This week’s mystery movie was the 1951 Twentieth Century-Fox picture “Half Angel” with Loretta Young, Joseph Cotten, Cecil Kellaway, Basic Ruysdael, Jim Backus, Irene Ryan and John Ridgely. Screenplay by Robert Riskin from a story by George Carleton Brown, Technicolor consultant Leonard Doss, musical direction by Alfred Newman, music by Cyril Mockridge, orchestration by Herbert Spencer and Maurice de Packh, photography by Milton Krasner, art direction by Lyle Wheeler and John DeCuir, set decoration by Thomas Little and Paul S. Fox, editing by Robert Fritch, wardrobe by Charles Le Maire, costumes by Travilla, music and lyrics by Alfred newman and Ralph Blane, makeup by Ben Nye, special effects by Fred Sersen, sound by Bernard Freericks and Harry M. Leonard. Produced by Julian Blaustein, directed by Richard Sale.
“Half Angel” is available on DVD from TCM, although the listing says it’s in black and white.
Note: This is a ghastly movie that I would otherwise ignore (Jules Dassin could thank his lucky stars he was fired from this limp romantic comedy) but it has some nice shots of the Cyclone Racer, which closed in 1968. I’ll try to post more of them in the coming week.
Writing in the New York Times (June 16, 1951) Bosley Crowther dismissed the film:
Somewhere along in “Half Angel,” which was delivered to the Roxy yesterday with Loretta Young and Joseph Cotten as its rampantly predominating stars, Mr. Cotten is forced to the admission that some of the things he says in this deadly attempt at whimsy are “embarrassingly cute.” Mr. Cotten might have made that more inclusive. He might have said that the whole affair is not only painfully embarrassing but almost too inept to believe.
… Anyhow, that’s the sort of creature we are stuck with in this film, and Miss Young’s artless demonstration of her makes her no less agreeable to take. In her lucid moments, she is tiresome; in her lunatic moments, she has the charm and the coquettish indiscretion of a girl in a taxi-dance hall. Poor Mr. Cotten’s performance as the gentleman exposed to this allure, which he is supposed to grab — hook, line and sinker — is embarrassed and pitiable to see.
For Monday, we have a mystery gent. And as incredible as it may seem, he does not in any way approve of such goings-on by our leading man and leading lady. Bonus points awarded for the mystery location.
Update: This is Edwin Max at the Cyclone Racer.
For Tuesday, we have a mystery woman who approves of our leading man.
Update: This is Irene Ryan before Granny Clampett.
Brain Trust roll call: B.J. Merholz (Monday’s mystery guest), Howard Mandelbaum (mystery movie, mystery location and Monday’s mystery guest), Don Danard (Monday’s mystery guest) and Sylvia E. (Monday’s mystery location).
For Wednesday, we have a mystery gent with serious lapels.
Update: This is This is Basil Ruysdael.
Brain Trust roll call: Howard Mandelbaum (Tuesday’s mystery woman), Don Danard (Tuesday’s mystery woman), Jenny M. (Tuesday’s mystery woman), Mike Hawks (mystery movie and both mystery guests), Anne Papineau (mystery movie, Tuesday’s mystery woman and Monday’s mystery location), David Inman (Tuesday’s mystery woman) and Sylvia E. (mystery movie and both mystery guests). Note to B.J. Merholz: You’re right on Monday’s mystery gent, but Tuesday’s mystery woman is a different familiar face.
For Thursday, we have an assortment of guests of various levels of mysteriousness.
Update: This is Jim Backkus, Therese Lyon and Harris Brown.
Brain Trust roll call: Howard Mandelbaum (Wednesday’s mystery guest), Mike Hawks (Wednesday’s mystery guests), Don Danard (Tuesday’s and Wednesday’s mystery guests), Jenny M. (mystery movie and Wednesday’s mystery guest), Anne Papineau (Wednesday’s mystery guest), Patrick (mystery movie, Monday’s mystery location, Tuesday’s and Wednesday’s mystery guests). Sylvia E. (Wednesday’s mystery guest) and L.C. (mystery move and mystery cast).
And for Friday, our utterly non-mysterious leading man and leading lady.
Update: Joseph Cotten and Loretta Young.
Brain Trust roll call: L.C. (mystery movie and mystery cast), Tucson Barbara (mystery movie, Tuesday’s mystery woman and Thursday’s mystery gent No. 1), Mary Mallory (Thursday’s mystery gent No. 1), Howard Mandelbaum (Thursday’s mystery guests), Mike Hawks (Thursday’s mystery gent No. 1), Gary (Thursday’s mystery gent No. 1) and Sylvia E. (Thursday’s mystery gents).
ladailymirror.com 
Is this the Santa Monica pier merry go round? And is that J. K. Simmons?
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Interesting guesses! But alas, I’m afraid not.
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Ed Max
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Edwin Max.
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Ed or Edwin Max. However, I’ve never seen him that dirty!!
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“Cyclone Racer Roller Coaster, Nu Pike Amusement Park, Long Beach, California. Location for HALF-ANGEL (1951).
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Richard Boone, who had great success in early, filmed television. First as a modern doctor, then as a man that ‘has gun, will travel’.
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An interesting guess. But alas, I’m afraid not.
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For fun, I’m gonna guess The Long Beach Pike.
Working on the actor & movie.
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The inimitable Irene Ryan.
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I’m thinking Mary Wickes, and I know that she and Max were in The Bloodhounds of Broadway with whole bunch of great character actors.
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Today’s Mystery Lady … well, I’ll say it’s Irene Ryan.
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Irene Ryan
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Ed Max and Irene Ryan in HALF ANGEL.
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Might that be the Nu Pike Amusement Park in Long Beach? And might that be Irene Ryan in “Half Angel”?
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Irene Ryan today?
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Robert Strauss on Monday?
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Interesting guess, but alas, i’m afraid not.
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Thanks for word on the amusement park – not bad for a ‘just a guess for fun’. And thanks for the Tuesday appearance of a VERY young “Granny Clampett.” It was a big help.
The movie is Half Angel 1951
Monday – Edwin Max (great face) and the ‘cropped for lack of mysteriousness couple’ – Joseph Cotten and Loretta Young.
Tuesday – Irene Ryan & the ‘cropped for lack of mysteriousness guy’ is Joseph Cotten.
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Is Tuesday’s guest Mary Wickes?
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Interesting guess, but alas, I’m afraid not.
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Basil Ruysdael.
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Basil Ruysdael.
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Is Tuesday’s Mystery Lady Irene Ryan?
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Is Wednesday’s Mystery Man Basil Ruysdael?
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Basil Ruysdael in Half Angel.
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On Wednesday, Basil Ruysdael
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Basil Ruysdael and Irene Ryan in Half Angel from 1951. Location might be Nu Pike in Long Beach.
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Wednesday – Basil Ruysdael
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Half Angel (1951) w/Loretta Young, Joseph Cotton, Cecil Kellaway, Irene Ryan, Jim Backus
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I think the movie is “Half Angel,” but I only recognize Irene Ryan and Jim Backus.
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JIm Backus today.
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Another WAG: Sheldon Leonard on the left for Thursday?
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An interesting guess, but alas, I’m afraid not.
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Jim Backus, Therese Lyon, Harris Brown.
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Jim Backus and ?????
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I see Jim Backus and Fay Bainter (?)…but then the crystal ball goes dark …and I can no longer see anything.
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Thursday – Jim Backus for sure. I think the guy in the robe is Harris Brown and maybe ‘the wife’ is Ethel Marical? Not sure about them.
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Joseph Cotton and Loretta Young
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I did spell his name correctly, but autocorrect “corrected” it.
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HALF ANGEL. John Ridgley Monday, Basil Ruysdael Wednesday, Irene Ryan yesterday, and Joseph Cotten and Loretta Young today.
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Thank you, I can see more clearly now. Half Angel. Yes, that is Irene Ryan (as I suspected but hesitated to say …he who hesitates…) And Joseph and Loretta. Growing up in the fifties and having Loretta coming at me from all sides …films, TV, radio …fan mags …I never for a minute took her seriously. How did she get to be a star? Whatever happened to her? I think she ended up simply as Ricardo’s sister in law.
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Joseph Cotton and Loretta Young.
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Joseph Cotten and Loretta Young.
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Joseph Cotten and Loretta Young. She looks pleased, don’t you think?
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Friday – Joseph Cotten and Loretta Young. Hopefully Saturday will also include Cecil Kellaway.
Looking forward to hearing more.
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Also, changing my guess for Thursday. I think the woman with Jim Backus and Harris Brown is Cecil Weston.
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It took me a while but here goes: “Half Angel” (1951), Monday: Edwin Max;, Tuesday: Irene Ryan; Wed: Basil Ruysdael; Thurs: Jim Backus, Harris Brown and I think Grace Field; Friday: Joseph Cotten and Loretta Young.
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