Margaret O'Brien was a child actress not a child performer. "Lost Angel" is a magical film about a child, Alpha, who has been raised by a group of scientists in a completely sterile and unemotional environment. Alpha is a genius but she realizes (after a chance meeting with reporter, Mike Regan) that she has missed out on magic and fairy tales so she sets out to find out about "magic". Margaret O'Brien is completely believable as Alpha and the assortment of Runyonesque characters she meets (Lefty and Packy) give the film some funny moments similar to the scenes in "Little Miss Marker" (1934) with Shirley Temple. The scenes with Keenan Wynn (Packy) are funny and cute - not stickily sweet.Also the scene in the nightclub with Katie, when Alpha experiences the emotion of jealousy for the first time is done very well. Marsha Hunt, an under-rated actress plays Katie, a night club singer, and plays her very well. James Craig is quite good as Mike Regan. Keenan Wynn steals the show as Packy, an escapee.
Review of Lost Angel
