Holiday movie 'The Angel Doll' features St. Jude

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital (ALSAC)
Monday, 10 November 2003

The Angel Doll, a little gem of a movie with a storyline featuring St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, will be released on video and DVD by Monarch Home Video on Nov. 11 just in time for the holidays.

The Angel Doll is a heart-warming Christmas story told through the eyes of two young boys, Jerry and Whitey, living in a North Carolina manufacturing town during the 1950s. Reminiscent of Stand By Me, the film is based on the best-selling novel by Jerry Bledsoe and stars Keith Carradine.

The scenes at St. Jude were shot in August 2000 and featured several St. Jude patients, among them Suzie Pavlat who had a brief speaking role with Carradine. Unfortunately Suzie, who suffered from neuroblastoma, passed away almost one year after the movie was filmed. She was 11 years old.

In the movie, Jerry is a quiet 10-year-old who enjoys all the advantages of a middle-class lifestyle, while his best friend, Whitey, lives in poverty with his mother and ailing 4-year-old sister Sandy. Whitey is devoted to his sister and her fondness for angels, making sure to regularly read to her from her favorite book, The Littlest Angel. But as Whitey saves up money from his daily newspaper route to buy Sandy a real angel doll for Christmas, he discovers there are no such dolls for sale in their small East Coast town.

Armed with equal amounts of will power and single-minded determination, Jerry and Whitey set out on a journey to find the perfect Christmas gift for Sandy. Along the way, they overcome fear, prejudice and theft as they learn the true meaning of the holiday spirit. Their quest leads them to the greatest gift of all: the lesson of love.

Written and directed by Alexander Johnston, The Angel Doll was shot in part on location at St. Jude and features several St. Jude patients. The movie co-stars Betsy Brantley (Double Jeopardy, Deep Impact), Diana Scarwid (Party Monster), Pat Hingle (Batman movie series), Lindsey Good, Michael Welch and Cody Newton.

For more information, or to contact St. Jude Children's Research Hospital (ALSAC), see their website at: www.stjude.org