Angel Face (1952) - DaaVeeDee

Angel Face (1952) (DVD) (*)

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Language Selections:
English ( Dolby Digital 2.0 )
Italian ( Dolby Digital 2.0 )
Italian ( Subtitles )

Product Origin/Format:
Italy ( PAL/Region 0 )

Running Time:
88 min

Aspect Ratio:
Fullscreen

Special Features:
Interactive Menu
Photo Gallery
Scene Access

Movie filmed in 1952 and produced in:
United States ( USA, Canada )

Directed By:
Otto Preminger

Written By:
Chester Erskine
Oscar Millard

Actors:
Robert Mitchum ..... Frank Jessup
Jean Simmons ..... Diane Tremayne
Mona Freeman ..... Mary Wilton
Herbert Marshall ..... Mr. Charles Tremayne
Leon Ames ..... Fred Barrett
Barbara O'Neil ..... Mrs. Catherine Tremayne
Kenneth Tobey ..... Bill Crompton
Raymond Greenleaf ..... Arthur Vance
Griff Barnett ..... The Judge
Robert Gist ..... Miller
Morgan Farley ..... Juror
Jim Backus ..... Dist. Atty. Judson

Synopsis:

When Mrs. Tremayne is mysteriously poisoned with gas, ambulance driver Frank Jessup meets her refined but sensuous stepdaughter Diane, who quickly pursues and infatuates him. Under Diane's seductive influence, Frank is soon the Tremayne chauffeur; but he begins to suspect danger under her surface sweetness. When he shows signs of pulling away, Diane schemes to get him in so deep he'll never get out.

Angel Face is an atypical film noir piece that has developed a considerable cult reputation over the years. Those who favor the film find it a fascinating examination of detached evil, one that captures a certain coolness of tone that is not so much heartless as it is simply devoid of feeling and intent. Others, however, find the resulting deliberate pacing much too slow and dreary, and the motivations of the characters confusing if not inscrutable. Certainly, director Otto Preminger and leading lady Jean Simmons have created a most curious and intriguing femme fatale, one who seems to be going through her actions with no real conception of what they mean and no real thought about how she should behave. This aspect of the character -- coupled with Preminger's precise, brutal filming of the accident - make the inadvertent death of the father strangely powerful. Simmons is fascinating throughout, seeming to act totally in the moment, but as if the moment were entirely understood only by her character. Robert Mitchum is a perfect foil for her, disturbingly rational and more keenly aware of the world around him, but somehow drawn into her spell in spite of himself. The cool, detached qualities that make Angel Face special will alienate many, but those who tune into it will be rewarded.

In California, the ambulance driver Frank Jessup and his partner head to a mansion in Beverly Hills to assist the millionaire Mrs. Catherine Tremayne that was poisoned with gas, but her doctor had already medicated her. When Frank is leaving the house, he meets Catherine's twenty year-old stepdaughter Diane Tremayne that follows him in her Jaguar. After-hours, they go to a restaurant and Frank finds an excuse to his girlfriend Mary Wilton to not visit her and he dates Diane and they go to a night-club. Diane has a crush on Frank and on the next morning, she meets Mary and tells to her what Frank and she did. Frank and Mary are saving money to open a garage since he is an efficient mechanic. Diane convinces Frank to be better paid working as a chauffeur for her family. Soon Frank learns that Diane hates her stepmother and he decides to quit his job. But Diane seduces him and he stay with the Tremayne family. When Mr. and Mrs. Tremayne have a fatal car accident, Diane and Frank become the prime suspect of the police and they go to court charged of murder. Now their only chance is the strategy of the efficient defense attorney Fred Barrett.

This product was added to our catalog on Sunday 21 June, 2020.