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This is the first UK DVD release of this 1952 drama from RKO Pictures. It started like any other night... Ambulance driver Frank Jessup (Robert Mitchum) gets a call from the house of Catherine Tremayne (Barbara O'Neil), little realising where this routine call will take him. Mrs Tremayne has a beautiful, wilful stepdaughter Diane (Jean Simmons); she's attracted to Frank and insists he take a job as the family chauffeur. Frank's wary of getting too close to the kid, however, especially when he realises she's not as sweet as she looks. But Diane has a habit of getting what she wants and it doesn't matter what - or who - it costs...
Review
Outrageous melodrama --Halliwells Film Guide
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase
Film legends-ROBERT MITCHUM and JEAN SIMMONS-co-star in this great classic Film Noir-ANGEL FACE-[1953,black and white]. And what an angel-face-like beauty-the beautiful and sexy-JEAN SIMMONS-had when she was younger.
ANGEL FACE also has a great supporting cast. Jean Simmons plays a great Femme Fatale here for she plays a psychologically distured young woman who hates her rich step mother[BARBARA O'NEIL] so much she attempts to murder her. The beautiful psychopath then meets and becomes involved with ambulance driver Robert Mitchum and hires him as the family chauffeur.
I don't want to give anymore away of this exciting story. But i will say that this film noir has two sensational car crashes that were brilliantly filmed and an extraordinary ending. Mitchum and Simmons are absolutely brilliant in their roles as were supporting cast members.
Regards,Bill.
ANGEL FACE also has a great supporting cast. Jean Simmons plays a great Femme Fatale here for she plays a psychologically distured young woman who hates her rich step mother[BARBARA O'NEIL] so much she attempts to murder her. The beautiful psychopath then meets and becomes involved with ambulance driver Robert Mitchum and hires him as the family chauffeur.
I don't want to give anymore away of this exciting story. But i will say that this film noir has two sensational car crashes that were brilliantly filmed and an extraordinary ending. Mitchum and Simmons are absolutely brilliant in their roles as were supporting cast members.
Regards,Bill.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase
Angel Face is directed by Otto Preminger and adapted to screenplay by Ben Hecht, Oscar Millard and Frank S. Nugent from a story written by Chester Erskine. It stars Robert Mitchum, Jean Simmons, Mona Freeman and Herbert Marshall. Music is scored by Dimitri Tiomkin and cinematography is by Harry Stradling
The Tremayne residence, home to beguiling beauty Diane Tremayne (Simmons). When ambulance driver Frank Jessup (Mitchum) meets her for the first time, little did he know that he would soon be engulfed in a world of sexual desires and possible murder.
Well if it aint the dead body jockey.
In film noir circles it's certainly well known enough, and it can count a number of big names in the movie world as its supporters, yet Angel Face still appears to be something of a forgotten treasure. It's a wickedly dark Freudian picture that pulses with impending doom, luring the viewer into its web that's been threaded together by deceit, seduction, greed and madness. The viewer is never quite sure what will out as the Diane/Frank relationship starts to form, we have a good idea that Frank is in it up to his neck, and you sense he knows it as well, but the twists and turns in the narrative keep things suspenseful; right up to the bold and black hearted finale.
The themes at work in the story are beautifully aided by two compelling central performances from Mitchum (Out of the Past) and Simmons (Elmer Gantry), the former is very restrained, muscular and on iconic cigarette smoking form, the latter is suspiciously sexy, angelic yet dangerous and exuding a poker face charm. In support Mona Freeman (The Heiress) makes good out of a too small a role as the polar opposite "other" girl. Herself gorgeous, Freeman has "safe and homely" down pat, but is that enough for our rugged Frankie Jessup? Preminger (Laura/Whirlpool) directs with professional assuredness whilst getting in tight to the actors with his camera.
Stradling's (Suspicion/A Streetcar Named Desire) black and white photography is effective in capturing the Beverly Hills locale, however, it's rarely in sync with the murky themes unfolding in the plot. Too often it's too bright, too expansive, the minimal amount of shadow play is sorely felt, particularly when the action switches to the foreboding setting of the Tremayne cliff top house. It's an itch that is inflamed still further by Tiomkin's in tune score, full of melodramatic swirls and supernatural down beats, it's a score very at one with the characters. Still, that's me being greedy and wanting chiaroscuro in full effect, Stradling was a fine photographer and surely acted on Preminger's requests for this particular movie.
Angel Face, a moody gem of a story that's punctured by moments of violence, and featuring a cast and director on song. 8/10
The Tremayne residence, home to beguiling beauty Diane Tremayne (Simmons). When ambulance driver Frank Jessup (Mitchum) meets her for the first time, little did he know that he would soon be engulfed in a world of sexual desires and possible murder.
Well if it aint the dead body jockey.
In film noir circles it's certainly well known enough, and it can count a number of big names in the movie world as its supporters, yet Angel Face still appears to be something of a forgotten treasure. It's a wickedly dark Freudian picture that pulses with impending doom, luring the viewer into its web that's been threaded together by deceit, seduction, greed and madness. The viewer is never quite sure what will out as the Diane/Frank relationship starts to form, we have a good idea that Frank is in it up to his neck, and you sense he knows it as well, but the twists and turns in the narrative keep things suspenseful; right up to the bold and black hearted finale.
The themes at work in the story are beautifully aided by two compelling central performances from Mitchum (Out of the Past) and Simmons (Elmer Gantry), the former is very restrained, muscular and on iconic cigarette smoking form, the latter is suspiciously sexy, angelic yet dangerous and exuding a poker face charm. In support Mona Freeman (The Heiress) makes good out of a too small a role as the polar opposite "other" girl. Herself gorgeous, Freeman has "safe and homely" down pat, but is that enough for our rugged Frankie Jessup? Preminger (Laura/Whirlpool) directs with professional assuredness whilst getting in tight to the actors with his camera.
Stradling's (Suspicion/A Streetcar Named Desire) black and white photography is effective in capturing the Beverly Hills locale, however, it's rarely in sync with the murky themes unfolding in the plot. Too often it's too bright, too expansive, the minimal amount of shadow play is sorely felt, particularly when the action switches to the foreboding setting of the Tremayne cliff top house. It's an itch that is inflamed still further by Tiomkin's in tune score, full of melodramatic swirls and supernatural down beats, it's a score very at one with the characters. Still, that's me being greedy and wanting chiaroscuro in full effect, Stradling was a fine photographer and surely acted on Preminger's requests for this particular movie.
Angel Face, a moody gem of a story that's punctured by moments of violence, and featuring a cast and director on song. 8/10
10 of 11 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
The title of this review is a paraphrase of an observation offered by the man on the commentary track. This is an RKO picture, a Howard Hughes production--there are details about that statement that make the commentary track well worth hearing. The film stars Robert Mitchum. I had never quite formulated that particular thought, but having heard it, I immediately realized it was perfectly true: Robert Mitchum WAS the coolest guy in America.
He was so cool that on screen he could act like a perfect chump from first frame to last and still seem cool. He was so cool that in an America where Lucy and Ricky could not share a bed, he could get busted for possession of marijuana, take all the heat and all the publicity without whimper or complaint, then go right on being as big a movie star as ever, and still the coolest guy in sight.
Previous Amazon reviews have been impressively sound in describing this picture. I have nothing to add beyond endorsing their high ratings. This is an unpretentious little noirish film. It boasts a fine cast from Jean Simmons in an uncharacteristic role, to Herbert Marshall in a characteristic one, to Kenneth Tobey and Mona Freeman in fine supporting performances. Otto Preminger was a wonderfully skilled (if wholly obnoxious) director. This movie works, satisfying in ways that some more famous films do not.
This DVD of "Angel Face" offers a good film, a good print and not much in the way of bells and whistles beyond a useful (for once) commentary. You won't go wrong with it.
Five appropriately cool stars.
He was so cool that on screen he could act like a perfect chump from first frame to last and still seem cool. He was so cool that in an America where Lucy and Ricky could not share a bed, he could get busted for possession of marijuana, take all the heat and all the publicity without whimper or complaint, then go right on being as big a movie star as ever, and still the coolest guy in sight.
Previous Amazon reviews have been impressively sound in describing this picture. I have nothing to add beyond endorsing their high ratings. This is an unpretentious little noirish film. It boasts a fine cast from Jean Simmons in an uncharacteristic role, to Herbert Marshall in a characteristic one, to Kenneth Tobey and Mona Freeman in fine supporting performances. Otto Preminger was a wonderfully skilled (if wholly obnoxious) director. This movie works, satisfying in ways that some more famous films do not.
This DVD of "Angel Face" offers a good film, a good print and not much in the way of bells and whistles beyond a useful (for once) commentary. You won't go wrong with it.
Five appropriately cool stars.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
"Angel Face (1952) ... Otto Preminger (Director) ... RKO Radio (2007)"
RKO Radio Pictures presents "ANGEL FACE" (1952) (91 min/B&W) (Fully Restored/Dolby Digitally Remastered) -- When Mrs. Read more
Published 16 months ago by J. Lovins
Role reversal
This is noir. Robert Mitchum never gets the message that beautiful young women are fatal to your future.
Published 22 months ago by Chris
VINTAGE FILM NOIR
If you like Robert Mitchum and dark broody films, this is for you.
The ending is rather abrupt and unexpected but the story retains its interest throughout.
The ending is rather abrupt and unexpected but the story retains its interest throughout.
Published on 6 April 2010 by Donald Mackay
Certainly an Angel Face
I remember seeing this movie at a very young age at our local cinema. I believe it was the first Robert Mitchum movie I had seen certainly the first Jean Simmons. Read more
Published on 1 Mar 2010 by J JARVIS
Slow moving
Diane (Jean Simmons) blames her stepmother Catherine (Barbara O'Neil) for her father Charles's (Herbert Marshall) lack of financial success. Read more
Published on 25 Jan 2010 by Alex da Silva
Jean Simmons & Otto Preminger should take chess lessons
I would have awarded this film five stars until I saw the sloppy scene of Jean Simmons picking up the white king from the chess board. Read more
Published on 20 Nov 2009 by hmorley
Angel Face
As I remember it from years ago although some people will find it a bit dated but still very enjoyable.
Published on 5 Mar 2009 by Ron Lawrence
A fine, little known noir with excellent performances by Jean Simmons...
Diane Tremayne (Jean Simmons) should be everything Frank Jessup (Robert Mitchum) could ever want. She's young, beautiful and rich. The trouble is, she arranges "accidents. Read more
Published on 7 Jun 2007 by C. O. DeRiemer
Unappreciated Film Noir With A Difference
Angel Face was directed in 1952 by: Otto Preminger (Laura, 1944; Anatomy Of A Murder, 1959). Otto Preminger's `Laura' is now rightly regarded as one of great film noir... Read more
Published on 9 April 2007 by Phoust
Unappreciated Film Noir With A Difference
Angel Face was directed in 1952 by: Otto Preminger (Laura, 1944; Anatomy Of A Murder, 1959). Otto Preminger's `Laura' is now rightly regarded as one of great film noir... Read more
Published on 9 April 2007 by Phoust
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