Angel face is directed by otto preminger and adapted to screenplay by ben hecht, oscar millard and frank s. That extended scene where walks in her empty house is haunting. The final act just sort of flounders and keeps it from being memorable but the final 2 minutes are dynamite. Released 1952, angel face stars robert mitchum, jean simmons, mona freeman, herbert marshall the movie has a runtime of about 1 hr 31 min, and received a score of out of 100 on metacritic. Arthur ranks wellspoken young starlets, she appeared predominantly in films, beginning with those made in great britain during and after world war ii, followed mainly by hollywood films from 1950 onwards. Music is scored by dimitri tiomkin and cinematography is by harry stradling. Street date january 23, 2007 available as part of the robert mitchum the signature collection, 59. And simmons makes an unforgettable eisenhowerera femme fatale. Angel face is a 1953 american blackandwhite film noir directed by otto preminger.
Frank mitchum is a former race car driver now driving an ambulance, who has ambitions of opening his own race car garage shop. One of my favorite scenes from the movie angel face starring jean simmons and robert mitchum. Angel face 1953 movie clip lets just say its the altitude. Angel face 1953 trivia 11 add new when robert mitchum got fed up with repeated retakes in which director otto preminger ordered him to slap jean simmons across the face, he turned around and slapped preminger, asking whether it was this way he wanted it. For me, angel face is one of the most modern of hollywood films noir, goes way beyond the easy fatalism of most of the films and jean simmons performance is a rare instance where actresses got to play a genuinely complex character with no explanations and allowances are given.
Robert mitchum frank jessup, jean simmons diane tremayne, mona freeman mary wilton, herbert marshall charles tremayne, leon ames fred barrett, barbara oneil mrs. Last night on turner classic movies they showed this movie. Angel face is one of those noirs that started life as an underappreciated melodrama but which has garnered new respect in todays viewers eyes. Directed by otto preminger for rko a year after he made the noir melodrama the thirteenth letter, angel face features a stunning performance by jean simmons and an understated but very enjoyable turn by robert mitchum. Jan 25, 2010 jean simmons, who died at the weekend at the age of 80, was one of hollywoods most luminous stars. Socialite jean simmons and her chauffeur robert mitchum up for murder. Preminger provides handson direction in angel face film. Featuring jean simmons, robert mitchum, otto preminger, morgan brown and. He also has a pretty blonde girlfriend, a nurse named mary mona freeman. Angel face, movie, 1952 internet movie cars database. Hes a bit brusque with her, but diane is strangely taken with frank anyway, following him back to the hospital and then to a diner, where hes come to meet his girlfriend mary.
Robert mitchum as chauffeur frank is comfortable explaining why hes leaving, even as he grabs tempestuous heroine diane jean simmons by her angel face, 1953, directed by otto preminger. Angel face 1952, a film by otto preminger theiapolis. I enjoyed the whole cast and i agree that robert mitchum and jean simmons. Angel face 1953 robert mitchum and jean simmons in noir slap and tickle mar 4, 2020 mar 8, 2020 wolfmans cult film club comments turn on. Angel face is an outstanding film noir directed by otto preminger, not to mention an absorbing examination of infatuation. As a 14yearold dance student, she was plucked from her school to play margaret lockwoods precocious sister in give us the moon 1944, and she went on to make a name for herself in such major british productions.
Ambulance driver frank jessup is ensnared in the schemes of the sensuous but dangerous diane tremayne. Mar 04, 2020 angel face 1953 robert mitchum and jean simmons in noir slap and tickle mar 4, 2020 mar 8, 2020 wolfmans cult film club comments turn on the flashing lights and crank up the siren. Mar 02, 2020 charles daughter diane jean simmons catherines stepdaughter also seems pretty distraught when frank finds her in a side room sobbing hysterically. Angel face is a movie produced by howard hughes and directed by otto preminger in 1952. Jan 24, 2010 jean simmons, who has died aged 80, had a bounteous moment, early in her career, when she seemed the likely casting for every exotic or magical female role. Angel face is a 1953 film noir directed by otto preminger, starring robert mitchum and jean simmons. Read the angel face movie synopsis, view the movie trailer, get cast and crew information, see movie photos, and more on movies. Angel face is a 1953 film noir directed by otto preminger, starring robert mitchum and jean simmons frank mitchum is a former race car driver now driving an ambulance, who has ambitions of opening his own race car garage shop. She appeared in superhit classics british films like great expectations 1947, black narcissus 1947 and hamlet 1948. Angel face a beautiful but mentally unbalanced girl, simmons, plans to kill her rich stepmother.
Jean merilyn simmons, obe 31 january 1929 22 january 2010 was a britishamerican actress and singer. Stepdaughter diane jean simmons, title character is the subject, as catherine barbara oneil hears out chauffeur frank robert mitchum on his business idea, then chastises her father, also the spendthrift husband, charles herbert marshall, in angel face, 1953. Although not well received on its initial release, angel face has grown steadily in reputation. In john brahms the locket he tossed himself out a window because of lorraine day, in out of the past, he had to go face to face with the wicked jane greer, while in where danger lives he is a chump for faith domergue, and in angel face the porcelain gentile beauty of jean simmons sends both of them to a plunging death. Rent angel face 1952 on dvd and bluray dvd netflix. Preminger provides handson direction in angel face. Jean merilyn simmons on january 31, 1929 in crouch hill, london, england, uk.
Not anything new, but its a good movie with good actors. The daughter of charles treymayne herbert marshall, who remarried a wealthy woman barbara oneil, diane treymaynes simmons angelic countenance masks an unbridled psychotic wholl let nothing stand in the way of her happiness. One of those movies, angel face 1952, a film noir directed by otto preminger and costarring robert mitchum, was actually well received, with ms. Charles daughter diane jean simmons catherines stepdaughter also seems pretty distraught when frank finds her in a side room sobbing hysterically. Mrs tremayne has a beautiful, wilful stepdaughter diane jean simmons. Directed by otto preminger for rko a year after he made the noir melodrama the thirteenth letter, angel face features a stunning performance by jean simmons and an understated but very enjoyable turn by robert m. She also has a dark side she manages to conceal behind her. With robert mitchum, jean simmons, mona freeman, herbert marshall.
The daughter of charles treymayne herbert marshall, who remarried a. Frank robert mitchum and bill, two beverly hills ambulance drivers, arrive at the tremayne mansion, where catherine tremayne has been. British american actress and singer jean simmons started her career in films during the second world war. Jean simmons fascinating interpretation of an uncharacteristic role is the main drawing card of otto premingers angel face. Jean simmons fascinating interpretation of an uncharacteristic role is the main. Jean merilyn simmons, obe 31 january 1929 22 january 2010 was a britishamerican. Jean simmons, who has died aged 80, had a bounteous moment, early in her career, when she seemed the likely casting for every exotic or magical female role.
Jean simmons, who died at the weekend at the age of 80, was one of hollywoods most luminous stars. It stars jean simmons and robert mitchum, both of who provide impressively understated performances, with simmons portraying the nefarious female with frightening believability. Jean simmons typically had sweet girl roles in the audrey hepburn vein, so seeing her go batty here is a real treat. Those who favor the film find it a fascinating examination of detached evil, one that captures a certain coolness of tone that is not so much heartless as it is simply devoid of feeling and intent. Beautiful diane tremayne jean simmons is a sophisticated, wealthy young woman capable of manipulating anyone who crosses her path. May 03, 2014 angel face chilling drama about a family chauffeur robert mitchum who gets embroiled in the murderous schemes of his employer, a beautiful female psychopath jean simmons. Her first attempt fails when mitchum, an ambulance driver, rushes to the scene and revives oneil. The drama, filmed on location in beverly hills, california, features robert mitchum and jean simmons. Angel face 1953 robert mitchum and jean simmons in noir. When godard and jean seberg created the treacherous beauty patricia in breathless, they must have been thinking, at least a little, of simmons angel face, the gorgeous girl who got slapped. Angel face is an atypical film noir piece that has developed a considerable cult reputation over the years. Mitchum is always good, although he looked a little uninterested. Sep 03, 2007 one of my favorite scenes from the movie angel face starring jean simmons and robert mitchum.
Here are some highlights from her long career mon 25 jan 2010 10. Mitchum is standard mitchum not a bad thing but jean simmons steals the show. Angel face is a film noir crime drama, made in 1952, the last noir directed by otto preminger and starring robert mitchum and jean simmons. Angel face at the american film institute catalog angel face on imdb angel face at allmovie angel face at the tcm movie. Robert osborne revealed that this was the final film of jean simmons under her contract with howard hugheshed bought it. If angel face doesnt look like a typical early1950s rko radio film, it may be. Robert mitchum, jean simmons, herbert marshall, mona freeman, barbara oneil, leon ames.
813 813 743 6 1005 960 277 951 826 1123 340 1475 792 184 545 544 968 574 927 548 528 1453 864 866 1082 372 197 126 866 578 1494 796 443 350 119 898 1470