Angel's Flight (1965)

Directors:

Raymond Nassour
Kenneth W. Richardson

Writers:

William Brownell (additional dialogue)
Dean Romano (writer)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

Plot:

A series of murders involving a stripper (Indus Arthur) are investigated by a hard-drinking reporter (William Thourlby) in this late-entry film-noir. |

Plot Keywords:

Stripper | Rape | Slasher | Alcoholism | Neo Noir

Cast

William Thourlby	...	Ben Wiley
Warren J. Kemmerling		(as Warren Kimmerling)
Michael Fox	...	Jake the Bartender
Kathleen Gallant
James Mastin
Lawrence Homer
Elliott Fayad		(as Elliot Fayad)
Rue McClanahan	...	Dolly (as Rhue McClanahan)
Jean Cartwright
Edward P. Martin
Clint Prentice
James Cavanaugh
John Walker
Bert Conroy		(as Burt Conroy)
Majel Hellings
Ann Richards	...	Cece Lamont
Grace Adair
Gaye Merritt
Marie Allyn
John Bliss
Ava Janey
Steven Volz
Tiger Joe Marsh
Katherine Luth
Henry Morley
Indus Arthur	...	Liz
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Jayne Drennan

Directed by
Raymond Nassour
Kenneth W. Richardson		(as K.W. Richardson)

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
William Brownell		additional dialogue
Dean Romano		writer

Produced by
John A. Bushelman	....	associate producer (as John Bushelman)
T.O. Luth	....	executive producer
William Thourlby	....	producer (as William L. Thourlby)

Original Music by
Jaime Mendoza-Nava

Cinematography by
Glen Gano		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
John A. Bushelman		(as John Bushelman)

Art Direction by
Byrd Holland

Makeup Department
Dona Morris	....	makeup artist

Production Management
James Kelly	....	production manager
Jay O. Lawrence	....	production supervisor (as Jay Lawrence)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Miles Dickson	....	assistant director

Art Department
Robert Coulter	....	set designer
Tom Willsey	....	property master

Sound Department
Ted Keep	....	sound mixer (as Theodore Keep)
Monty Pearce	....	sound effects

Camera and Electrical Department
Andrew Janczak	....	camera operator
Gordon McDonald	....	gaffer

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Norbert Jobst	....	wardrobe

Other crew
Bennett Elzey	....	assistant to producer
June Franklin	....	production coordinator
Sandra Richardson	....	script supervisor

Distributors

• Crown International Pictures (1965) (USA) (theatrical)
• Crown International Television

Other Companies

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)  sound

Also Known As:

Shock Hill (USA) (TV title)

Runtime:

77 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White | Color

Filming Locations:

Angel's Flight Railway, Bunker Hill, Downtown, Los Angeles, California, USA

Soundtrack:

Angel's Flight

the film noir that time forgot

*spoilers* "Angel's Flight" is like a bad hangover...so sweaty, dark, and gritty, you'll feel like taking a shower when it's over. Although its strongest foothold is in the noir element, this film can also be regarded as an early prototype to what we now know as the slasher genre.

The late Indus Arthur is lovely in this, her film debut, portraying Liz... a stripper with a childlike innocence who is driven to murder when aroused by men. William Thourlby(the original Marlboro Man and star of the cult classic "The Creeping Terror")plays a gin-drunk writer being used as bait by the authorities in an investigation of the killings. This film is better than one might expect, an ugly, unhappy trip into the seedy underbelly of L.A.'s Bunker Hill area, once the opening to the Angel's Flight railway system (where much of this was filmed-- the footage here is something of a historical document). Look out for future Golden Girl Rue McClanahan in a bit as a stumbling barfly.

The ending of the movie is a bit rushed(possibly unfinished?), but overall I strongly recommend this rarity to fans of skid row film noir\neo-noir. 5/10.