Episode
Adopted by: R. Joy Helvie
Additional info provided by: Brian
Greene
Synopsis:
As
a cab driver in New York trying to earn his medallion in a high-stakes
contest, Sam literally runs over a woman named Angela who claims to be
an angel. She can see Al, who doesn't get along very well with her, and
says she is there to help Sam in his mission! Sam's mission, however,
is to keep from getting himself killed while still earning the
medallion.
TV
Guide Synopsis: Sam (Scott
Bakula) wheels into a cabbie who could end up independent, or dead; but
he may get heaven-sent help from a woman claiming to be an angel. Al:
Dean Stockwell. Angela: Liz Torres. Lenny: Jerry Adler. Frank: Peter
Iacangelo.
Sam is
a New York City taxicab driver named Max Greenman (played by Ross
Partridge) who's trying to earn enough money to get his father his own
medallion. Along the way, he meets a woman, Angelita Carmen Guadalupe
Cecelia Jimenez who claims to be an angel (Liz Torres), can see Al, and
pretends to believe that the latter is the devil.
Sam
literally runs over Angelita, who was a stage performer and singer who
died in 1928. She mysteriously appears 30 years later, in 1958, and
claims to be an angel sent by God to make sure that things go right for
Max, and ultimately to protect Sam from being killed along with the
all-of-a-sudden very in-danger Max. Angelita can see Al, who doesn't
get along very well with her, and says she is there to help Sam in his
mission! Sam's mission, however, is to keep from getting himself killed
while still earning the medallion. Source
Personal
Review by Matt Dale:
Often considered
a classic by fans, It’s a
Wonderful Leap is, like many of the best episodes, not
highly regarded due to the main leap, but by the plot
twist running alongside it. For The Leap Back’s “Sam
leaps home” and M.I.A.’s “delving into Al’s past”, It’s a
Wonderful Leap brings us the marvellous Liz Torres as
Angelita, overtaking a rather humdrum plot about New
York taxi drivers. The intention here is clear, and the
writer is not at fault for building such a basic plotline (nor
indeed, are the guest performers; Jerry Adler gives a
beautiful level of depth to his character) – it’s the Liz
Torres show. And what a show! She’s a memorable
character, brought to life brilliantly, so much so that for
relatively little screen time she is able to return in the
novel Angels Unaware, and be instantly recognisable
from her verbal mannerisms. A classic! Source
Music:
Chopin's Funeral March is hummed by the men at the Taxi company
"Someone
To Watch Over Me" by George Gershwin (covered by Liz Torres)
"Somewhere"
by Stephen Sondheim from "West Side Story" (covered by Liz Torres)
Sam Trivia:
Angelita Carmen Guadalupe Cecelia Jimenez (or just Angela) is Sam's
guardian angel.
Throughout most of the episode, Sam believes there could be angels.
At the end, though, he says there's no such thing.
Al
Trivia:
Throughout most of the episode, Al believes there's no such thing as
angels. At the end, though, he finds that Angela must really have been
an angel.
Liz Torres
as Angelita Carmen Guadalupe Cecilia Jiminez
Jerry Adler as
Lenny Greenman
Peter Iacangelo
as Frank O’Connor
Robin Frates as
Elizabeth
Jack. R. Orend as
Tony
Milt Kigan as
Lucky
Douglas MacHugh
as Moe
Vaughn Armstrong
as Father
Frank Girardeau
as Sergeant McCann
Ed Wasser as
Young Executive
Justin Thompson
as Donald Trump
Ross Partridge as
Max Greenman
Liz Torres
as Angelita Carmen Guadalupe Cecilia Jiminez: Spunky
actress, singer and comedienne all rolled up into one, Puerto
Rican-American Liz Torres was born on September 27, 1947, a native of
the Bronx. She began her stand-up/singing career as a regular
performing in various small NYC niteries. It wasn't until she received
an invite to appear on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1962)
that her comic career started blooming on TV and in film. Liz has been
a broadly familiar ethnic face on the sitcom circuit, having had
regular or recurring parts in numerous series. In addition to regular
roles on 70s TV variety shows for Melba Moore, Clifton Davis and Ben
Vereen, she replaced the late Barbara Colby in the Mary Tyler Moore
spinoff Phyllis (1975) starring Cloris Leachman following Colby's
tragic murder. A year later she joined the All in the Family (1971)
cast for a season. Liz co-starred in a number of short-lived series
such as Checking In (1981), The New Odd Couple (1982) and City (1990)
before hitting paydirt and scoring multiple Emmy and Golden Globe
nominations for her prime role of Mahalia on The John Larroquette Show
(1993). She has continued to make the guest rounds on such popular
series as Ally McBeal (1997), The Nanny (1993), Quantum Leap (1989),
The Wonder Years (1988) and L.A. Law (1986), often providing some
necessary comedy relief amid the drama, and she is a veteran of many
mini-movies, both comedic and dramatic. On Broadway, Torres replaced
Tony-winning Rita Moreno as men's bathhouse entertainer Googie Gomez in
the wacky comedy "The Ritz" and portrayed the bizarre character of
Bunny in "House of Blue Leaves." The musical part of her has recorded
for RCA and appeared in a number of stage roles that have ranged from
Aldonza/Dulcinea in "Man of La Mancha" to lightweight roles in "Bye Bye
Birdie" and "See Saw." She has provided amusing vignettes in such film
comedies as The Odd Couple II (1998) starring the late Jack Lemmon and
Walter Matthau, Sunset (1988) with Bruce Willis and Permanent Midnight
(1998) showcasing Ben Stiller. Although comedy has been Liz's primary
career outlet, her millennium film credits have leaned toward heavier
material with featured parts in the romantic drama Gabriela (2001), the
urban drama King Rikki (2002), the social drama Taylor (2005) and the
dramedy West of Brooklyn (2008). Outside the recurring roles on the law
series First Monday (2002) and the Latino family drama American Family
(2002), TV has proven a different story where she is best remembered
for her series role as "Miss Patty" in the long-running sitcom Gilmore
Girls (2000), and made numerous amusing appearances on such regular
comedies as "The Fighting Fitzgeralds," "The Brothers Garcia," "Ugly
Betty," "Desperate Housewives," "Devious Maids" and the Cuban-American
sitcom "One Day at a Time."
Jerry Adler as
Lenny Greenman: Jerry
Adler was born on February 4, 1929 in Brooklyn, New York City, New
York, USA. He is an actor and director, known for Manhattan Murder
Mystery (1993), In Her Shoes (2005) and Prime (2005). He has been
married to Joan Laxman since July 3, 1994. He was previously married to
Cathy Rice and Dolores Parker.
Peter Iacangelo
as Frank O’Connor: Peter
Iacangelo was born on August 13, 1948 in Brooklyn, New York, USA. He
was an actor, known for Fight Club (1999), Times Square (1980) and Look
Who's Talking Now (1993). He was married to Melody Marzola. He died on
November 17, 2021 in West Columbia, South Carolina, USA.
Robin Frates as
Elizabeth: Robin Frates is known for Puppet Master (1989), Quantum Leap (1989) and Man's Best Friend (1993).
Jack. R. Orend as
Tony: Jack Orend is known for Casino (1995), The Blues Brothers (1980) and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993).
Milt Kigan as
Lucky: Milt
was born at Beth Israel Hospital in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on April
10, 1936 to Eastern European immigrants, Mildred and Joseph Kogan.
Joseph earned a degree as a pharmacist from Temple University and after
one year moved his family across the Delaware River to Camden, New
Jersey, where he set up a pharmacy that lasted for 40 years and became
a neighborhood icon. Milt found success at Woodrow Wilson high school
as a basketball player, winning choice on Camden, N.J. City All-Star
Basketball Team in 1953. He won acceptance to prestigious Cornell
University in Ithaca, N.Y., where he performed as leading scorer on his
college freshman team. In his first game, the next year, for the
varsity, unfortunately, he suffered a severe knee injury, before modern
knee surgery, which essentially ended his high caliber performances.
Still, in 1957, he was voted Captain of the Cornell Basketball Team.
Milt went on to medical school, instead, and graduated with a D.O.
degree and then an M.D. from the University of California, Irvine. It
was in those early 1960 years that he serendipitously fell into acting
in Hollywood. Early success in TV commercials brought him much respect,
especially since his early roles were as dumb, working-class characters
that incited much laughter. He married Dena Lambie, from Northern
California, after a stint as a professor/physician on the University of
the Seven Seas, a floating campus that went around the world. Two
children followed, Magavin and Teidi, and because his TV career never
floundered, he soon felt embarrassed about his success and decided to
repay someone...but whom? He joined the United States Peace Corps and
brought his young family to West Africa, now Burkina Faso, where he
served the poor there for two and a half years. On his return to
California, he enrolled in a Masters in Preventive Health program at
U.C.L.A. and graduated with an M.P.H. Unfortunately, his marriage took
a toll from his energetic lifestyle and Dena divorced him two years
later. Dedicating himself, full energy, to his dual careers of medicine
and acting, working with the homeless and mentally ill in Los Angeles,
he was soon guest starring on many major TV shows, appearing in movies,
and continuing his success in comedy in commercials. After returning
from two years in Harlowton, Montana, where he accepted a position with
the National Health Service Corps as a cowboy doctor, he met Susan
Quast, a South Dakota small-town beauty, who agreed, after some effort,
to be his wife. Milt shares two children with Susan, son Jamie and
daughter, Millay. In effort to continue contact with all his children,
Milt joined the U.S. Defense Department and served with the U.S. Army
in West Germany for two years. He returned to Hollywood with his
complete family and now has been married to Susan for 35 years. Because
of his medical adventures, he can speak German, French and Spanish. He
is a voting member of both the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and
Sciences (Oscars) and the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences
(Emmy). Three of his four children have earned lawyer degrees and son,
Jamie, is a successful film composer in Hollywood. Susan and Milt built
a home and farm in Oceanside, California where he now practices, he
says, as a farmer. He continues his efforts in medicine and acting,
traveling to Los Angeles to participate in TV.
Douglas MacHugh
as Moe: Doug MacHugh is known for Weird Science (1985), Candyman (1992) and Black Moon Rising (1986).
Vaughn Armstrong
as Father: Vaughn
Armstrong was born on July 7, 1950 in Sonora, California, USA. He is an
actor, known for The Philadelphia Experiment (1984), Star Trek:
Enterprise (2001) and The Net (1995). As of December 2004, he has
appeared on Star Trek 27 times, as 11 different characters of 8
different races (two Cardassians (Gul Danar, Seskal), a Vidiian, a
Hirogen, a Romulan (Telek R'Mor), three Klingons (Korris, Korath), a
former Borg drone (Two of Nine/Lansor), a Kreetassan, and a Human
(Admiral Forrest)). Formed a blues band with Star Trek co-stars Richard
Herd (Admiral Paris from Star Trek: Voyager (1995)), Casey Biggs (Damar
from Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993)) and Steve Rankin (multiple
roles). Is the only actor to play five different characters on a single
Star Trek series (Star Trek: Voyager (1995)). Along with Jeffrey Combs,
he is one of only two actors to played three characters in a single
Star Trek season (Star Trek: Enterprise (2001) Season One). Reprised
his role as the Klingon 'Korath' (from the 'Star Trek: The Experience'
exhibit) on the series finale of Star Trek: Voyager (1995).
Frank Girardeau
as Sergeant McCann: Frank Girardeau is known for The Vanishing (1993), Be Kind Rewind (2008) and Road Trip (2000).
Ed Wasser as
Young Executive: Ed
Wasser was born on March 26, 1964 in Roslyn Heights, New York, USA. He
is an actor and producer, known for Babylon 5 (1993), Quantum Leap
(1989) and Stormswept (1995).
Justin Thompson
as Donald Trump: Justin Thomson is known for Quantum Leap (1989), Aquatilis and Texas Killing Fields (2011).
Ross Partridge as
Max Greenman: Ross
Partridge was born on February 26, 1968 in Kingston, New York, USA. He
is an actor and producer, known for Stranger Things (2016), Lamb (2015)
and Room 104 (2017). He has been married to Jennifer Lafleur since
April 30, 2016.
Stock
footage is used with modern vehicles and skyscrapers that didn't exist
at the time of this Leap.
Lenny
says that Max needs $50 more in cab fares. Then later he asks Sam how
much money he made. How did he know what was left if he didn’t know
what Sam had already made?
Why
didn’t Al just center on Lenny instead of wondering where he went with
the gun?
Al
spoke Sam's name a few times in front of Angela during the episode, but
Sam and Al seem surprised when she says his name at the end of the
episode.
SAM: I was trying to save your life.
ANGELA: By running me down and beating me up?
SAM: No, no. I thought-- I thought that your heart had stopped. I was
just trying to get it started again, that's all.
ANGEL: Oh, why don't you back over me a couple more times?
ANGELA: You should not be tempted to listen to that devil! He doesn't
know what he's talking about!
SAM: And which devil might you be talking about?
ANGELA: The one in the horrible red suit.
SAM: You can see him?
ANGELA: Well, it's hard to miss him in that monkey suit.
(talking about AL)
SAM: Have you been able to see him the whole time?
ANGELA: Yes.
SAM: Then why didn't you say anything?
ANGELA: Well, I thought if I ignored him, then he would go away.
(talking about AL)
ANGELA: I was born Angelita, which means "little angel"... but as you
can see, I grew up.
AL: Yeah, they must serve plenty of sweets in heaven.
ANGELA: You're never gonna get there, so you're never gonna know.
AL: What do you mean? Why not?
ANGELA: There's a dress code.
AL: You know, if I wasn't a gentleman and a hologram...
ANGELA: Look what the pig dragged in.
SAM: It's cat.
ANGELA: You never lived in Puerto Rico.
Best
Lines:
ANGELA:
I was born Angelita, which means "little angel"... but as you
can see, I grew up.
AL: Yeah, they must serve plenty of sweets in heaven.
ANGELA: You're never gonna get there, so you're never gonna know.
AL: What do you mean? Why not?
ANGELA: There's a dress code.
AL: You know, if I wasn't a gentleman and a hologram...
Best
Scenes:
The first is when Sam and Al are talking in the alley, and Angela
begins to sing "Somewhere"... Man, that woman can sing! It moves me to
tears every time I watch it.
The second is the very end, when Angela is saying goodbye. Sam forgets
her, but Al doesn't. It seems now that Al's accepted the idea that
Angela might possibly really be an angel.
Script:
Production Credits:
Theme by: Mike Post Music by: Velton Ray Bunch Co-Executive Producer: Deborah Pratt Co-Executive Producer: Michael Zinberg Supervising Producer: Harker Wade Produced by: Jeff Gourson, Tommy Thompson Produced by: Chris Ruppenthal, Paul Brown Created by: Donald P. Bellisario
Teleplay by: Danielle Alexandra and Paul Brown
Story by: Danielle Alexandra
Directed By: Paul Brown Executive Producer: Donald P. Bellisario Associate Producers:James S. Giritlian, Julie Bellisario Coordinating Producer: David Bellisario
Director of Photography: Robert McBride Production Designer: Cameron Birnie
Edited By: Michael S. Stern Unit Production Manager: Ron Grow First Assistant Director:Ryan Gordon Second Assistant Director: Kate Yurka Casting by: Ellen Lubin Sanitsky Set Director: Robert L. Zilliox Costume Designer: Jean-Pierre Dorleac Costume Supervisor: David Rawley Art Director: Ellen Dambros-Williams Sound Mixer: Barry D. Thomas Stunt Coordinator: Diamond Farnsworth Sound Editor: Greg Schorer Music Editor: Bruce Frazier Special Visual Effects: Roger Dorney, Denny Kelly
Panaflex ® Camera and Lenses by: Panavision ®
This
motion picture is protected under laws of the United States and other
countries. Unauthorized duplication, distribution or exhibition may
result in civil liability and criminal prosecution.
The
characters and events depicted in this photoplay are fictitious. Any
similarity to actual persons living or dead is purely coincidental.
Bellisarius Productions in association with Universal Television, an MCA Company
Podcasts:
Quantum Leap Podcast: It's A Wonderful Leap
Listen
to The Quantum Leap Podcast on this episode here:
Calling all angels, it’s time for It’s A Wonderful Leap!
Hosts Allison Pregler, Matt Dale and Christopher DeFilippis join Sam as
he tries to prevent the murder of a New York City taxi driver — with
the help of a guardian angel played by the irrepressible Liz Torres.
We also spoil the heck out of It’s A Wonderful Life and Mirror Image.
You won’t have more fun this side of the cuchifrito circuit!
Let us know what you think… Leave us a voicemail by calling (707)847-6682.
Send in your thoughts, theories and feedback, Send MP3s & Email to quantumleappodcast@gmail.com.
Also join us on Facebook.com/QuantumLeapPodcast and Twitter.com/QuantumLeapPod
Quantum Leap Podcast:
Our friend Matt
Dale reads a poem by Clement Clarke Moore. Matt passed away Christmas
Day, 2023. He will always be in our hearts. Merry Christmas, everyone.
