Jane Withers was one of those stars that came across as larger than life. She was the ultimate kid, full of energy and enthusiasm for whatever was thrown her way. From beginning to end, Jane is "on" in Angel's Holiday.
Angel's mystery writer father drops her off with his brother, a newspaper publisher. Ten year old Angel has a crush on Nick Moore, a reporter in hot water with the publisher. She even suggests he start calling her by her real name, June, as she thinks the name Angel is a bit childish. To help Nick win favor with his boss, she tips him off to the whereabouts of the missing movie star, Pauline Kaye. Pauline Kaye happens to be an old flame of Nick, and she is being hidden by her agent as a publicity stunt. By the time everything ends Jane has tangled with mobsters (looking to really kidnap the star), and the entire police force. She charms one of the crooks and irritates the police chief. Angel's Holiday really never has a dull moment. This movie is a gem among old movies!
Jane does her impression of Martha Raye, and then Joan Davis does a screwball routine. While Jane's comedy approach is still acceptable to contemporary audiences, Joan's comedy is definitely embedded in the 1930's. The comedy of this movie is more situational than jokes and routines, anyway, so anyone can find this movie funny today. Joan Davis' billing in the credits was higher than Sally Blane's, but Sally Blane had more screen time.
