Black Angel 1946 ★★★½ CC: Crime/Film-Noir [1:20:33] Dan Duryea, June Vincent, Peter Lorre

About this film

Black Angel is a 1946 American film noir starring Dan Duryea, June Vincent and Peter Lorre. Directed by Roy William Neill, it was the last film of director Roy William Neill. Neill had just produced and directed most of the Sherlock Holmes films starring Basil Rathbone, and any classic movie fan knows that those pictures are gorgeous to look at. Black Angel looks very similar. Tragically, Neill died of a heart attack, at age 59, just months after the release of Black Angel. It was his last film but a fine conclusion to a career that boasted over 100 directing credits dating back to 1917. Kirk Bennett is falsely sentenced to death for killing blackmailer Mavis Marlowe, ex-wife of nice-guy drunk Martin Blair. Bennett's stand-up wife Catherine tries to prove him innocent, enlisting the aid of Blair, who falls in love with her. Bennett's execution draws near as the two pose as piano player and singer, trying to get the goods on sleazy nightclub owner Marko, a prime suspect. Failing to nail Marko, Catherine goes off to meet with her husband, scheduled to die the next morning, and Blair slips into an alcoholic stupor in a carousel of bars before the real killer is revealed. Cast: Dan Dur…

Directors & creators

Roy William Neill

Subjects

Blackmail, Death Penalty, Pianp, Singer, Alcohlic, Nightclu, Dan Duryea, June Vincent, Peter Lorre

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