Black Angel (1946 film)
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| Black Angel | |
|---|---|
 Black Angel DVD cover |
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| Directed by | Roy William Neill |
| Produced by | Tom McKnight Roy William Neill |
| Written by | Cornell Woolrich (novel) Roy Chanslor |
| Starring | Dan Duryea June Vincent Peter Lorre Broderick Crawford Constance Dowling Wallace Ford |
| Distributed by | Universal Pictures |
| Release date(s) | August 2, 1946 (U.S. release) |
| Running time | 81 min |
| Language | English |
| IMDb profile | |
Black Angel is a 1946 black-and-white film noir based on the novel by Cornell Woolrich. Directed by Roy William Neill who directed many of the famous Sherlock Holmes film series. This would be his last film.
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[edit] Plot
A falsely convicted man's wife, Catherine (June Vincent), and an alcoholic piano man, Martin (Dan Duryea) team up in an attempt to clear husband of the murder of the drunkard's wife. Their investigation leads them to face-to-face confrontations with a determined policeman (Broderick Crawford) and a shifty nightclub owner (Peter Lorre). Catherine, as the investigation goes on, begins to suspect her new partner of the crime.
[edit] Reaction
Dark City: The Film Noir, by Spencer Selby, calls Black Angel: "Important, stylish B-noir, featuring Dan Duryea as the ironic central character."
Writer Cornell Woolrich hated this adaption of his story which, aside from the conclusion, differed greatly from his book.
On a side note, the movie is an example of how the lead are shown as being unironically versatile -- to the point of being utterly ridiculous. Early on in this film, the amateur detective team is instantly able to become A TOP NOTCH NITECLUB ACT when necessary. This just is another instance of movie, and for that matter all arts based on/in fiction, requiring the "willing suspension of disbelief" for unhindered entertainment.
[edit] Main cast
- Dan Duryea as Martin Blair
- June Vincent as Catherine Bennett
- Peter Lorre as Marko
- Broderick Crawford as Captain Flood
- Constance Dowling as Mavis Marlowe
- Wallace Ford as Joe
[edit] Pop Culture
Black Angel is referenced in the 2006 noir-influenced film The Black Dahlia starring Scarlett Johansson and Hilary Swank. It is the movie shown playing at the cinema featured in the rainy street scene.
[edit] References
- Eddie Muller (1998). Dark City The Lost World of Film Noir. St. Martin Press. ISBN 0-312-18076-4.
- Spencer Selby (1984). Dark City The Film Noir. mcFarland Classics. ISBN 0-7864-0478-7.
[edit] External link
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