checking out blog posts about the adaptations over on the fabulous blog Christmas TV History! 

A miracle in the desert? 

Mexican actor Pedro Armendariz (who plays Pedro aka Pete in this movie) was one of the best-known Latin American movie stars of the 1940s and 50s.  He won 2 Ariel Awards (the equivalent to the Oscars for Mexican cinema) for Best Actor in 1948 for La Perla and in 1953 for El Rebozo de Soledad and certainly gives a moving performance in 3 Godfathers. 

As J.A. Morris mentions above, the ending does come off as just a bit too pat and tonally off compared with the rest of the film (there's a "funny drunk" bit that is especially off-putting to my mind), but 3 Godfathers is a generally gripping and well-made classic Western film and is well worth a look should you have the time and inclination. 

RigbyMel's rating: 

.5

3 and a half candy canes.

We're No Angels

Premiered July 7, 1955.

Joseph:As soon as it gets dark, we'll help ourselves.  

Albert:The old man might object.

Joseph:If he gets in our way, it'll be just too bad for him.  We'll climb down off his roof and cut his throat for a Christmas present.

Albert:That's the kind of thing that could make you stop believing in Santa Claus.

This year's series of "Oscar Takes A Holiday" reviews begins with We're No Angels, which features multiple Academy Award winners.

Film legend Humphrey Bogart won Best Actor for playing Charlie Allnut in The African Queen. 

Humphrey Bogart, accompanied by his wife Lauren Bacall, celebrates his Oscar win.

It was directed by Michael Curtiz, who won a Best Director Oscar for Casablanca, which of course also featured Bogart.

Michael Curtiz poses with the Oscar he won for directing Casablanca.

Peter Ustinov won two Academy Awards for Best Supporting Actor, the first for Spartacus and another for Topkapi.

Peter Ustinov celebrates his Spartacus Oscar with fellow-winner Shirley Jones at the 1961 ceremony.

On to today's review:

On Christmas Eve, 1895, a trio of convicts named Joseph (Humphrey Bogart)...

 Albert (Peter Ustinov)...

and Jules (Aldo Ray), escape from Devil's Island prison.  

They're accompanied by Jules' pet viper snake Adolphe, who spends most of his time in a carry-case. It's easy for them to hide in plain sight on the island, since lots of convicts are out working on parole.

They visit a store owned by Felix Ducotel (Leo G. Carroll) and offer to repair his damaged roof.  They're true intent is to kill Felix, his wife Amelie (Joan Bennett) and their daughter Isabelle (Gloria Talbott) and rob them, then flee Devil's Island on the next boat out.

Felix and his store have been going through a rough patch.  The store has been losing money and Felix is dreading a Christmas visit from Andre Tochard (Basil Rathbone), his cousin and financial benefactor.  Andre knows about Felix's problems and plans to remove Felix from the business.

Isabelle is excited about Andre's visit because he's bringing along his son and sole heir Paul (John Baer).  She's in love with Paul but doesn't know if the feeling is mutual.

As part of their "murder plot," the convicts decide to help Felix.  Joseph, whose criminal specialty was falsifying documents, offers to "adjust" the financial records and save the Ducotel's family business.  Joseph also impresses the Ducotels with his "business acumen" when he manages to sell a hairbrush and comb set to a bald man!

In exchange for their help, Amelie invites the convicts to Christmas Eve dinner.  Albert, Jules and Joseph decorate the house... 

...and prepare a turkey for Christmas dinner. 

The trio even serenades the Ducotels with a Christmas song.  The family invites them to spend the night, not knowing that the convicts have planned to kill them and take their money.

The holiday celebrations are interrupted when Felix's cousin Andre arrives and immediately throws his weight around and belittles everyone in the house.  Andre demands to see the financial records before Joseph has a chance to "fix" them.  

The convicts also learn that Paul is not in love with Isabelle and he plans to tell her so. 

The scenario gets even more complicated when Adolphe the snake goes missing!  

Will Joseph, Jules and Albert go through with their plans to rob and murder the Ducotels?  Can they prevent Andre from learning the financial conditions of Felix's store?  What will happen between Paul and Isabelle? 

J.A. Morris says:

When I was a kid, I was a huge fan of Humphrey Bogart and made every effort to watch every one of his films.  However, We're No Angels was not a movie that was readily available on TV or home video.  That's changed in the last decade and this movie is now part of TCM's annual Christmas programming.  

And that's a good thing, because We're No Angels is lots of fun!  Bogart, Peter Ustinov and Aldo Ray make a great trio and Basil Rathbone is delightfully sleazy as Andre.  Jules' pet snake Adolphe also plays an important role in the film, but to say more about Adolphe would spoil jokes and plot points. 

Bogart didn't appear in many comedies, and he shows off some nice, subtle comic timing here.  It's a shame he didn't squeeze in a few more humorous roles during his career.  Leo G. Carroll, Joan Bennett and Gloria Talbott provide solid support as the Ducotels.   

Some viewers may have a problem with some of the darker jokes.  The "angels" don't express much sympathy for a guard they "tried to kill" during their escape from Devil's Island.  Albert makes multiple jokes about killing his wife (which is one reason he's in prison), not something you usually hear in Christmas movies!  However, 30 minutes into the movie, it's obvious that (SPOILER ALERT), this is a trio of "whimsical" criminals who will commit no violent crimes during the film's running time.  

We're No Angels is based on a stage play called My Three Angels, which was adapted from French play titled La Cuisine Des Anges by Albert Husson.  

We're No Angels has a great ensemble cast and is filled with funny moments and is recommended to all fans of holiday films, especially film fans who enjoy a side of dark humor with their eggnog.  It's a nice excuse to spend time watching "Bogie" every December.  

J.A. Morris's rating: 

4 candy canes!

RigbyMel says:

We're No Angels was unknown to me until a couple of years ago, when we watched it on TCM, which is a shame because it is a delight.   This comedy features excellent performances by Humphrey Bogart, Peter Ustinov and Aldo Ray as criminals who turn out to have hearts of gold.    

The holiday setting helps to keep the viewer off balance initially.  Then Christmas works its transformative power on our criminals who have a change of heart thanks to the warmth and kindness of their erstwhile victims, the Ducotel family.   

From thence, our non-angelic trio tries to fix the Ducotel's financial and familial difficulties...by any means necessary.   We even get an unexpectedly heroic turn from Adolphe the Viper! 

I really love the dry wit of the dialogue throughout this script, as well as Basil Rathbone's obvious enjoyment at playing cousin Andre, the REAL villain of the piece. 

Another unexpected treat in this film is that the audience gets to hear Bogart, Ustinov, and Ray SING during the family Christmas party scene.   The words concerning angels were written for the movie, but the tune is an old hymn tune called "St. Athanasius" which has had many different lyrics set to it over time.    The singing is far from gorgeous, but is utterly appropriate for the characters and charming in that appropriateness.  

Moreover, I agree with J.A. Morris that it would have been nice to see Bogie in other comedic roles since he handles this one so well. 

Interestingly, Joan Bennett who plays Amelie Ducotel had been caught up in a tabloid scandal a few years prior to this movie -- her husband shot her manager!  Although it was not her fault,  she was tainted by association and was not getting much work.   Humphrey Bogart actually went to bat for her to be cast in this movie as he thought she was treated unfairly -- an example of real-life kindness underpinning a holiday film -- and Bennett's performance is lovely.  

If dry and dark wit is not your thing, We're No Angels is probably not going to resonate with you, but for those that appreciate the humor, this is a non-treacly holiday film that is well worth adding to your seasonal rotation! 

RigbyMel's' rating: 

4 candy canes!