Fifty Years of Film in 50 Weeks, #25: Fallen Angel, 1945

This post marks the halfway point in my journey through film history by watching approximately one film per week from successive years. Woo hoo!

Fallen Angel, 1945

Director: Otto Preminger
Writers: Harry Kleiner from a novel by Marty (Mary) Holland
Cinematographer: Joseph LaShelle
Producer: Otto Preminger for 20th Century Fox, Inc.
Starring: Dana Andrews, Alice Faye, Linda Darnell, Charles Bickford, Anne Revere, Bruce Cabot, John Carradine

Why I chose it
Although I loved British Powell & Pressburger's A Canterbury Tale, last week's film, I felt like returning to the Hollywood Studio System for a film that would represent the best things about the system during Hollywood's Golden Age. I was also in the mood for a film noir, a genre/style that was gaining major traction at this time in Hollywood. This film was recommended to me by two film friends whose opinion I trust.

'No-spoiler' plot overview 
Running out of bus fare, drifter and con-man Eric Stanton (Dana Andrews) disembarks from his Greyhound in a sleepy California coastal town, shy of his San Francisco destination. He take temporary refuge in "Pop's Eats" diner. 'Pop' (Percy Kilbride) is concerned about his favorite waitress, Stella (Linda Darnell), who has been missing for a few days. Stella reappears that evening, and Eric realizes the brunette bombshell has all the men in the town pining for her. Soon, Eric himself pursues Stella, who is also attracted to him, but demands that he earn enough money to support her.  Eric gets involved with a traveling fortune teller and medium (Carradine) and in that process meets sisters Clara and June Mills (Anne Revere and Alice Faye), the wealthy unmarried daughters of the town's former mayor. He sweeps the virginal June off her feet, but only intends to fleece her and skip town with Stella. Unfortunately, the same day he ties the knot with June, a key character is murdered and Eric becomes a prime suspect.

Production Background
Director/Producer Otto Preminger had a major hit for Fox, Laura, in 1944 with Dana Andrews and another brunette bombshell, Gene Tierney. So he was invited back the following year, along with many key crew members, including cinematographer LaSelle and composer Raksin, and leading actor Andrews, to helm Fallen Angel. In this melodrama propelled by a love triangle, the 'bad' love interest was cast with a star on the rise, sultry beauty Linda Darnell, who was romantically linked to Fox boss Darryl Zanuck. The 'good' girl went to a rather unusual choice: Alice Faye was known mostly from her musical films. But although Faye had begged to be cast in this to broaden her range, she apparently so disliked the finished film and her role, reduced to give Darnell more screentime, that she abruptly halted her career and didn't appear in a film again until 1962. 

While the film garnered generally good reviews, especially for the actors, it didn't make as much of an impression as Laura, and didn't earn any Oscar nominations. Preminger went on to work with Linda Darnell again in the romantic melodrama Forever Amber (1947), while Darnell and Andrews were paired as a married couple forced to fly a commercial airline flight in trouble due to incapacitation by the cockpit crew in Zero Hour! in 1957. Sadly, Darnell died in 1965 at age 41 in a house fire.

Some other notable film-related events in 1945 (from Filmsite.org):

• Roberto Rossellini's influential landmark film Open City (1945, It.) formally introduced Italian Neo-Realism, marked by a gritty, authentic and realistic post-war film style. Characteristics included the use of on-location cinematography, grainy low-grade black-and-white film stock and untrained actors in improvised scenes. The socially-aware, documentary-style film captured the despair and confusion of post-World War II Europe.
• Joan Crawford, who had developed a reputation for being mannered and difficult (and had been let go two years earlier by MGM for a slumping decline), pleasantly surprised everyone at Warners when she delivered one of the best performances of her career in Mildred Pierce (1945). In an astonishing comeback part (and debut role for Warners), Crawford won the film's sole Academy Award Oscar.
• The Motion Picture Producers and Distributors of America (MPPDA), created by major US film studios in 1922 to police the industry, was renamed as the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA). It was responsible for implementing the voluntary film rating system.
• Pathe newsreel footage of the liberated German concentration camps was released - Radio City Music Hall declared it "too gruesome to be shown at a family theater."

My Random Observations

• One of the things I learned from the TCM/Ball State U. course on film noir was that in a noir film, you're likely to see rooms with horizontal window blinds. This is a great piece of set design for the cinematographer, because they can use low lighting and shadow effects to cast what looks like jail bars across their subjects. Blinds show up early and often in Fallen Angel. In particular, in the diner Pop's Eats, where all the film's less savory characters meet. We're clued into the unhealthy relationships that play out at Pop's and will likely lead to serious problems.  Below are just a few of the shots featuring the prominent blinds.
  
  

  

  Stanton walks into "Pop's Eats"

  
  

  

  At "Pop's" counter is Pops (Kilbride, left), Stella, Mark Judd (Bickford)
  and Stanton. Blinds and their shadows dominate the screen.  
  

  
  

  

  Stanton and Stella get to know each other at "Pop's"

  
  

  

  Shadows galore as Prof. Hadley (Carradine, right) enters "Pop's"

  
  
• On the other hand, the abode of the Mills sisters is Victorian -- we almost lose the two demure and secluded sisters in this shot at breakfast:
  

  

  June (Faye) and Clara (Revere) blend into their curtains
  while discussing their private lives while breakfasting.

  
  
• Despite the near-identical production team, and the same leading actor, this film doesn't feel much like Laura. I attribute that first to the dominance of the musical score in the earlier film (courtesy of composer David Raksin), which sets an ethereal mood and gets stuck in your head pretty quickly. Second, Laura plays out in a mostly upper-class milieu, unlike the gritty, grimy feel of much of Fallen Angel. Yet, blinds show up in Laura, too!
  
  

  

  Laura (Gene Tierney) in her office.

• In the reviews I've read, it's common to criticize Alice Faye's character's angelic, compliant, and loyal qualities that defy credulity. That didn't bother me, although I did find her June a bit of an enigma. For a character that started out as a spinster church organist, she took a huge leap to become a savvy, down-to-earth guardian angel who's willing to live with Eric Stanton's duplicitous misogynist. To make this transition she must have had a far more complex interior life than we see on screen. This was a miss for me, although I do appreciate that the film was primarily concerned with Stanton's character arc.
  

  

  June plans to play an organ recital at the church.

  
  

  

  June, the steely organist.

  
  

  

  June lets her hair down for Eric Stanton.

  
  
  
  And...June's costume neckline takes a major drop.
• The best black and white films are just gorgeous to look at -- and this one should rank among those cited for the beauty of the shot composition. Here are just a few more screenshots highlighting the art of black-and-white cinematography in the studio era.

Where to Watch
A very nice print is streaming for free on YouTube at present. You can watch at this link. It's also available for free streaming on Archive.org, and can be purchased on Fox Home Entertainment DVD from the usual vendors.

Further Reading
Go to TCM's articles on the film, which served as one of my sources of production tidbits, for more detail. 

TCM Film Festival Highlights -- 2017 Edition

Historic Roosevelt Hotel in Hollywood, home of
the first Academy Awards ceremony, and
headquarters for the Turner Classic Film Festival

The annual Turner Classic Film Festival in Hollywood is akin to Mecca for the classic film fan. I consider myself extremely fortunate to have made the trip for the third time.  As before, it was simultaneously exhilarating, exhausting, and educational.

As expected I didn't completely adhere to the crazy schedule I set for myself.  I missed:  Beat the Devil, Barefoot in the Park, So this is Paris, The Front Page, and Speedy.  Yikes.  Overall, though, I managed to see 13 films in 3+ days, and considering all that was going on, I'm declaring myself guilt-free.

I also took some time to see and hear celebrities and sights in keeping with the classic Hollywood scene.  And, of course celebrating Hollywood magic with old and new friends capped off the weekend perfectly.


My Film Viewing Highlights

The Magic Box (1951), d. John Boulting -- on Friday afternoon I chucked my schedule and attended the screening of this 1951 British film instead of So This is Paris.  My rationale was that I can see the latter film in June at the Somerville Theatre, with live piano accompaniment.

Not a bad choice as I loved, loved, loved, The Magic Box.  Introducing the film was eminent critic Leonard Maltin, who explained that the film was commissioned for the Festival of Britain in 1951, when the country was still nursing its collective, severe, war wounds.  The film lined up a 'who's who' of British stage and screen actors, headed by the eminent Robert Donat.  Appearing were Glynis Johns, William Hartnell, Michael Hordern, Kathleen Harrison, a young Richard Attenborough, and even Laurence Olivier, who delighted in a cameo role as a street bobby, just to name a few.   

Directed by John Boulting, this biopic portrayed the story British film pioneer William Friese-Greene, largely forgotten today, but  considered by some an inventor of the first moving picture camera, concurrent with Edison.  The film is stunningly shot by Jack Cardiff in technicolor, and the film is alternately amusing, nostalgic and bittersweet.  Cleverly scripted using two separate flashbacks, we learn the havoc Friese-Greene's obsession with invention played with his personal life and well-being.  

All actors are perfect, and Robert Donat, while playing a role not unlike his 'Mr. Chips,' conveys boyish enthusiasm, frustration, and melancholy with perfect subtlety.  Whenever I see Donat in anything I'm saddened by his passing at such a young age (53).  I was also taken by the luminous beauty of Austrian Maria Schell, who played Friese-Greene's first wife.  Schell is the older sister of actor Maximilian Schell, and I'm not sure I'd seen her in any other film.

Martin Scorcese cited this film as a major inspiration for his Oscar-winning Hugo from 2011, and along with Scorcese (!) I unconditionally recommend it, especially for Anglophiles.    

Maria Schell and Robert Donat in The Magic Box

Unfaithfully Yours (1948), d. Preston Sturges.  As this was the late film on Friday, I wish I hadn't dozed off for one or two scenes, but caught enough of it to have a fantastic time.  The title of this one sounded vaguely familiar, but only this week did I find out there was a remake with the same title, in 1984, starring Dudley Moore.  I'm glad I didn't know that, actually, as I could enjoy this film without thinking about how it may have been remade. Sturges gives his witty treatment to this dark comedy in which a stuffy orchestra conductor (Rex Harrison) plots three different ways to take revenge on his devoted wife (Linda Darnell) when he suspects her of cheating.  The plotting all takes place in his head while he's conducting, and is set to dramatic classical orchestral works.  The comedy takes off when the unhappy husband attempts to carry out his nefarious schemes.

In his introduction, Eddie Muller mentioned that Linda Darnell was the loveliest female lead of the day, and her calm sweetness is a nice contrast to Harrison's pompous cynicism.  Harrison carries some really funny bits, including an extended solo slapstick sequence in which he never speaks a line, but manages to trash his own living room, and his dignity, in the process.  For those searching for Darnell or Harrison at their peak, look no further.  

Kurt Kreuger, Linda Darnell, and Rex Harrison in Unfaithfully Your

Laura (1944), d. Otto Preminger.  This is a classic 1940s noir, and the draw for me to show up at the Saturday evening screening came from the promise of seeing an original nitrate print of the film; this early technology was replaced mid-century because of its flammability, and good copies of films in this format are not exactly abundant.  While I didn't see Black Narcissus, which was so popular at the festival, I did enjoy Laura quite a bit.  There were a few flaws in the print, causing it to skip on occasion, but it was dazzling to look at in its original black-and-white.  What I didn't appreciate before this screening was subtlety and genius of Dana Andrews in the role of detective who falls in love with the 'dead' woman of the title. Damn, I need to see more of Mr. Andrews.  

Dana Andrews and Gene Tierney in Laura

Chester Morris & Billie Dove in
Cock of the Air

Cock of the Air (1932), d. Tom Buckingham-- yes, this pre-code film is one large double entendre, and it was a gem.  The plot centered around the extended flirtation between an American WWI pilot, played by Chester Morris, and a vivacious French showgirl, played by Billie Dove.  Think Howard Hughes meets Ernst Lubitsch...which may not be surprising considering producer Hughes was the force behind the picture.  

During production there was a colossal battle between Hughes and the Hays Office, and about 17 minutes of footage was cut from the first commercial release.  The film has finally been restored by the Academy Film Archive, although the 17 missing minutes did not have the soundtrack intact.  In the restoration process, modern actors dubbed in the dialogue, and it was this version that we were treated to.  The transitions were seamless, and blended very well.  A small symbol of a film frame overlaid with a pair of scissors decorated the bottom of the film so that we would identify the restored missing footage, which I found very useful and not distracting.  Ironically, some scenes in the cut version of the film were at last as risque as those cut.  

Chester Morris was often a 'second lead' in films of this era, and I wasn't expecting to be blown away by his performance -- yet he combined the right amount of comedic double-takes and the like with breezy cockiness, and a scene that he completed with just a bath towel around his waist was especially enjoyable! I'm a new fan.  Billie Dove was a silent film leading lady who transitioned into talkies but whose film career did not last past the early 1930s.  She lit up the screen with her glamorous, sophisticated, cynical "Lilli de Rosseau'.  I will not reveal any more, but urge everyone to see this if it comes to a nearby cinema.

Other Sights and Sounds 
It was fascinating to spend time in the company of Lee Grant, a festival honoree, when she was interviewed at the 'Club TCM' -- a fascinating and determined actress, she fought through her time on the Hollywood blacklist during the McCarthy era and picked up her career afterward, as not only an actor, but a director and producer.  At 90 years young, she is still going strong.  I also took the opportunity to see her Oscar-nominated early role in the film Detective Story.

Finally, I thought the TCM Film Festival organizers did a fabulous job honoring Robert Osborne, the face and heart of the channel since the early days, who passed away in early March.  There was a live panel tribute from the TCM staff, with standing room only, a short video tribute that played before every screening on Friday, and visuals like the one below, prominently on display.  While it was bittersweet not to have him there, his legacy was everywhere.  

Some final highlights in photos...

Flowers at Don Rickles star on the Walk of Fame
Rickles sadly passed away when we were in L.A.

Art deco 'Ticket Lobby' at Union Station in Los Angeles,
part of the 'TCM Movie Locations' Bus Tour. 

Shirley Temple costume display
at the Hollywood Museum

Celebratory dinner with film friends at Miceli's

Ruby slippers -- The Wizard of Oz
at the Hollywood Museum

Hand and foot prints of silent legend
Gloria Swanson, star of Sunset Boulevard

September Classic Film Screenings in Greater Boston

After August delivered an abundance of classic film screening riches in the Boston area, with a bit of a chill in the air fast approaching, September is 'cooling down' on the number of options for cinephiles.  However, there are some exciting and notable offerings to report.

Somerville Theatre  -- Sept 16-24
The Somerville in Davis Square celebrates the start of fall with a Festival of screenings mostly devoted to the 70 mm format -- this includes both classic film in the era of epics shot originally on 70 mm, in addition to some more modern films adopted this format.  Films in this format are weightier, and in many cases offer more detail than even you'll see on your home Blu-Ray.  This is what makes these films ideal for big screens, as film-makers in the 1950s and 1960s learned, to compete with the increasing popularity of television.  Today, film-makers use this format to draw people to cinemas in the age of advancing home video technology and the proliferation of quality visual media offerings.

For those interested in attending most or all screenings, you can buy a festival pass for $200 (adult); individual features will cost $15.00 (The cost of making or restoring 70mm prints is higher than digital or 35 mm).  

Great classic & modern titles will be screened, including: LAWRENCE OF ARABIA (1962), BEN-HUR (1959), WEST SIDE STORY (1961), SLEEPING BEAUTY (1959), just to name a few.  I'm particularly excited to see THE WILD BUNCH (1969) on Monday Sept 19 & SPARTACUS (1960) on Saturday Sept 24.

Shockingly, both these well-regarded films have yet to be seen by me.  THE WILD BUNCH would continue my exploration of the Western film, and is directed by Sam Peckinpah and showcases aging classic actors known to apparently good effect:  William Holden, Ernest Borgnine, Robert Ryan, and two personal favorites, Ben Johnson and Edmond O'Brien.  In a film that is more than mildly influenced by Vietnam War politics, if I can tolerate the violence, I'm sure I'll enjoy it.

THE WILD BUNCH

SPARTACUS is a picture known for Kirk Douglas showing off his pecs, and more seriously defying the blacklist by hiring famed screenwriter Dalton Trumbo back under his own name.  Stanley Kubrick directed this period epic, and if I load up on caffeine for the 3+ hour running time, I'm sure the 70mm presentation on the big screen will provide quite the experience, indeed.

SPARTACUS

Harvard Film Archive

The retrospective of the films of Rouben Mamoulian finishes up Friday Sept 2 with BLOOD AND SAND (1941) starting at 7PM and THE SONG OF SONGS (1933) to follow.  I'm thrilled to be attending these screenings. Again, neither film I've seen, but I did see the 1922 Valentino version of the famous tale of the ill-fated love triangle in 19th century Spain, which was nothing if not entertaining.  In the 1941 technicolor version we get three of the brightest and most gorgeous stars to feast our eyes on: Tyrone Power, Rita Hayworth, and Linda Darnell.  The mise-en-scene created by Mamoulian is said to take on 'painterly dimensions' with masterful use of color and noir shadows (HFA website).

Rita Hayworth and Tyrone Power throw sparks in BLOOD AND SAND

Rudolph Valentino and Nita Naldi as lovers in the earlier BLOOD AND SAND

THE SONG OF SONGS is a lesser-known film made in the pre-code era (1933), and it stars Marlene Dietrich coming off of her apex with director Josef von Sternberg.  Here she apparently starts out as a naive young country girl but rapidly changes her character after getting involved with Brian Aherne. It seems to be an interesting melodrama with 'touches of humor.'  If I can stay awake I will definitely catch this one (in 35 mm)!

Brian Aherne & Marlene Dietrich in THE SONG OF SONGS

Coolidge Corner Theatre
The Coolidge is presenting their perennial favorite JAWS (1975) on Monday Sept 5 (Labor Day), which is a great choice of a date because I doubt anyone is planning to return to the beach after that date anyway(!).  It will no doubt be a fun crowd.

Richard Dreyfuss, Roy Schneider and Robert Shaw in JAWS

Brattle Theatre 

It's not my favorite Hitchcock, but it is for many and deserves a shout-out for Sunday Sept 25 -- REAR WINDOW (1954) screens in 35 mm film format at the Brattle.  Starring a mostly immobile James Stewart character and the lovely Grace Kelly playing amateur sleuth.  

REAR WINDOW

Sat Sept 24 deserves special mention here as it is the first annual "Art House Theater Day" -- in which over 160 theaters around the country have joined on to take part in showcasing their role in "celebrating the legacy of independent theaters as advocates for cinema arts."  For participating theaters there will be special screenings and giveaways.  In the Boston area both the Coolidge and the Brattle are taking part.  The Brattle is even extending the celebration to 'Art House Theater Week' from Sept 16-24, for which their screening of REAR WINDOW is a part.  Sounds like the start of a great tradition.  

A final 'special mention' for New Englanders is the weekend Telluride-by-the-Sea film festival Sept 16-18 in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.  This quaint seaside town and its historic theater 'Music Hall' bring patrons a selection of 6 films that are screened at the Telluride Film Festival in Colorado earlier in the month.  This is a lot of fun and a nice way to welcome in fall while seeing some newer films making the festival rounds -- highly recommended!