Angels Over Broadway

Angels Over Broadway

Year: 1940

Runtime: 79 mins

Language: English

Director: Lee Garmes

DramaCrime

Charles Engle, a small‑time businessman, risks exposure after embezzling $3,000 for his lavish wife. Planning suicide, he writes a note, pockets it and seeks one final night out. He joins a poker game with conman Bill O’Brien and singer Nina Barone, who find his note and decide to outwit the situation, retrieve the money and give him a second chance.

Warning: spoilers below!

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Timeline & Setting – Angels Over Broadway (1940)

Explore the full timeline and setting of Angels Over Broadway (1940). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

Location

New York City, Fancy nightclub

The story unfolds inside a glamorous New York City nightclub, a hub of bright lights, music, and high-stakes schemes. The venue thrives on showgirls, gambling, and the thrill of a promising hustle, making it the perfect backdrop for con games and sudden fortunes. The city itself feels like a living character, offering opportunity and danger in equal measure as dawn approaches.

🎭 Nightlife 🗽 City Life 🎬 Showbiz

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 16:59

Main Characters – Angels Over Broadway (1940)

Meet the key characters of Angels Over Broadway (1940), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Bill O'Brien (Douglas Fairbanks Jr.)

A quick-witted New York con man who preys on a desperate mark, using charm to coerce money from those around him. His plans begin as a cold calculation, but the prospect of a genuine connection with Nina nudges him toward honesty. As events unfold, he is forced to confront the consequences of deception and the possibility of real affection.

🎭 Antihero 🃏 Con artist 💡 Redemption

Nina Barona (Rita Hayworth)

A glamorous showgirl who becomes Bill's ally and love interest. She persuades him to alter the scam to give Charles a fighting chance, demonstrating a blend of allure and moral clarity. Her presence catalyzes Bill's transformation and adds emotional depth to the plot.

🎀 Showgirl 💖 Romantic lead 🧭 Complex heroine

Charles Engle (John Qualen)

A guilt-ridden man who has embezzled a large sum and faces a race against the clock to repay before the crime is discovered. He is a sympathetic outsider whose desperation highlights the human cost of crime and the appeal of a second chance. His plight drives the urgency of the night’s events.

💼 Desperate 🔒 High stakes

Gene Gibbons (Thomas Mitchell)

A playwright who blurs the line between fiction and reality, hoping to craft a happier ending for Charles. He attempts to influence events by influencing Bill and exploiting the situation, but his plan falters when he momentarily forgets the arrangement. His actions reflect a yearning for meaning amid the city’s cynicism.

✍️ Playwright 🧭 Idealist

Dutch Enright (Ralph Theodore)

A gangster orchestrating the casino’s underworld schemes, bent on reclaiming the money at stake. He embodies the film’s menacing force that threatens to derail the fragile moral pivot at the center of the story. His interference creates the tension that tests the characters’ resolve.

💰 Gangster 🕴️ Antagonist

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 16:59

Major Themes – Angels Over Broadway (1940)

Explore the central themes of Angels Over Broadway (1940), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

🕊️ Redemption

Bill's arc from a savvy con man to a man who chooses to do the right thing drives the emotional core of the film. His decision to help Charles and protect him, aided by Nina, marks a moral shift that challenges his old habits. The story suggests that genuine change can come from compassion and accountability, even in a world built on deception. Ultimately, Bill discovers that honor can lead to personal happiness as well as safer outcomes for others.

🎭 Deception

Deception threads through every layer of the nightclub milieu, from poker schemes to staged misunderstandings. Characters weigh loyalty against self-interest as exposure and ruin loom with every move. The film uses these tricks to reveal who the players really are when faced with empathy and consequences. The tension between surface razzle-dazzle and hidden motives anchors the drama.

💖 Love

Love emerges as a transformative force, linking Bill's redemption to his growing feelings for Nina. Their evolving relationship reshapes choices and nudges Bill toward protecting others rather than exploiting them. The romance adds a hopeful counterpoint to the noirish backdrop, suggesting that trust and compassion can soften even hardened hearts. In the end, affection becomes a catalyst for moral clarity.

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 16:59

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Unlock the Full Story of Angels Over Broadway

Don't stop at just watching — explore Angels Over Broadway in full detail. From the complete plot summary and scene-by-scene timeline to character breakdowns, thematic analysis, and a deep dive into the ending — every page helps you truly understand what Angels Over Broadway is all about. Plus, discover what's next after the movie.

Angels Over Broadway Summary

Read a complete plot summary of Angels Over Broadway, including all key story points, character arcs, and turning points. This in-depth recap is ideal for understanding the narrative structure or reviewing what happened in the movie.

Angels Over Broadway Summary

Angels Over Broadway Timeline

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Angels Over Broadway Timeline

More About Angels Over Broadway

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More About Angels Over Broadway

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