Angels with Dirty Faces

In The Hesperus Prophecy, when Declan meets James and Bruce, he shields his face with a book, assuming the strangers mean to harm him. This turns into a bonding moment, sharing a laugh about this movie, which was released the prior month, on November 26, 1938.

Normally, Declan wouldn’t waste time going to the movies, but he went along with several tenured professors in his department, considering it a good career move.

The movie’s plot is simple. The lives of two childhood friends follow very different paths. One a tough guy and notorious gangster, the other a Catholic priest dedicated to helping neighborhood kids avoid a life of crime. The film explores the tension between their friendship and their conflicting values, as the priest strives to steer the impressionable youth away from idolizing the gangster’s criminal lifestyle. 

This movie gets spoofed in “Home Alone”, when Kevin watches “Angels with Filthy Souls.”