Customer Reviews
OTTO PREMINGER, OPUS 9 
2008-05-21
****1/2 1945. Produced and directed by Otto Preminger, FALLEN ANGEL was based on Marty Holland's Fallen Angel. Walton, California. Eric Stanton is accused of the murder of Stella, a waitress he was attracted to. One year after Laura (Fox Film Noir), Preminger tells us once again the story of a woman adulated by all the men she meets and who becomes the source of a drama. The first apparition of Linda Darnell in Pop's coffee shop is unforgettable and Dana Andrews's cynical personification of Eric Stanton is the undeniable proof that, without this actor, the film noir genre in Hollywood movies wouldn't have been quite the same. Highly recommended.
Kudos to Alice Faye in an unusual part 
2008-01-02
What this film lacks in suspense during the first half, it makes up for in the last 30 minutes. The lens of cameraman Joseph LaShelle coupled with the expertise of Otto Preminger's direction makes for a visually intriguing film -- easy on the eye and darkly atmospheric. The nice surprise is the performance of Alice Faye. Although her character seems to be robbed of screen time in the early portions, once the action moves to San Francisco, Faye's complexity and motivation makes for one of her best performances. I've read where Faye claims that many of her scenes were deleted to build up Linda Darnell's part. This may explain the film's slow start. Darnell establishes her one-dimensional character with relish and does well, but her scenes seem repititious after awhile. Dana Andrews' role suffers from focusing too much on his repellent nature and not enough on his inner conflicts. Overemphasis on Darnell and Andrews' relationship is the film's one drawback. This effects the tempo of the overall production. Still, it is great to see this overlooked noir get a second chance. (Scott O'Brien - author of "Kay Francis - I Can't Wait to be Forgotten")
Fallen Angel 2007-12-29
The film commentary on Fallen Angel is worth watching after the movie. It is a discussion between a noir film expert and the daughter of Dana Andrews and tells you that Dana Andrews used to teach his daughter how to walk tall, that Otto Preminger sets up three elements in every scene, that two of the main stars were alcoholics and knew the kind of characters they were playing from the inside, among other things. But the film doesn't really stand up on its own because the women are split evenly into 'good' and 'bad' and even Dana cannot make them believable.
Happy Ending Film Noir 2007-12-21
A very slick production, but with Alice Faye and a happy ending it is not realy film noir. Still quite enjoyable.
Stick With It!! 2007-08-05
It should be stated clearly at the outset that "Fallen Angel" requires careful and patient viewing: Dana Andrews arrives in a small California town in the dead of night. He was actually evicted from a Greyhound bus-he didn't have the fare to ride all the way to Frisco! It becomes immediately obvious that DA is a con man and not a terribly likeable one at that. His first stop is the local diner where he falls for the sultry waitress, Linda Darnell. LD is perfectly cast here. She wants nothing to do with the struggling hustler. DA turns to nice girl Alice Faye, who happens to be loaded! The blonde Faye is in perfect contrast to the dark haired Darnell. DA plans to marry Faye, steal her $$ and marry LD! However, this reviewer felt that the movie had no spark until Darnell is murdered- on Andrews' wedding night no less! Afraid of being framed for the untimely demise, Andrews and his new bride flee to San Francisco. During that intense trip, the movie takes shape. DA realizes he has married a nice, classy girl who loves him. The hotel room scenes are actually quite romantic, given the moral codes of the time. DA returns to the small town and FA is quickly wrapped up. Good reviews should not give away resolutions but the ending to "Fallen Angel" is fast and satisfying. This reviewer can cite only two weaknesses to FA: 1) it takes awhile to gel. The most critical scenes are in the final 10 minutes; the careful and patient viewing stated above will be rewarded. 2) One wonders how interesting a second watching would be, once the improbable perp is identified. Amazoners are encouraged to scroll down and read the preceding reviews! There are several nice fascinating tidbits about FA listed! There are certainly some knowledgeable classic movie fans out there! A final thought: Wouldn't Lizabeth Scott have been perfect for the Darnell role? She could have sung the theme song! And if she wound up dead, it would not have been the first time Liz met her demise while the cameras rolled!
A MUST FOR ANY FILM NOIR COLLECTION!!! 2007-07-28
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.DVD Features: Available Audio Tracks: English (Dolby Digital 2.1 Stereo) English (Dolby Digital 2.1 Mono) Audio Commentary with Film Noir Historian Eddie Muller and Susan Andrews Publicity Gallery Production Stills Gallery Unit Photography Gallery Theatrical Trailer Fox Noir: The House on Telegraph Hill No Way Out If you liked this movie you may want to try... System Requirements:Running Time 98 Mins.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: MYSTERY/SUSPENSE UPC: 024543227786 Manufacturer No: 2232778
A very good, well written movie --a class act 2007-07-17
I wanted a good classic movie from the 40's--I am in awe of the 30s and 40s era movies. And the 50s had excellent movies too. There is something special about those classic black and white suspense movies that are great. I was born in late 1947 and wanted to rercapture that time period. This won't be my only purchase of a Fox Film Noir. Thank you so much--an excellent purchase.
Dana Andrews, Linda Darnell & a Calfornia beach at night.. 2007-05-31
How can you beat that? One of my favorite of the genre' so far. Eric (Andrews) rolls into town penniless. He's been kicked off a bus headed for San Francisco. He finds himself at Pop's, the local diner. The biggest attraction in town is the waitress, Stella (Darnell). Keeping track of her are Pops, the jukebox repairman, the local retired big city dick (Charles Bickford)& Eric falls for her immediately. Stella is looking to blow this town. Eric wants it to be with him. He needs $$ & after a brief business deal, he meets & decides to romance the richest girl in town, June(Alice Faye). She's not exactely chopped liver but is very gullible & falls for Eric immediately. In a matter of days it seems, they are married & headed for San Francisco . She has given Eric full access to her $20,000. At this point, Stella wants nothing to do with Eric. He's a married man. Besides, she also has other men she is stringing along. Eric & June return & that night Stella is murdered. Eric is not found in his bride's bed the next morning. Guess that would make him the prime suspect. The retired cop starts a velvet glove investigation he was famous for back east. The end may surprise you. Otto Preminger knows how to direct noir, & Andrews is very good in this one.
Drifter stumbles into a small town murder 2006-09-13
Otto Preminger's deft directing and production crafted the hard boiled film noir "Fallen Angel", with the aid of an accomplished cast, into a genre classic. The film's murky, moody plot along with some typically dark cheerless black and white cinematography perfectly set the tenor of the film.
Penniless and scheming drifter Eric Stanton played masterfully by Dana Andrews disembarks from a Greyhound bus in the small seaside California town of Walton. Walking into the local diner, Pops, he is immediately smitten with sultry waitress Stella played by the alluring Linda Darnell. Darnell happens to be the amorous focus of most of the menfolk of the small town. Looking for a way out of town, she almost falls for the glib tongued Andrews' promises to marry and take care of her.
Andrews has also become acquainted with the upstanding Mills sisters June and Clara. Desperate for money to woo Darnell, Andrews with eyes on $25,000 of the Mills sisters inheritance, marries younger sister June played by Alice Faye. The plans immediately change when Darnell is found murdered and Andrews is implicated.
The investigation is headed by a tough, craggy Mr. Judd, a retired ex- New York cop played by Charles Bickford who is aiding the Walton chief of police. Bickford's brutal, kid gloved technique causes Andrews to flee the scene with the faithful Faye in tow.
Three and a Half Stars 2006-09-06
This is one where you want the half-star option. This film is better than three stars, but not really a four. Fans of pulpy film noir will recognize many of the elements which make those movies what they are - down and out characters, seedy atmosphere, a murder . . . The story here is pretty average and not terribly compelling, and the plot twist at the end feels a little far-fetched. But what makes the movie watchable is the acting and dialogue. The best moments are the conversations between Eric Stanton -the drifter who wanders into a seaside town and winds up getting torn between the town's femme fatale diner waitress and one of its virginal well-off spinsters - and Stella, the head-strong waitress. Very watchable, but not unique enough to stand out very far from the pack.
