Common Sense Media Review
By Charles Cassady Jr.
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Baseball fable with gentle humor and old Hollywood charm.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 6+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
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Angels in the Outfield (1951)
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
ANGELS IN THE OUTFIELD follows the Pittsburgh Pirates baseball team, led by ornery manager Aloysius "Guffy" McGovern (Paul Douglas), who argues vehemently with umpires and occasionally punches out sports writers. In a surprise move, the local newspaper's household-hints reporter, Jennifer (Janet Leigh), is assigned to cover the sports beat "from a woman's angle." She's disgusted by Guffy's tirades on the field, and she's not alone. With his team on a losing streak, Guffy gets a scolding from a critic he can't hit: a stern, disembodied voice that says it's an angel and reveals the miraculous story of the Heavenly Choir, who will help the team in the outfield as long as Guffy behaves decently. But when a little orphan named Bridget (Donna Corcoran) says that she can actually see the Heavenly Choir, the secret leaks out.
Is It Any Good?
This sports fantasy dramedy is a lot of fun, if you don't mind old-school black-and-white visuals. Angels in the Outfield gently slides into Christian integrity, as the hotheaded Guffy strains to remain meek even when pushed to the breaking point. There's another religious angle too: A minister, a priest, and a rabbi come together to celebrate the existence of angels. (Note that no angels are actually shown; viewers are left to their own imaginations.)
Under the old studio-censorship code, Guffy's curse-filled rants couldn't be released, so a Hollywood sound effects department scrambled Douglas' ravings into an unintelligible babble that's ultimately pretty funny. In addition, baseball fans will be amused to see a montage of real-life greats, from Joe DiMaggio and Ty Cobb to club owner and entertainer Bing Crosby. But if you're looking for an updated version of this film with more special effects, Disney's 1994 remake might better suit your needs.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the spiritual or religious component of Angels in the Outfield. How does the film illustrate Christian themes and morality? What roles do you think the angels play in the performance of the team? What would you have done in Guffy's shoes?
Do you recognize any real-life baseball players whose archival footage gets edited into the film? Do you watch baseball games and/or want to pursue this profession? What does it take to become a good baseball player?
How do the characters demonstrate compassion? Why is it an important character strength?
Movie Details
- In theaters : October 19, 1951
- On DVD or streaming : January 30, 2007
- Cast : Donna Corcoran , Janet Leigh , Keenan Wynn , Paul Douglas
- Director : Clarence Brown
- Studio : MGM/UA
- Genre : Comedy
- Topics : Fantasy ( Magic )
- Character Strengths : Compassion
- Run time : 102 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Last updated : October 1, 2025
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