Fallen Angel (1945)

Director:

Otto Preminger

Writers:

Marty Holland (novel)
Harry Kleiner (writer)

Release Date:

5 December 1945 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Film-Noir | Mystery | Romance

Tagline:

The creator of "Laura" does it again!

Plot:

Eric Stanton (Dana Andrews), thrown off a bus for not having the fare, begins to frequent a diner called "Pop's Eats" ...

Plot Keywords:

Cheap Hotel | Old Maid | Film Noir | San Francisco California | Waitress

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
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Dorothy Adams	...	Stella's Neighbor (uncredited)
Herbert Ashley	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Matthew 'Stymie' Beard	...	Shoeshine Boy (uncredited)
Betty Boyd	...	Bank Clerk (uncredited)
Paul E. Burns	...	News Vendor (uncredited)
Chick Collins	...	2nd Bus Driver (uncredited)
Jimmy Conlin	...	Walton Hotel Clerk (uncredited)
Franklyn Farnum	...	Extra (uncredited)
Gus Glassmire	...	San Francisco Hotel Clerk (uncredited)
William Haade	...	1st Bus Driver (uncredited)
Dick Haymes	...	Himself, Juke Box Vocalist (uncredited)
Olin Howland	...	Joe Ellis (uncredited)
Adele Jergens	...	Woman in audience (uncredited)
Tiny Jones	...	Audience Extra (uncredited)
J. Farrell MacDonald	...	Bank Guard (uncredited)
Leila McIntyre	...	Bank Clerk (uncredited)
Mira McKinney	...	Mrs. Judd (uncredited)
Dave Morris	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Horace Murphy	...	Sheriff (uncredited)
William H. O'Brien	...	Bus Passenger (uncredited)
Frank O'Connor	...	Audience Extra (uncredited)
Broderick O'Farrell	...	Policeman (uncredited)
Garry Owen	...	Waiter (uncredited)
Paul Palmer	...	Detective (uncredited)
Harry Strang	...	Policeman (uncredited)
Brick Sullivan	...	Honky Tonk Dance Extra (uncredited)
Hal Taggart	...	Extra (uncredited)
Hal Taliaferro	...	Gus Johnson - Police Officer (uncredited)
Max Wagner	...	Bartender (uncredited)
Martha Wentworth	...	Hotel Maid (uncredited)

Directed by
Otto Preminger

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Marty Holland		novel
Harry Kleiner		writer

Produced by
Otto Preminger	....	producer

Original Music by
David Raksin

Cinematography by
Joseph LaShelle

Film Editing by
Harry Reynolds

Art Direction by
Leland Fuller
Lyle R. Wheeler		(as Lyle Wheeler)

Set Decoration by
Helen Hansard
Thomas Little

Costume Design by
Bonnie Cashin

Makeup Department
Ben Nye	....	makeup artist

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Tom Dudley	....	assistant director

Sound Department
Bernard Freericks	....	sound
Harry M. Leonard	....	sound

Special Effects by
Fred Sersen	....	special photographic effects

Music Department
Emil Newman	....	musical director

Production Companies

• Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Distributors

• Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation (1945) (USA) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox (1949) (France) (theatrical)
• Teakwood Video (2004) (USA) (DVD)

Runtime:

98 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

Finland:K-16 | USA:Approved (PCA #10940)

Filming Locations:

Orange, California, USA

Company:

Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Trivia:

Unhappy with the film as released, Alice Faye believed that Otto Preminger's editing had diminished the impact of her performance, and that the director had "thrown" the picture to Linda Darnell.

Quotes:

Eric Stanton: Twenty-one, the Stork Club, that's where you belong - smothered in mink!
Stella: And do you see me with a ring on my finger? Someone to give me a home?

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Biography: Linda Darnell: Hollywood's Fallen Angel" (1999)

Soundtrack:

Paducah

Obsession before Vertigo

Otto Priminger was basking in the sun as a result of his classic film noir "Laura" when he followed up with this highly under-appreciated film. The key element is basically the same as in "Laura" and that key element is obsession with a beautiful but dangerous woman. The femme fatale of film noir is present at the creation of the genre, here embodied by Linda Darnell. Many men become obsessed with beautiful women who are not deserving of such adoration. In its perverted form obsession leads to stalking. In its most common form it leads to heartbreak and mental torture. It can also lead to murder. Why do men become obsessed with dangerous beautiful women? Ask your shrink for an analysis. Alfred Hitchcock made the best film on obsession with a beautiful woman, "Vertigo." Before "Vertigo," "Fallen Angel" was the best and is still one of the best. The acting is marvelous, especially Dana Andrews, Linda Darnell, and all those wonderful character actors that Otto Priminger hand picked for their roles. The weakest performance is by Alice Faye, but then she is out of her element and badly miscast, not at all a good choice for a film noir. Plus my understanding is that Priminger cut many of her key scenes to make more room for the machinations of Linda Darnell. The shadowy world of midnight rendezvous, dark tones of shades of rain, a diner called Pop's Eats, all make for a classic film noir for fans and non-fans as well.