THE STRANGE STORY OF EDDIE KAGLE… THE MAN THEY COULDN’T KEEP DOWN!

Gangster Eddie Kagle (Paul Muni) is shot and ends up in hell, but the Devil gives him a chance to take revenge. He’s sent back to Earth, assumes the body of a respected judge, Frederick Parker, and tries to ruin everything in his life. This funny, entertaining, deeply religious film is reminiscent of Here Comes Mr. Jordan (1941), which rendered co-writer Harry Segall an Oscar, and it’s a great showcase for Muni who gets to spoof the hotheaded thugs he played in the 1930s. Anne Baxter and Claude Rains are also worth a look as the judge’s girlfriend and the “angel” on his shoulder. The fantasy part works so-so, but one’s sympathy for Eddie Kagle keeps growing.

1946-U.S. 101 min. B/W. Produced by Charles R. Rogers. Directed by Archie Mayo. Screenplay: Harry Segall, Roland Kibbee. Cast: Paul Muni (Eddie Kagle/Frederick Parker), Anne Baxter (Barbara Foster), Claude Rains (Nick), George Cleveland, Onslow Stevens.

Trivia: Remade as a TV movie in 1980.

Last word: “I think [Muni] was trying to recapture ‘Scarface’. His career was in a downward slide and he wanted the film to be more than it was. Archie Mayo was not a director in depth, which of course was an approach completely in contrast to Muni, who had to know the meaning behind every syllable. The two were in constant conflict, which made for a very unhappy set… Mayo was primarily a canner. Do the take, do the cover shot, reverse angle, close-up, get it in the can. It was like a Big Boy hamburger directing a fine gourmet Wiener schnitzel.” (Baxter, TCM)

IMDb