Fallen Angel (1945)

A slick con man arrives in a small town looking to make some money, but soon gets more than he bargained for.

Director:

Otto Preminger

Writers:

Harry Kleiner (screen play), Marty Holland (novel)

Stars:

Alice Faye, Dana Andrews, Linda Darnell

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Alice Faye	...	June Mills
Dana Andrews	...	Eric Stanton
Linda Darnell	...	Stella
Charles Bickford	...	Mark Judd
Anne Revere	...	Clara Mills
Bruce Cabot	...	Dave Atkins
John Carradine	...	Professor Madley
Percy Kilbride	...	Pop

Storyline

Eric Stanton (Dana Andrews), thrown off a bus for not having the fare, begins to frequent a diner called "Pop's Eats" , whose main attraction is a beautiful waitress by the name of Stella seems disinterested in Eric, he decides if he had money she would pay attention to his advances. He marries June Mills ( Alice Faye ) for her money, and Stella is mysteriously murdered. Even though June learns of Eric's dishonest plans, she still loves him. It is with her support that he investigates the killing on his own, eventually discovering the shocking identity of the real killer.

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Plot Keywords:

drifter | police violence | deception | small town | con man | 

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Taglines:

The creator of "Laura" does it again!

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Genres:

Crime | Film-Noir | Mystery | Romance

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

20 March 1946 (Argentina)

Also Known As:

¿Ángel o diablo?

Filming Locations:

409 N Shaffer Street, Orange, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$1,075,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Twentieth Century Fox

Technical Specs

Runtime:

98 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Second of five films Dana Andrews would make with director Otto Preminger, the others being Laura (1944), Daisy Kenyon (1947), Where the Sidewalk Ends (1950), and In Harm's Way (1965).

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Goofs

Among the works listed on the church reader board for June Mills's upcoming organ recital are a Stabat Mater by Beethoven and a Requiem by Brahms. Beethoven never wrote a Stabat Mater, and the only Requiem by Brahms is a massive choral work, highly unlikely to be played as an organ solo.

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Quotes

Mark Judd: [Walking over to Stella] I knew you'd come back Stella.
Stella: [looks at him from her chair in disdain, rubbing her sore feet] Okay.

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Crazy Credits

The opening credits appear on the screen as a series of road signs seen through the windshield of a bus driving at night time.

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Connections

Referenced in Altered Carbon: Fallen Angel (2018)

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Soundtracks

Slowly
Music by David Raksin
Lyrics by Kermit Goell
Sung by Dick Haymes (uncredited)

User Reviews

FALLEN ANGEL (Otto Preminger, 1945) ***

20th Century Fox's underrated follow-up to LAURA (1944) reteamed director Preminger and leading man Dana Andrews with several of the same crew members (chief among them cinematographer Joseph LaShelle and composer David Raksin). Curiously chosen by the studio's biggest musical star Alice Faye for her 'comeback' role as a dramatic actress (and she is fine in it), unfortunately for her, it collided with Linda Darnell's own stunning "femme fatale" revamp who, even though bumped off halfway through, effortlessly walks away with the film; needless to say, Faye wouldn't make another picture for the next 17 years! Andrews – who would have turned 100 on January 1st of this year had he lived and thus I'll be watching several of his movies throughout this month – plays the anti-hero: a penniless cad who marries Faye (against elder sister Anne Revere's advice) for her inheritance money but lusts after Darnell – as do, understandably, most of the male cast: married detective Charles Bickford (his paradoxical character is a fascinating creation), jukebox salesman Bruce Cabot and Darnell's own employer Percy Kilbride; favorite character actor John Carradine, made up to look like some forbidding Scandinavian pastor, has an amusing bit as a mentalist Andrews hitches up with early on. The routine plot is transformed by Preminger's fluid direction which envelops that formidable cast in expert chiaroscuro lighting. Andrews is eventually reformed through Faye's unconditional love for him but the seedy ambiance of that first half permeates the whole film.