Review of Band of Angels (1957) by Christopher B — 17 Nov 2011

Ridiculous, disjointed, period flick set during the Civil War. Yvonne De Carlo (Lily Munster) plays a ultra light-skinned black woman (ha ha) sold into slavery and purchased by a nice-guy slave owner Hamish Bond (Clark Gable).

Of course she falls in love with him, for he really is a nice "master". Bond is like a savior of the blacks he owns. Later we learn he is making up for his evil past as a slave trader. Bond flees the "carpet-bagging" nothern soldiers, and goes into hiding.

Sidney Portier plays Raru, a freed ex-slave of Bond's, who is temporarily angered by his history with Bond. In the end he realizes the error in his judgement and helps Bond escape with De Carlo. This film is rife with stereo-types and plenty of bias against the "Blue Bellies".

There are negative portrayals of nearly every Union soldier. And plenty of stereotyped cartoon character blacks and southern whites. Efrem Zimbalist Jr makes a cameo.