Some of These Angelic Films Show They Have Legs Too

Angels are hot. CBS has a huge hit with its family series “Touched by an Angel.” This holiday movie season finds Denzel Washington playing a charming angel named Dudley in “The Preacher’s Wife” and John Travolta as a cigarette-smoking angel in “Michael.”

Angels have always been popular motion picture subjects. Cary Grant played Dudley in 1947’s “The Bishop’s Wife” (HBO, $15), the original version of “The Preacher’s Wife,” and Henry Travers was perfectly cast as the considerate angel Clarence in the 1946 classic “It’s a Wonderful Life” (Republic, $15).

Here’s a look at some other angelic films available on video:

Forget the wan 1994 remake and check out the sweet 1951 original “Angels in the Outfield” (MGM, $15). The great Paul Douglas, Janet Leigh and Donna Corcoran star in this fantasy about how the hapless Pittsburgh Pirates get help at bat from angels who were former baseball players. The only person who can see the angels is a little girl (Corcoran). Joe DiMaggio and Ty Cobb appear in cameos.

Jack Benny always made fun of his 1945 comedy “The Horn Blows at Midnight” (MGM, $20), but it’s much better than he let on. Benny plays a trumpeter in a band who falls asleep and dreams he’s an archangel who has been sent to blow the note that will signal Earth’s end. Alexis Smith also stars.

James Mason plays Lucille Ball’s suave guardian angel in the featherweight 1956 romantic comedy “Forever Darling” (MGM, $20). Desi Arnaz, natch, plays Ball’s chemist hubby, but he neglects her--believe it or not-- because he’s trying to discover the next great deadly pesticide!

Bruno Ganz is certainly one of the sexiest screen angels in Wim Wenders’ unique, haunting 1988 fantasy “Wings of Desire” (Orion, $20). The ponytailed Ganz plays one of the angels observing life in Berlin who begins to long for a human existence. Peter Falk, as himself, is quite fun as one of the few who can see the angel. Otto Sander plays Ganz’s angel associate. Magnificently photographed in black-and-white by veteran French cinematographer Henri Alekan.

However, there’s very little magic found in Wenders’ earthbound sequel “Faraway, So Close” (Columbia), which stars Sander, Ganz, Nastassja Kinski and even Mikhail Gorbachev. This time around, Sander becomes mortal.

The 1943 fantasy “A Guy Named Joe” (MGM/UA, $20) is pure schmaltz, but it’s wonderfully acted by Spencer Tracy, Irene Dunne and Van Johnson and directed by Victor Fleming. Tracy plays a fighter pilot killed during World War II who becomes the guardian angel for a young pilot (Johnson) who has fallen in love for Tracy’s gal (Dunne). It’s far superior to Steven Spielberg’s 1989 remake “Always” (Universal, $20), starring Richard Dreyfuss, John Goodman and Holly Hunter.

Claude Rains plays the knowing, wise guardian angel of boxer Robert Montgomery in the classic 1941 fantasy “Here Comes Mr. Jordan” (Columbia TriStar. $20), and James Mason plays the same role in Warren Beatty’s equally successful 1978 remake “Heaven Can Wait” (Paramount, $15).

Debra Winger, in drag, plays then-hubby Timothy Hutton’s guardian angel in Alan Rudolph’s 1987 misfire fantasy “Made in Heaven” (Warner, $15).

TV: Before his James Bond days, Roger Moore starred in the popular British series “The Saint” (which aired on NBC from 1967-69), as the dashing Simon Templar, a crook with Robin Hood leanings. (A feature film version starring Val Kilmer is due out in 1997.) And now re-TV is offering the Moore series on video. Each volume of “The Saint: The Collector’s Edition” contains two uncut, remastered episodes. The first installment is $5; subsequent episodes are $20 each. To order, call (800) 638-2922.

Killer Bs: Roddy Piper stars in “Sci-fighters” (Orion), a standard futuristic thriller. However, Piper has a bit more panache than most straight-to-video action heroes.

“Friend of the Family II” (Orion), an erotic variation on “The Hand That Rocks the Cradle,” is a real dog. Ghastly performances.

Sports: New from Orion is “Pinstripe Destiny: The Story of the 1996 World Champions” ($20), a look at the 1996 New York Yankees, and “Baseball Like It Oughta Be: The Story of the 1996 St. Louis Cardinals” ($20).

Coming Next Week: Matthew McConaughey, Samuel L. Jackson and Sandra Bullock star in John Grisham’s thriller “A Time to Kill” (Warner).

Gerard Depardieu is always worth watching and the burly Frenchman is definitely the best thing about “The Machine,” (Polygram), a moderately entertaining psychological suspense thriller. . . . Michael Greyeyes is “Crazy Horse” (TNT). . . . Tom Arnold is one of “The Stupids” (New Line). . . . “Celluloid Closet” (Columbia TriStar) is the acclaimed documentary chronicling how homosexuality has been portrayed on the screen. . . . “Welcome to the Dollhouse” is Todd Solondz’s look at an 11-year-old ugly duckling (Heather Matarazzo). . . . Also new: “Warhead” (Vidmark) and “Dentist” (Vidmark).