Avenging Angel (1985)

Film and Plot Synopsis

Several years after the event of the first Angel film, Molly “Angel” Stewart is still off the streets and has left her former life of prostitution far behind. She is attending law school and bettering herself. When she learns that Andrews was shot during a failed observation by brutal gangsters, she returns downtown to take revenge. She frees Kit Carson from the old people’s home and together with the other old friends she sets out to track down and kill the men who killed the man who saved her life.

‘Avenging Angel’ Movie Summary

Several years after the event of the first Angel film, Molly “Angel” Stewart (Betsy Russell) is still off the streets and has left her former life of prostitution far behind. She is attending law school and bettering herself. Meanwhile, Molly’s savior, Lt. Hugh Andrews (Robert F. Lyons) is investigating some shady real estate deals on the Hollywood Strip when he is killed by some illegal muscle working for Miles Gerrard (Frank Doubleday), the son of a wealthy businessman Arthur Gerrard (Paul Lambert).

Molly returns to the streets as Angel after hearing of Andrews’ death. She vows to find his killers and avenge his death. She tracks down her old friend Yo-Yo Charlie (Steven M. Porter) hustling on the Boulevard. Yo-Yo takes Molly to Solly Mosler (Susan Tyrrell) who has now been saddled with a young infant boy, Little Buck, who has been abandoned by his mother. Molly tells them she is looking for Johnny Glitter (Barry Pearl) who was a witness to Andrews’ murder and can identify the killers. Solly tells Molly that Kit Carson (Rory Calhoun) may know where Johnny is, but Kit is locked up in the mental ward.

Molly, Solly, and Yo-Yo impersonate morticians and the widowed wife of Kit to break in and free Kit from the mental ward. After breaking Kit out, Molly and Kit track Johnny down at a run down hotel on the Boulevard. Unfortunately, Gerrard’s hitmen arrive shortly before them and very nearly kill Johnny. Molly and Kit kill some of the hitmen and frighten off the others in a shootout. Johnny provides Molly with some additional information as to Andrews’ death, but not identity of the person directly responsible.

Molly investigates on her own and discovers a scheme to buy up many of the businesses along Hollywood Boulevard. The unknown buyers use intimidation and violence to force people to sell. Molly suspects that Andrews was getting close to the money behind the deals when he was killed. She informs the Boulevard community of her discoveries and asks for their assistance in identifying and locating Andrews’ killers based on the descriptions provided by Johnny. Flyers are posted along the boulevard, and Gerrard’s men locate Molly and her group from the flyers. Molly is arrested by the police in a prostitute round up and encounters dirty cop Sergeant Hal Baylor (Howard Honig). Molly is saved from the advances of Baylor by Captain Harry Moradian (Ossie Davis), who recognizes her and tries to convince her that he is on her side in her quest to locate Andrews’ killers.

A short time later, Baylor picks Molly up off the street under the pretense of Moradian wanting to see her. He takes her to an empty parking garage where he plans to kill her based on Gerrard’s orders, but Molly escapes and gets into a shootout with Baylor. Molly runs out of bullets, but before Baylor can shoot her, Moradian arrives and shoots Baylor. Baylor dies from his injuries. Once again, Moradian tries to convince Molly that he is on her side, but she is focused on her quest for revenge.

Shortly afterwards, Gerrard’s men track down and try to kill Kit, Solly, Angel, and Johnny while they are driving on the Boulevard. The parties engage in a moving shootout, but eventually Gerrard’s men corner the foursome in the back of an alley. Kit shoots the goons car and causes it to crash. Most of the goons run away, but Miles Gerrard is left behind and captured by Molly’s group. The group takes the Miles back to Kit’s hide out and try to decide what to do with him. Miles escapes from the ropes that are binding him and grabs one of the guns in the room. He holds Molly and the gang at gunpoint, but when he is distracted by the phone ringing, Kit shoots him in the head, killing him. Meanwhile, Miles father and his goons arrive at Solly’s loft and kidnap Little Buck from the two transvestite men babysitting him. Arthur calls Kit’s hide-out and offers to exchange the baby for his son, who has now been killed due to his father’s phone call.

Arthur and Molly agree to meet at an abandoned mall to exchange their mutual hostages. Molly and the gang tie Miles’ body up in wheelchair and place a Band-Aid over the bullet hole in his forehead. Arthur is fooled briefly in the dark light but becomes aware of his son’s death when the Band-Aid falls off his head during the exchange. Each side engages in a shootout. Gerrard’s men are all killed leaving Arthur for Molly and the group. He threatens to drop Little Buck over the railing unless Molly surrenders her gun, which she does. He places the baby on the ground, and Little Buck crawls to the edge and falls. Kit catches the baby before he is hurt. Solly shoots and kills Arthur.

Molly’s group walks out of the empty mall and begins walking down Hollywood Boulevard as police arrive to investigate the multiple murders that have just occurred.

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