{ "id": "epg3w8be4g", "slug": "angel-and-the-badman", "title": "Angel and the Badman", "updated": "2026-11-01", "topic_path": [ { "id": "culture", "label": "Arts and culture", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture" }, { "id": "culture.performance", "label": "Screen and stage", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen", "label": "Film and television", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.films", "label": "Films and standalone screen works", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.films" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works", "label": "Individual films by title and year", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.action-adventure", "label": "Action and adventure films (individual works)", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.action-adventure" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.action-adventure.westerns-before-1980", "label": "Westerns before 1980", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.action-adventure.westerns-before-1980" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.action-adventure.westerns-before-1980.yr-1930-1960", "label": "Released 1930 to 1960", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.action-adventure.westerns-before-1980.yr-1930-1960" } ], "geo": [ { "id": "geo.us.t1946.culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.action-adventure.westerns-before-1980.yr-1930-1960", "label": "United States · 1946 to 2000: Released 1930 to 1960", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t1946.culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.action-adventure.westerns-before-1980.yr-1930-1960", "path": [ { "id": "geo.us", "label": "United States", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us" }, { "id": "geo.us.t1946", "label": "United States · 1946 to 2000", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t1946" }, { "id": "geo.us.t1946.culture", "label": "Arts and culture", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t1946.culture" }, { "id": "geo.us.t1946.culture.performance", "label": "Screen and stage", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t1946.culture.performance" }, { "id": "geo.us.t1946.culture.performance.screen", "label": "Film and television", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t1946.culture.performance.screen" }, { "id": "geo.us.t1946.culture.performance.screen.films", "label": "Films and standalone screen works", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t1946.culture.performance.screen.films" }, { "id": "geo.us.t1946.culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works", "label": "Individual films by title and year", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t1946.culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works" }, { "id": "geo.us.t1946.culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.action-adventure", "label": "Action and adventure films (individual works)", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t1946.culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.action-adventure" }, { "id": "geo.us.t1946.culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.action-adventure.westerns-before-1980", "label": "Westerns before 1980", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t1946.culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.action-adventure.westerns-before-1980" }, { "id": "geo.us.t1946.culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.action-adventure.westerns-before-1980.yr-1930-1960", "label": "Released 1930 to 1960", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t1946.culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.action-adventure.westerns-before-1980.yr-1930-1960" } ] } ], "excerpt": "Angel and the Badman is a 1947 American Western written and directed by James Edward Grant, starring John Wayne as wounded gunman Quirt Evans nursed by a Quaker family; the first film from Wayne's Patnel Productions, released by Republic on 15 February 1947, remade by Angel Studios in 2026 with Zachary Levi.", "snippet": "Angel and the Badman is a 1947 American Western written and directed by James Edward Grant, starring John Wayne as wounded gunman Quirt Evans nursed by a Quaker family; the first film from Wayne's Patnel Productions, released by Republic on 15 February 1947, remade by Angel Studios in 2026 with Zachary Levi.", "node": "culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.action-adventure.westerns-before-1980.yr-1930-1960", "markdown": "# Angel and the Badman\n\n*Angel and the Badman* is a 1947 American Western written and directed by James Edward Grant, starring [John Wayne](https://www.edgepedia.org/john-wayne) as the wounded gunman Quirt Evans, who is nursed back to health by a Quaker family and falls for their daughter Penelope ([Gail Russell](https://www.edgepedia.org/gail-russell)). It was the first feature produced by Wayne's own production company, Patnel Productions, and his first producing effort for Republic Pictures, which distributed it.[1](https://catalog.afi.com/Film/25066-ANGEL-ANDTHEBADMAN)\n\n| Key fact | Detail |\n|---|---|\n| Release | 15 February 1947, Republic Pictures Corp.; 100 minutes, black and white, RCA Sound System[1](https://catalog.afi.com/Film/25066-ANGEL-ANDTHEBADMAN) |\n| Production company | Patnel Productions, \"A John Wayne Production\"; Wayne's first feature as a producer[1](https://catalog.afi.com/Film/25066-ANGEL-ANDTHEBADMAN) |\n| Writer-director | James Edward Grant; onscreen credit reads \"Written and directed by James Edward Grant\"[1](https://catalog.afi.com/Film/25066-ANGEL-ANDTHEBADMAN) |\n| Principal cast | John Wayne (Quirt Evans), Gail Russell (Penelope Worth), [Harry Carey](https://www.edgepedia.org/harry-carey-actor) (Marshall Wistful McClintock), Bruce Cabot (Laredo Stevens), Irene Rich (Mrs. Worth)[2](https://www.paramount.com/movies/angel-and-the-badman) |\n| Locations | Flagstaff and Sedona, Arizona, and Monument Valley, Utah[1](https://catalog.afi.com/Film/25066-ANGEL-ANDTHEBADMAN) |\n| Working title | *Angel and the Outlaw*; modern sources also list *The Gun*[1](https://catalog.afi.com/Film/25066-ANGEL-ANDTHEBADMAN) |\n| Critical standing | 71% on the Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer from 7 reviews; 67% Popcornmeter from more than 5,000 audience ratings[3](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/angel_and_the_badman) |\n\n## Spoilers\n\n### Plot\n\nQuirt Evans, a notorious gunman, is wounded and on the run when he collapses on the Arizona farm of Thomas Worth and his Quaker family. Ignoring the town doctor's advice to rid themselves of the gunfighter, the Worths nurse him back to health. While recovering, Quirt dreams of revenge on the man who killed his foster father, and he is drawn to the family's daughter, Penelope, called Penny. As he grows accustomed to the family's peaceful ways, his violent past catches up with him in the form of outlaws and the law, and he must decide whether to continue on his path or build a new one with Penelope.[2](https://www.paramount.com/movies/angel-and-the-badman) • [3](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/angel_and_the_badman)\n\nAFI's synopsis adds the opening beats: Quirt gallops onto the farm and collapses from exhaustion, urgently wires a claim to the land recorder's office, and Penny becomes intrigued by his delirious ravings of past loves.[1](https://catalog.afi.com/Film/25066-ANGEL-ANDTHEBADMAN)\n\n## Production\n\nBy 1946 Wayne had been a contract actor at Republic Studios for eight years. He wanted more control over his films and roles, and told studio chief Herbert Yates that he wanted to produce a movie himself. According to Wayne's biography, Yates, fearful of losing Wayne to bigger studios, made him a producer; the result was *Angel and the Badman*, a modest Western that turned out well but was not a big hit, with Wayne's fans likely finding it too lacking in action.[4](https://www.tcm.com/articles/60078/angel-and-the-badman) • [1](https://catalog.afi.com/Film/25066-ANGEL-ANDTHEBADMAN)\n\n**James Edward Grant** had never written for Wayne before, though Wayne admired his work, and had never directed; Wayne gave him the chance. Grant would direct only once more, *Ring of Fear* (1954), but continued to collaborate with Wayne as a screenwriter until his death in 1966.[4](https://www.tcm.com/articles/60078/angel-and-the-badman) Wayne filled the crew with established talent: stuntman [Yakima Canutt](https://www.edgepedia.org/yakima-canutt) as stunt coordinator and second-unit director, and Archie Stout, a veteran of more than 100 features who photographed Wayne in 27 pictures, as director of photography. Richard Hageman scored the film, Harry Keller edited it, and Ernst Fegté was production designer.[4](https://www.tcm.com/articles/60078/angel-and-the-badman) • [1](https://catalog.afi.com/Film/25066-ANGEL-ANDTHEBADMAN)\n\nGail Russell was borrowed from Paramount for the picture. While reviews and the CBCS list her character's name as \"Prudence,\" she is called \"Penelope\" or \"Penny\" in the film itself.[1](https://catalog.afi.com/Film/25066-ANGEL-ANDTHEBADMAN)\n\n**Shooting** ran from mid-April to late June 1946, with location work at Flagstaff and [Sedona, Arizona](https://www.edgepedia.org/sedona-arizona), and [Monument Valley](https://www.edgepedia.org/monument-valley), Utah.[1](https://catalog.afi.com/Film/25066-ANGEL-ANDTHEBADMAN) The film was shot almost entirely in Sedona; Republic rented land from local property owners, including spots at Indian Gardens and a pasture in Little Horse Park, and built a 200,000-gallon water reservoir for the movie's blocked dam and water rights sequence.[5](https://azmemory.azlibrary.gov/nodes/view/21067?type=all) The copyright was registered by Republic Pictures on 26 December 1946 (LP840).[1](https://catalog.afi.com/Film/25066-ANGEL-ANDTHEBADMAN)\n\n## Aftermath and legacy\n\nThe film was the first of many in which Wayne worked on both sides of the camera under the banner of his own production company; he went on to produce 20 films, some uncredited, including Budd Boetticher's *Bullfighter and the Lady* (1951) and *Seven Men From Now* (1956).[4](https://www.tcm.com/articles/60078/angel-and-the-badman) • [6](https://www.johnwayne.com/about/john-waynes-career/) Critics have read the film as an early signal of the John Wayne iconic screen image, partly through Grant's writing.[3](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/angel_and_the_badman)\n\nLike many independent productions of the era, the film fell into the public domain years ago and circulated on home video in editions made from poor film prints.[7](https://videolibrarian.com/reviews/classic-film/angel-and-the-badman/) A prop Bible inscribed for the character Quirt Evans, used on screen throughout the film, later surfaced at auction with a certificate of authenticity from the prop department family that had kept it.[8](https://www.premiereprops.com/auctions/live_22/March22Auction-Web.pdf)\n\n## The 2026 remake\n\n[Angel Studios](https://www.edgepedia.org/angel-studios) released a remake, also titled *Angel and the Badman*, on October 9, 2026, rated PG-13, with [Zachary Levi](https://www.edgepedia.org/zachary-levi) as Quirt Evans, Neal McDonough as Laredo, and Meg Fraser as Penny; the studio's synopsis keeps the premise of a wounded outlaw offered mercy by a rancher's daughter.[9](https://www.angel.com/movies/angel-and-the-badman) The remake scored 23% on the Tomatometer from 13 reviews but 78% on the Popcornmeter from more than 50 verified audience ratings, against 71% and 67% respectively for the 1947 original.[10](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/angel_and_the_badman_2026) • [3](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/angel_and_the_badman) Reviewers noted the difference in tone: Variety's Michael Phillips wrote that the 1947 film has \"very little piety\" and serious chemistry between Wayne and Russell, while the remake trades those virtues for \"plenty of sanctimony and not much of a spark.\"[10](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/angel_and_the_badman_2026)\n\n## References\n\n1. [Angel and the Badman (1947), AFI Catalog of Feature Films](https://catalog.afi.com/Film/25066-ANGEL-ANDTHEBADMAN)\n2. [Angel and The Badman, Paramount Pictures](https://www.paramount.com/movies/angel-and-the-badman)\n3. [Angel and the Badman (1947), Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/angel_and_the_badman)\n4. [Angel and the Badman, by Jeremy Arnold, Turner Classic Movies](https://www.tcm.com/articles/60078/angel-and-the-badman)\n5. [Angel and the Badman movie set, Arizona Memory Project, Sedona Historical Society](https://azmemory.azlibrary.gov/nodes/view/21067?type=all)\n6. [John Wayne's Career, John Wayne Enterprises](https://www.johnwayne.com/about/john-waynes-career/)\n7. [Angel and the Badman review, Videolibrarian](https://videolibrarian.com/reviews/classic-film/angel-and-the-badman/)\n8. [Lot 69: John Wayne Bible from Angel and the Badman, Premiere Props auction catalog](https://www.premiereprops.com/auctions/live_22/March22Auction-Web.pdf)\n9. [Angel and the Badman (2026), Angel Studios](https://www.angel.com/movies/angel-and-the-badman)\n10. [Angel and the Badman (2026), Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/angel_and_the_badman_2026)\n\n---\n*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Films and standalone screen works › Individual films by title and year › Action and adventure films (individual works) › Westerns before 1980 › Released 1930 to 1960*\n\n*Initially written Oct 3, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 3, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026; Nov 1, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*\n\n*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*\n\nLicense: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license\n", "same_as": [], "url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/angel-and-the-badman", "markdown_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/angel-and-the-badman.md", "license": { "name": "Edgepedia Community License 1.0", "url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license", "summary": "Free with credit, commercial use included. AI training is open to everyone. For other uses, organizations over USD 100M in revenue or 100M monthly users license separately.", "spdx": "LicenseRef-Edgepedia-Community-1.0" }, "credit": "\"Angel and the Badman\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), https://www.edgepedia.org/angel-and-the-badman. Edgepedia Community License 1.0.", "credit_md": "\"[Angel and the Badman](https://www.edgepedia.org/angel-and-the-badman)\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), [https://www.edgepedia.org/angel-and-the-badman](https://www.edgepedia.org/angel-and-the-badman). [Edgepedia Community License 1.0](https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license).", "credit_html": "\"Angel and the Badman\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), https://www.edgepedia.org/angel-and-the-badman. Edgepedia Community License 1.0.", "speakable": "Angel and the Badman is a 1947 American Western written and directed by James Edward Grant, starring John Wayne as wounded gunman Quirt Evans nursed by a Quaker family; the first film from Wayne's Patnel Productions, released by Republic on 15 February 1947, remade by Angel Studios in 2026 with Zachary Levi." }