Movies are weird. Sometimes, a film captures a specific cultural lightning in a bottle and then, for some reason, the sequel decides to let the lightning out and replace it with a disco ball. That’s basically the story of Where Angels Go Trouble Follows. Released in 1968, it’s the sequel to the massive hit The Trouble with Angels, and if you’ve ever watched them back-to-back, the tonal shift is enough to give you whiplash.
It’s a sequel that didn’t really need to happen, yet it serves as this fascinating time capsule of a Church—and a country—trying to figure out how to be "cool" during the late sixties. You have Rosalind Russell returning as the Reverend Mother, but everything else feels like it’s been dipped in a vat of 1960s social consciousness. It’s messy. It’s fun. It’s also kinda dated in a way that makes it even more interesting to talk about today.
The Shift from Convent Pranks to Social Justice
The first movie was about rebellion within the walls. It was Mary Clancy (played by Hayley Mills) being a brat and eventually finding her calling. But by the time Where Angels Go Trouble Follows rolled around, the producers realized they couldn't just do the same thing twice. Hayley Mills was gone. In her place, we got Stella Stevens as Sister George, the "mod" nun.
This is where the movie gets its friction. It isn't just about kids being naughty anymore. It’s about the generational gap inside the Catholic Church itself. You have the traditional, stern Reverend Mother clashing with Sister George, who wants to take the girls to a youth rally in Santa Barbara. They’re literally driving a bus across America, and the bus becomes a metaphor for the changing times.
One minute they're at a ranch with Van Johnson, and the next, they’re dealing with actual social issues of the day. It’s a road trip movie, but with habits.
Why the Casting Change Matters
Honestly, the absence of Hayley Mills is the elephant in the room. When people look for Where Angels Go Trouble Follows, they often expect the same chemistry from the first film. Instead, the focus shifts heavily to the nuns. Stella Stevens brings this incredible energy—she’s the sister who wears a shorter habit and isn’t afraid to challenge authority.
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It reflected what was happening with Vatican II. The Church was opening up. People were questioning the old ways. Watching Rosalind Russell, who was the epitome of Old Hollywood grace, try to navigate a world of hippie protests and "new" Catholicism is genuinely compelling. She doesn’t play it as a caricature; she plays it as a woman who is genuinely terrified that the world she knows is disappearing.
The students are different, too. You have Bernadette (played by a young Bernadette Peters in one of her earliest roles!) and others who represent the "new" youth. They aren't just playing tricks with cigars in the furnace; they’re questioning the point of it all.
A Road Trip Through a Changing America
The cinematography by Loyal Griggs gives the film a much wider scope than the original. We’re out of the ivy-covered walls of St. Francis Academy and into the dust of the American Southwest. There’s a scene where they stop at a construction site, and it feels surprisingly gritty for a movie that’s supposed to be a lighthearted comedy.
There’s also a sequence involving a motorcycle gang. It’s incredibly dated—kinda campy, really—but it shows the fear the "establishment" had of the counterculture. The nuns are the bridge. They’re trying to exist in both worlds.
Critics at the time, like those at The New York Times, weren't exactly kind. They saw it as a bit of a mishmash. And they weren't entirely wrong. The movie tries to be three things at once: a slapstick comedy, a serious drama about religious reform, and a travelogue.
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The Music and the Vibe
Let’s talk about Lalo Schifrin. Yes, the guy who did the Mission: Impossible theme did the score for Where Angels Go Trouble Follows. It’s jazzy, it’s upbeat, and it completely changes the "holy" vibe of the first film.
There’s a specific song, "Where Angels Go, Trouble Follows!" performed by The Bobby Fuller Four (recorded earlier, obviously, but used here) that just screams 1960s pop. It’s catchy. It’s also slightly jarring when you realize you're watching a movie about nuns.
But that’s the point. The film was trying to capture the "Now Generation."
Why We’re Still Talking About It
You won't find this movie on many "Greatest Films of All Time" lists. But for anyone interested in how Hollywood handled the transition from the 1950s mindset to the 1970s reality, it’s essential viewing.
It deals with:
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- The Conflict of Authority: How do you respect tradition while acknowledging that the world has changed?
- Youth Culture: The shift from innocent pranks to genuine social activism.
- Religious Identity: The struggle of the Catholic Church to remain relevant to a younger, more skeptical generation.
It’s also just a fun, bizarre relic. Seeing Milton Berle pop up in a cameo as a director is the kind of "Why is he here?" moment that makes 60s cinema so entertaining.
The Legacy of the "Angels" Franchise
Columbia Pictures knew they had a hit with the first one, but the sequel proved that you can't just repeat the formula when the culture is moving at 100 miles per hour. Where Angels Go Trouble Follows ended the series. There was no third movie. By 1969 and 1970, the world was too cynical for "singing nun" vibes, even "mod nun" ones.
However, it paved the way for later films like Sister Act. You can see the DNA of Sister Mary Clarence in Sister George. The idea that a nun can be a person with a personality, a past, and a political opinion started here.
How to Watch It Today
Finding a high-quality stream can be a bit of a hunt. It pops up on Turner Classic Movies (TCM) occasionally, and it’s available for digital purchase on most platforms. If you’re going to watch it, I highly recommend watching The Trouble with Angels first. Not because you’ll be lost—the plot is standalone—but because you need to see the "before" to appreciate how weird the "after" truly is.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Film Buffs
If you're planning a deep dive into this era of cinema or just want to appreciate the movie more, here's how to approach it:
- Look for the Vatican II subtext: Read a little bit about the Second Vatican Council before watching. It explains why the "Modern Nun" vs. "Traditional Nun" conflict was such a huge deal in 1968.
- Spot the cameos: Beyond Milton Berle and Van Johnson, look for Robert Taylor in his final film role. It’s a poignant bit of trivia for classic film fans.
- Compare the "Trouble": Notice how the definition of "trouble" changes. In the first film, it’s personal rebellion. In the second, it’s social friction. This tells you everything you need to know about the 1960s.
- Check the filming locations: The movie was filmed on location in places like Pennsylvania and the Southwest. The contrast between the lush East Coast and the arid West serves as a great visual metaphor for the characters' internal journeys.
Ultimately, the film is a reminder that even the most "innocent" genres couldn't escape the radical changes of the late sixties. It’s a messy, loud, colorful, and occasionally confusing movie, but it’s never boring. That’s more than you can say for a lot of sequels.