Almost Angels (1962)

A boy from the wrong side of the tracks wants to join the team, gets hazed by the upper class, but finally wins their respect.

Sounds like any number of feel-good sports movies, right? But here’s the catch: the team in question is actually the Vienna Boys Choir. Now raise your hand if you saw that one coming.

Young talent Tony Fiala is the son of a train conductor (wrong side of the tracks, indeed) who wants to sing in the famed choir. His mother supports him wholeheartedly, but dad isn’t so sure. The boy gets his shot, and he’s dynamite.

Unfortunately, that puts him on the bad side of older choir member Peter Schaefer, who resents that Tony is getting all the attention. But when Tony takes the blame for something Peter did, the two become best friends.

Just when it looks like young Tony’s problems are over, new pal Peter gets one of his own: his voice is changing, jeopardising his place in the Boys Choir. The boys work together on a clever solution, leading to a heart-warming conclusion.

Despite the unusual premise, Almost Angels had the same sweet centre audiences had come to expect from Disney. The movie did well in its initial release, then found a wider audience on TV’s The Wonderful World of Disney.

Max Heller
Peter Weck
Tony Fiala
Vincent Winter
Peter Schaefer
Sean Scully
Frau Fiala
Bruni Löbel
Father Fiala
Fritz Eckhardt
Director Eisinger
Hans Holt
Choirmaster
Hermann Furthmosek
Choirmaster
Hans Christian
Choirmaster
Walter Regelsberger
Friedel Schmidt
Dennis Gilmore
Felix Meinl
Bernard Hindinger
Ferdie
Hennie Scott
Misignore
Oskar Willner

Director
Steve Previn