Is he or isn't he an angel? Harry Belafonte, that is. Or is he just another con-artist on the streets of New York preying on the fragile and vulnerable? At the beginning of the film, the broke, elderly Zero Mostel is seen watching Belafonte committing a petty crime (stealing a woman's fur coat), and Belafonte is supposedly killed when he's hit by a car.
The depressed Mostel, having applied for welfare (always a delightful way to spend an afternoon, especially in New York City), is dealing with an ailing wife (Ida Kaminska), and has little hope left. Along comes Belafonte as apparently a vision only he can see, and out of the blue, his wife begins to improve. But doubts to what the truth is turns around, and the film becomes very dark and disturbing.
Obviously an art film that hasn't held up well, this is extremely inconsistent and frustrating, and it becomes a chore to get through. Doubts of Belafonte's claim begin when he calls a girlfriend (Gloria Foster) who wants nothing more to do with him. The film works best when it plays on its commentary on a cruel society, so even at its best, it is a downer that even Mostel can't save.
The depressed Mostel, having applied for welfare (always a delightful way to spend an afternoon, especially in New York City), is dealing with an ailing wife (Ida Kaminska), and has little hope left. Along comes Belafonte as apparently a vision only he can see, and out of the blue, his wife begins to improve. But doubts to what the truth is turns around, and the film becomes very dark and disturbing.
Obviously an art film that hasn't held up well, this is extremely inconsistent and frustrating, and it becomes a chore to get through. Doubts of Belafonte's claim begin when he calls a girlfriend (Gloria Foster) who wants nothing more to do with him. The film works best when it plays on its commentary on a cruel society, so even at its best, it is a downer that even Mostel can't save.