Black Angel

A mediocre noir storyline fairly well executed. Lorre should’ve been more involved and the leading lady better cast. Duryea didn’t disappoint, but his character would have needed polishing. The bland yet not subtle stab at the perils of drink was a copout.

Different twist on a film noir. Good one!

Absolutely disgraceful adaptation of Woolrich's book, but the short running time and rapid plot development keep one interested. A part of the postwar ideological campaign to send women back home after some time spent doing war work.

Very decent noir that takes some good surprising turns and character revelations.

A cool on for Dan Duryea, and it didn't hurt to have Peter Lorre as one of the key guys on support. Sadly, June Vincent isn't an actress I get much vibe off. The story is what carries the experience, though. And it's a solid murder investigation with a mild twist to make it interesting. This ended up being director Roy William Neill final film before passing away. Best remembered for doing eleven of the fourteen Sherlock Holmes movies with Basil Rathbone, a series that ended with Neill's death.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ggzsFgZ2oNM [480p]

Dan Duryea is not quite right for the lead role, but he does a good job and his transformation from drunken lout to upstanding romantic is very effective. The film also has some neat visual tricks up its sleeve, from the marvelous opening shot forward, that complement the slightly surreal style. It's a fun, slightly surreal, little story and at 80 minutes it's paced just right.

OK. The plot twists are good solid Woolrich.

Not one of the best, but not bad. Dan Duryea and June Vincent aren't that exciting in it, and Peter Lorre is not used to his fullest potential. But it's got some style, a really unusual twist, and it's certainly watchable. The songs aren't all that memorable, but they're not offensively bad or anything. Director Roy William Neill is probably better known for directing so many of the Rathbone/Bruce Sherlock Holmes films (although generally not the better ones).

What the hell is this? An anti-booze noir parable, where Dan Duryea plays a good guy and Peter Lorre is a menacing kingpin? Well, so it appears, but watch carefully. The ending's a copout, but Duryea's performance is astonishing throughout.

Good cast but silly and confused