Cheap The Black Angel (Video) (Dan Duryea, June Vincent, Peter Lorre) (Roy William Neill) Price

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Customer Reviews of The Black Angel

INTERESTING MURDER MYSTERY....
When blackmailing night club singer Mavis Marlowe is strangled with her own silk scarf, a man she was blackmailing and involved with is arrested. He says he's innocent, his loyal wife says he's innocent---but all evidence points to his guilt. The wife (June Vincent) sets out to prove his innocence even though the cop on the case (Broderick Crawford) is doubtful. She finds an unlikely ally in Marlowe's alcoholic piano player husband Dan Duryea. The clue to the murder is a missing ruby brooch. Duryea plays a nice guy here with a big problem---his drinking. He's talented, likable and really cares for Vincent. He's practically the whole show but Peter Lorre is also on hand as a mysterious night club owner and a potential suspect. Good noir photography, interesting twists, solid performances from the cast and a good DVD print make this an enjoyable little thriller. Worth watching for noir enthusiasts.

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BLACK ANGEL DISTURBING, COMPELLING, THRILLING
A sexy singer, an ex lover and a dutiful wife: classic film noir lover's triangle tinged with a race against time and singed in sparkling performances from a stellar cast. In "Black Angel" femme fatale chanteuse Mavis Marlowe (Constance Dowling) turns up dead. Kirk Bennett (John Phillips) who used to be her lover seems the natural choice for the police's prime suspect and their latest blackmail victim. No one believes Kirk's story - it is a little hard to swallow - that he found Mavis already a goner on the floor of her apartment. However, when Kirk is sentenced to death, his long-suffering, too-good-to-be-true wife, Catherine (June Vincent) begins to investigate the crime for answers of her own. She's aided by Martin Blair (Dan Duryea) Mavis' husband. The film is riddled with rich curiosities of character; Kirk's philandering innocence, Mavis' evil vixen turned victim, Catherine's never wavering devotion to her wayward hubby and Blair's nonchalant, noncommittal dedication to discovering who really killed his wife. At one point Blair even goes so far as to offer himself as Kirk's replacement, should salvation not come in time to spare him from the electric chair. It must be love! An outstanding cameo comes by way of Peter Lorre as Marco, the always spurious, never to be trusted seedy nightclub owner who happened to visit Mavis Marlowe on the night she bought the farm. It should be pointed out however, that the suspense of finding the killer gets somewhat diffused in the process and never quite reaches the par excellence caliber of say, "The Asphalt Jungle" or "Laura."
Another solid effort from Universal.The gray scale is very well balanced with deep solid blacks and whites that are almost pristine. There's a hint film grain and some age related artifacts. Also, some edge enhancement and pixelization occur as well but nothing that will distract. The audio is mono and very well represented. There are no extras on this disc. Nevertheless, it is a good disc to add to your library of classic cinema.

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"Sometimes I find myself surrounded by puzzles."
In the film "Black Angel" when beautiful singer Mavis Marlowe is found murdered in her apartment, her ex-lover and latest blackmail victim, Kirk Bennett is arrested and tried for her murder. No one believes his story that he found Mavis dead, but when he is sentenced to death, his long-suffering wife, Katherine starts looking for answers of her own. Katherine seeks out Martin Blair (Dan Duryea) the husband of the victim, and together they try to solve the crime.

One interesting element in this film is the contrast between the two female leads--both are singers--both are attractive, and both are about the same age and size. Mavis Marlowe, though, is the quintessential Film Noir evil female, and this is evident by her dress, love affairs with men, and also in the abysmal way she treats people (especially the maid). Katherine Bennett, on the other hand, as the 'good woman' here, maintains an absolutely perfect home, and she sticks by her man no matter what he does. Kirk Bennett is a philanderer and quite possibly a murderer, but Katherine's heart never wanders--even though Martin Blair (Duryea) makes it perfectly clear that he'd happily step into Kirk's place now that hubbie is safely locked up in San Quentin.

Another equally fascinating element in "Black Angel" is Marco (Peter Lorre)--the nightclub owner who visited the naughty Mavis Marlowe on the night of her death. Those lizard-like eyelids hide many secrets, and Peter Lorre is always fun to watch in any role. "Black Angel" as a classic Film Noir does include essential elements--an unsolved mysterious death, an evil woman, a race against time, irrevocable choices etc., However, that said, the suspense of finding the killer is not emphasized, and the film--while enjoyable--does not reach its maximum suspense potential. Some of the drama seems to surround the question of Kathy's choices--and whether or not Martin will do the right thing, and this results in a 4 star rating for this film--displacedhuman.