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DramaCrime

Angel Face

- She loved one man …enough to KILL to get him!

Ambulance driver Frank Jessup is ensnared in the schemes of the sensuous but dangerous Diane Tremayne.

Release Date : 1953-01-02

Language :EnglishJapanese

Adult : false

Status : Released

Production Company : RKO Radio Pictures

Production Country : United States of America

Alternative Titles :

Cast

Robert Mitchum

Character Name : Frank Jessup

Original Name : Robert Mitchum

Gender : Male

Jean Simmons

Character Name : Diane Tremayne Jessup

Original Name : Jean Simmons

Gender : Female

Mona Freeman

Character Name : Mary Wilton

Original Name : Mona Freeman

Gender : Female

Herbert Marshall

Character Name : Mr. Charles Tremayne

Original Name : Herbert Marshall

Gender : Male

Leon Ames

Character Name : Fred Barrett

Original Name : Leon Ames

Gender : Male

Barbara O'Neil

Character Name : Mrs. Catherine Tremayne

Original Name : Barbara O'Neil

Gender : Female

Kenneth Tobey

Character Name : Bill Crompton

Original Name : Kenneth Tobey

Gender : Male

Raymond Greenleaf

Character Name : Arthur Vance

Original Name : Raymond Greenleaf

Gender : Male

Griff Barnett

Character Name : Judge

Original Name : Griff Barnett

Gender : Male

Robert Gist

Character Name : Miller

Original Name : Robert Gist

Gender : Male

Morgan Farley

Character Name : Juror

Original Name : Morgan Farley

Gender : Male

Jim Backus

Character Name : District Attorney Judson

Original Name : Jim Backus

Gender : Male

Gertrude Astor

Character Name : Matron (uncredited)

Original Name : Gertrude Astor

Gender : Female

Lucille Barkley

Character Name : Waitress (uncredited)

Original Name : Lucille Barkley

Gender : Female

Mary Bayless

Character Name : Courtroom Spectator (uncredited)

Original Name : Mary Bayless

Gender : Female

Arthur Berkeley

Character Name : Juror (uncredited)

Original Name : Arthur Berkeley

Gender : Male

Larry J. Blake

Character Name : Detective Lt. Ed Brady (uncredited)

Original Name : Larry J. Blake

Gender : Male

Morgan Brown

Character Name : Harry - Proprietor of Diner (uncredited)

Original Name : Morgan Brown

Gender : Male

Mary Jane Carey

Character Name : Woman (uncredited)

Original Name : Mary Jane Carey

Gender : Female

Jack Chefe

Character Name : Man (uncredited)

Original Name : Jack Chefe

Gender : Male

Dick Cherney

Character Name : Police Officer (uncredited)

Original Name : Dick Cherney

Gender : Male

Clark Curtiss

Character Name : Reporter (uncredited)

Original Name : Clark Curtiss

Gender : Male

Roy Darmour

Character Name : Assistant District Attorney (uncredited)

Original Name : Roy Darmour

Gender : Male

Sayre Dearing

Character Name : Courtroom Spectator (uncredited)

Original Name : Sayre Dearing

Gender : Male

Daniel Elam

Character Name : Elevator Boy (uncredited)

Original Name : Daniel Elam

Gender : Male

Jack Ellis

Character Name : Jury Foreman (uncredited)

Original Name : Jack Ellis

Gender : Male

Bess Flowers

Character Name : Shirley - Barrett's Secretary (uncredited)

Original Name : Bess Flowers

Gender : Female

George Ford

Character Name : Bailiff (uncredited)

Original Name : George Ford

Gender : Male

Alex Gerry

Character Name : Frank's Attorney (uncredited)

Original Name : Alex Gerry

Gender : Male

Robert Haines

Character Name : Court Reporter (uncredited)

Original Name : Robert Haines

Gender : Male

Charmienne Harker

Character Name : Miss Preston - Secretary (uncredited)

Original Name : Charmienne Harker

Gender : Male

Theresa Harris

Character Name : Nurse Theresa (uncredited)

Original Name : Theresa Harris

Gender : Female

Chuck Hicks

Character Name : Nightclub Patron (uncredited)

Original Name : Chuck Hicks

Gender : Male

James Hope

Character Name : Detective (uncredited)

Original Name : James Hope

Gender : Male

Marvin Jones

Character Name : Policeman (uncredited)

Original Name : Marvin Jones

Gender : Male

Pete Kellett

Character Name : Detective (uncredited)

Original Name : Pete Kellett

Gender : Male

Colin Kenny

Character Name : Courtroom Spectator (uncredited)

Original Name : Colin Kenny

Gender : Male

Frank Kumagai

Character Name : Ito - Tremayne Butler (uncredited)

Original Name : Frank Kumagai

Gender : Male

Ann Kunde

Character Name : Courtroom Spectator (uncredited)

Original Name : Ann Kunde

Gender : Female

Mike Lally

Character Name : Courtroom Reporter (uncredited)

Original Name : Mike Lally

Gender : Male

Herbert Lytton

Character Name : Doctor (uncredited)

Original Name : Herbert Lytton

Gender : Male

Lewis Martin

Character Name : Police Sergeant (uncredited)

Original Name : Lewis Martin

Gender : Male

Mary Lee Martin

Character Name : Patient (uncredited)

Original Name : Mary Lee Martin

Gender : Male

Frank O'Connor

Character Name : Bailiff (uncredited)

Original Name : Frank O'Connor

Gender : Male

Bob Peoples

Character Name : Reporter (uncredited)

Original Name : Bob Peoples

Gender : Male

Charlotte Portney

Character Name : Patient (uncredited)

Original Name : Charlotte Portney

Gender : Male

Grandon Rhodes

Character Name : Prison Chaplain (uncredited)

Original Name : Grandon Rhodes

Gender : Male

Jeffrey Sayre

Character Name : Court Clerk (uncredited)

Original Name : Jeffrey Sayre

Gender : Male

Sammy Shack

Character Name : Man (uncredited)

Original Name : Sammy Shack

Gender : Male

Cora Shannon

Character Name : Patient (uncredited)

Original Name : Cora Shannon

Gender : Male

Charles Sherlock

Character Name : Courtroom Spectator (uncredited)

Original Name : Charles Sherlock

Gender : Male

George Sherwood

Character Name : Man (uncredited)

Original Name : George Sherwood

Gender : Male

Carl Sklover

Character Name : Man (uncredited)

Original Name : Carl Sklover

Gender : Male

Amzie Strickland

Character Name : Woman (uncredited)

Original Name : Amzie Strickland

Gender : Female

Brick Sullivan

Character Name : Deputy Sheriff Kelly (uncredited)

Original Name : Brick Sullivan

Gender : Male

May Takasugi

Character Name : Chiyo - Tremayne Maid (uncredited)

Original Name : May Takasugi

Gender : Male

Doreen Tryden

Character Name : Patient (uncredited)

Original Name : Doreen Tryden

Gender : Male

Florence Wix

Character Name : Courtroom Spectator (uncredited)

Original Name : Florence Wix

Gender : Female

Buck Young

Character Name : Assistant District Attorney (uncredited)

Original Name : Buck Young

Gender : Male

Reviews

J

John Chard

@John Chard

2024-05-16

Never be the innocent bystander, that's the guy that always gets hurt. 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 ain't 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 and begs for some shady photography. 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