My Review of ‘Angel Face’ (1953)

People seem to go crazy over this movie, but frankly, I’m not one of them.

Let’s look at the facts: In what is obviously someone’s attempt to kill a rich dame named Catherine Tremayne, she’s found overcome by gas leaked from a fireplace she never uses. Two ambulance drivers (with two of the least-inventive names ever), Frank (played by Robert Mitchum) and Bill (played by Kenneth Tobey) (seriously, how hard was it to think up those names? 🙂 ), respond to the scene.

And Catherine’s step-daughter, Diane (played in scene-chewing fashion by Jean Simmons) gets all hysterical about it to the point where Frank slaps her silly to get her to knock it off. Diane (who apparently takes a slap and likes it) then proceeds to seduce the guy, even though he has a girlfriend, who he may or may not be serious about.

What follows is both totally predictable and aggravatingly Freudian. Poor, poor little Diane. Her mommy died, daddy remarried (into money) and—wham!—he is no longer capable of writing his absolutely amazing (according to Diane) novel. Yeah, right.

After the “accident” that nearly killed her step-mom, Diane actually has lunch with Frank’s girlfriend, Mary (what else would she be named?). It’s almost as tortuous to watch Diane’s passive-aggressive attempts to intimidate Mary as it would be to actually be in Mary’s place.

Mary with Diane. Not buying it. 🙂

Diane is such an obvious manipulator, her role as femme fatale seems to border on theater of the absurd. The idea that Frank could trust this woman, let alone feel anything like love for her is laughable.

And then, Frank leaves his job to work for Diane as a chauffeur. He even lives on their estate. I’d compare it to William Holden’s character in Sunset Boulevard, if I swallowed the idea at all.

Frank does all this and pretty much tosses aside his beautiful blonde girlfriend, Mary—who also happens not to be completely nuts.

Then, somehow or other, Little Miss Rich Girl manipulates Frank into being framed as a co-conspirator to murder. Yeah, you guessed it—she succeeds where she previously failed. Just a bit too well.

Any more information will spoil this movie, which you can watch at your own risk.

And, without revealing the ending (but possibly spoiling it a little), how could Frank seriously let Diane drive him to the bus station before the final fade-out? Frank seemed like many things—short-sighted, too nice for his own good, unappreciative of his awesome girlfriend—but completely moronic wasn’t one of them.

The closing scene of the waiting taxi is less shocking than it is depressing.

Frank ditches Blondie for this nut job? As if. (via The Last Drive In)

I will say the best part of this movie was the trial, because I actually became interested at that point. Leon Ames is great as the defense attorney. Hell, the actors are all great. Even Simmons, who just got saddled with a role I don’t envy. I simply couldn’t buy the story.

One last thing. Robert Mitchum was more believable as the chump in Out of the Past than he is in this film. And Jane Greer’s role in that movie was much more believable than Jean Simmons’ in this one. Or maybe I just prefer to see Mitchum be the one to foil the femme fatale, rather than vice versa, even if the result is tragic.

For film noir die-hards only. And with respect to those who made it. Believe me, I’m being kind. 🙂

PS: This post script is a summary of information from Eddie Muller’s intro on TCM’s Noir Alley. If I screw up a fact or two, I humbly apologize. But this information is what I recall Muller stating.

Jean Simmons did this movie under an obligation to Howard Hughes (who had developed an obsession with her). It was (quite literally) the least she could do for him (before cutting her ties with him completely), something she made sure was clear in her contract with him. And he made her pay for that by assigning Otto Preminger to direct the movie.

Preminger was known as a perfectionist who put actors through the wringer. Hughes made sure to instruct Preminger to put Simmons through hell. The slapping scene at the film’s start was done repeatedly, with Preminger urging Mitchum to slap Simmons even harder each time.

Well, thanks, Howard. You made it hell for this viewer, too! 🙂