Although "Fallen Angel" is probably the least known and least appreciated of Otto Preminger's film noirs, it is nevertheless, a very compelling and well paced murder mystery which is frequently cynical and melodramatic but also strong on style and atmosphere. Joseph LaShelle's cinematography creates a moody and oppressive backdrop for the action which is particularly appropriate as it reflects the sense of confinement that exists in its small town setting and also the feelings of despair which frequently feature throughout the story. Predictably, the night-time scenes are the most aesthetically pleasing and there are also some memorable images which stay in the mind for some time after the movie has finished. Their particular strength lies in their ability to capture, in one moment, such a strong impression of the characters and the time in which they existed. One example is the shot of Dana Andrews standing outside Pop's diner and another is Linda Darnell massaging her foot after returning from an unexplained absence from her job.
Eric Stanton (Dana Andrews) arrives in the small town of Walton with little money and no immediate prospects and goes to Pop's diner where he sees a stunning looking waitress called Stella (Linda Darnell) and also learns that a touring spiritualist, Professor Madley (John Carradine) is due to appear in a show in the town in the very near future. Eric is an ex-press agent who is very persuasive and unscrupulous and displays these qualities in style as he cons Madley's assistant into thinking that he knows the Professor and then gets involved in publicising the show. Ticket sales are slow because of opposition from Clara Mills (Anne Revere) who is the daughter of the well respected and now deceased previous mayor of the town. When Eric attempts to persuade Clara to give the show her approval she initially refuses but then changes her mind due to the influence of her sister June (Alice Faye) who is quite taken with Eric's type of charm.
After the Mills sisters' opposition is removed the tickets sell in large numbers and the show is a financial success. The grateful Professor offers Eric a permanent job but he declines because, by this point, he's become obsessed by Stella and so decides to stay in Walton.
Stella has an army of admirers and is also very materialistic so when Eric tries to develop a relationship with her, she soon makes it clear that she'll only be interested if he can guarantee marriage and enough money to satisfy her high aspirations. In response, he devises a scheme to marry June Mills for a short time so that when the marriage is annulled he could achieve a substantial financial settlement which he could then use to win over Stella. However, shortly after having married June, Stella is found murdered and Eric becomes a suspect. In order to prove his innocence, he then makes his own investigations before discovering the identity of the real killer.
The characters in this bizarre story are made believable by some fine performances, especially from the supporting cast. John Carradine is excellent as a humorous and very pragmatic charlatan and Charles Bickford is convincing as a retired New York police detective who'd moved to California for the benefit of his health. Anne Revere is good as the sour and sceptical Clara and Alice Faye is subtle in the way that she gradually conveys the fact that there is more to June than first meets the eye.
Dana Andrews capably portrays Eric's fast talking ability to manipulate people and also the toughness which enables him to grit his teeth and cope when things don't go as planned. Linda Darnell's capacity to look sullen and disdainful and to act tough and determined was, no doubt, what made her such a great choice to play the devious and dishonest Stella.
This movie is frequently overlooked but is still worth investigating as it has much to commend it and will certainly be appreciated by most film noir fans.
Eric Stanton (Dana Andrews) arrives in the small town of Walton with little money and no immediate prospects and goes to Pop's diner where he sees a stunning looking waitress called Stella (Linda Darnell) and also learns that a touring spiritualist, Professor Madley (John Carradine) is due to appear in a show in the town in the very near future. Eric is an ex-press agent who is very persuasive and unscrupulous and displays these qualities in style as he cons Madley's assistant into thinking that he knows the Professor and then gets involved in publicising the show. Ticket sales are slow because of opposition from Clara Mills (Anne Revere) who is the daughter of the well respected and now deceased previous mayor of the town. When Eric attempts to persuade Clara to give the show her approval she initially refuses but then changes her mind due to the influence of her sister June (Alice Faye) who is quite taken with Eric's type of charm.
After the Mills sisters' opposition is removed the tickets sell in large numbers and the show is a financial success. The grateful Professor offers Eric a permanent job but he declines because, by this point, he's become obsessed by Stella and so decides to stay in Walton.
Stella has an army of admirers and is also very materialistic so when Eric tries to develop a relationship with her, she soon makes it clear that she'll only be interested if he can guarantee marriage and enough money to satisfy her high aspirations. In response, he devises a scheme to marry June Mills for a short time so that when the marriage is annulled he could achieve a substantial financial settlement which he could then use to win over Stella. However, shortly after having married June, Stella is found murdered and Eric becomes a suspect. In order to prove his innocence, he then makes his own investigations before discovering the identity of the real killer.
The characters in this bizarre story are made believable by some fine performances, especially from the supporting cast. John Carradine is excellent as a humorous and very pragmatic charlatan and Charles Bickford is convincing as a retired New York police detective who'd moved to California for the benefit of his health. Anne Revere is good as the sour and sceptical Clara and Alice Faye is subtle in the way that she gradually conveys the fact that there is more to June than first meets the eye.
Dana Andrews capably portrays Eric's fast talking ability to manipulate people and also the toughness which enables him to grit his teeth and cope when things don't go as planned. Linda Darnell's capacity to look sullen and disdainful and to act tough and determined was, no doubt, what made her such a great choice to play the devious and dishonest Stella.
This movie is frequently overlooked but is still worth investigating as it has much to commend it and will certainly be appreciated by most film noir fans.