The Littlest Angel | 
 enlarge | Director: Joe Layton
Actors: Johnny Whitaker, Fred Gwynne, Cab Calloway, E.g. Marshall, John Mcgiver
Studio: Tgg Direct
Category: DVD
Buy New: $3.95
New (3) from $3.95
Rating:  33 reviews
Format: Color, Dvd-video, Ntsc
Language: English (Original Language)
Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Region: 1
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Number Of Discs: 1
Running Time: 77 Minutes
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 7.1 x 5.4 x 0.6
MPN: 98040
UPC: 011891980401
EAN: 0011891980401
Theatrical Release Date: December 6, 1969
Release Date: January 1, 2003
Shipping: Eligible for Super Saver Shipping
Availability: In stock soon. Order now to get in line. First come, first served.
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Amazon.com
Springtime means fresh starts. But for young Ryan Newman, his family's fresh start in a small town leaves him feeling dejected and lonely. Enter the Littlest Angel, Heaven's sweet but accident-prone rookie. His first earthly assignment is to help Ryan make new friends, a task that proves difficult for the blond-headed cherub. Littlest Angel zooms back to Heaven for some loving reassurance from the Understanding Angel (voiced by Naomi Judd) and learns, "There are always second chances." Very little discussion about Easter enters into the plot, classifying this 26-minute video as a very lightweight entertainment piece for youngsters. --Liane Thomas
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| Customer Reviews: Read 28 more reviews...
 devilishly hard to sit through March 28, 2008
Christie Evans (the middle of nowhere, FL)
I watched this movie with my parents at Christmas last year and all of us were very disappointed. We were all familiar with the story of the "littlest angel" and hoped that a movie with such a cute kid in it would do the story justice; we never expected the most boring musical of all time. A low quality song and dance routine is given for every single little step the kid takes. There is even literally (and I wish I were joking) a song about nothing. I can't imagine any child watching this movie and enjoying it--I am a very patient person who loves movies others consider slow and even I found The Littlest Angel unbelievably dull. When it finally ended I felt I'd been through an ordeal. Needless to say, The Littlest Angel has NOT become a Christmas classic at our house. My recommendation is to find a storybook and avoid this movie at all costs.
 Truly an Angel April 13, 2007
Linda Spivey (Texas)
This is a very good DVD bringing many happy memories back. I highly recomend it. The shipping was great.
Finally got to see the whole thing December 26, 2005
Myo Pinion
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
I remember seeing this Hallmark Hall of Fame special when I was a small child, but we had to leave about half way into it, to go
somewhere. Even though I looked for it for many years,
it was never shown again. I even remember being in a Sunday School "Littlest Angel" play.
Recently, I saw(and immediately bought)it at a dollar store as a double feature DVD(by Treasure Box/Family Value Collection)which included "Little Boy Lost" starring Nathan Dawes. The box says digitally remastered. The quality is suprising good considering that is was shot on video for the tv show; and the blue screen is very good for a low budget production done in 1969. Hallmark Productions were always known for their great performances, and not their budget scenery or props, anyway.
Well, for a $1.00 and after 36 years, I finally got to watch the whole thing from start to finish, and must say it really moved me. The music and performances were quite good. Seeing all those, now deceased, great actors and performers,(e.g.,Fred Gwyne, Tony Randall, Cab Calloway, James Coco, and EG Marshall), reminded me of all my late relatives, who were part of my
childhood and Christmas celebrations.
Johnny Whitaker did an absolutely incredible job of acting and
singing(reminded me of a male Shirley Temple). I think it is truly a sad injustice for Hallmark not to have made this an annual Christmas staple, like "Rudolph.." or "The Grinch Who.." is. It has all the qualities that make it deserve to be a holiday classic.
I don't know if I could watch it again, only because of all the
emotions I felt. As a child, I really didn't understand or remember, that the lead character died at the very beginning. I just remember that he was in heaven. Even our Sunday School Christmas play started out with the kid in heaven.
Coincidentally, I recently saw the present day Johnny Whitaker, on a pathetic show, called "Elimidate". He's aged relatively well - same recognizable face and red hair, but, obviously, older and heavier. He seems like a joyful and very likeable soul (much like his "Family Affair" Jody character). It's a real shame his career didn't take off, despite all of his extraordinary talent as a child actor.
Run, don't walk, away from this Christmas special December 23, 2005
Bill (Broad Run, VA)
2 out of 5 found this review helpful
I always remembered The Littlest Angel from when I was a kid, and I hadn't seen it in probably 30 years. I remembered it as being creepy. This year, I saw it listed on Amazon on DVD, and I picked up a copy to watch this Christmas season.
Watching it again, it is, by far, the cheesiest and CREEPIEST Christmas special ever made. I don't normally question other people's opinions, but I scratch my head at how anyone could like this special. While the overall message isn't particularly bad, the story leading up to it is awful. Near as I can figure, this was a vehicle to propel Johnny Whitaker onto Shirley Temple-level stardom, but the production was done totally on the cheap by amateurs, and it turned into a train wreck.
The entire premise is disturbing from the get-go. An eight-year-old shepherd boy, the only child of a happy Middle Eastern family in 0 BC, and quite probably the only person ever of Middle Eastern heritage with red hair and freckles, falls off a mountain and dies while chasing a bird. He winds up in heaven, and has trouble adjusting. In the end, everything turns out OK, because he winds up giving the best gift out of all the souls in heaven to baby Jesus.
Now, aside from the fact the special starts out with an eight-year-old boy dying in an accident, the special continues to hit sour notes. His life on earth seemed happy, and heaven looks like hell. Basically, everyone in heaven walks around in this vast empty space with cheesy decorations hanging, and their eternal lives seem to consist of either standing in lines or doing busy work. Also, he seems to be the first person in history to ever have died in childhood because there are no other children in heaven (which is, in no small part, the reason he has trouble adjusting). You think "Man, I wouldn't want to be there either". Truly, one of the lowest points of the special is when Johnny Whitaker is allowed to go back to earth to retrieve the gift for Baby Jesus, and you see his anxious parents wondering why it is taking their only son so long to get home. Mercifully, the producers of the special did not include the scene where the parents find their son's broken body at the base of the mountain.
The incredible paradox of this special is that it had a really good cast of B-list celebrites at the time...Fred Gwynne, Tony Randall, James Coco, Cab Calloway, EG Marshall. I can only imagine the actors showing up to the set, seeing the script and the sets, and immediately calling their agents in a fury of anger, asking "What did you get me involved with??!!"
It's worth a look if you vaguely remember it from being a kid and want to rehash it like I did. However, there is absolutely no reason for anyone to introduce this to a new generation.
littlest angel - brentwood home video - dvd November 8, 2004
LL (boston, ma)
9 out of 9 found this review helpful
an overlooked musical classic with fine performances by many stars. Johnny Whittaker is the boy who goes to heaven but doesn't like it there for various reasons. Fred Gwynne is his guardian angel, trying to make Johnny feel comfortable in his new home. Memorable songs and stars like Tony Randall, Cab Calloway, Connie Stevens, EG Marshall, and others make this a treat for all ages. The quality of the print is very good, considering this was filmed on videotape in 1969. Brentwood usually delivers good quality prints at a bargain price.
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