Black Angel [Blu-ray]

Director: Roy William Neill Roy William Neill

Overview

In this imaginative film noir, alcoholic musician Martin Blair becomes the prime suspect when his cheating wife is murdered. However, when his alibi is established, another man is sent to prison for the crime. The condemned man's wife then sets about to prove her husband's innocence.

Product Details

Release Date:	01/28/2020
UPC:	0760137317388
Original Release:	1946
Rating:	NR
Source:	Arrow Video
Region Code:	A
Presentation:	[B&W]
Sound:	[Dolby Digital Mono]
Language:	English
Time:	1:21:00
Sales rank:	21,545

Special Features

Brand new restoration from original film elements by Arrow Films; High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentation; Uncompressed Mono 1.0 PCM audio soundtrack ; Optional English Subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing; New Audio Commentary by the Writer and film scholar Alan K. Rode; A Fitting End, a new video appreciation by the film historian Naiel Sinyard; Original trailer; Gallery of original stills and promotional materials ; Reversible sleeve featuring two artwork options

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

June Vincent	Catherine Bennett
Dan Duryea	Martin Blair
Peter Lorre	Marko
Broderick Crawford	Capt. Flood
Wallace Ford	Joe
Hobart Cavanaugh	Jake
Constance Dowling	Marvis Marlowe
Freddie Steele	Lucky
Ben Bard	Bartender
John Phillips	Kirk Bennett
Maurice St. Clair	Dance Team Member
Junius Matthews	Dr. Courtney
Marion Martin	Millie
Michael Branden	George Mitchell
Vilova	Dance Team Member
Robert Williams	Second Detective
Florence Auer	Madame
Ralph Brooks	Intern
Dorothy Granger	Woman
Eula Guy	Neighbor Lady
Chuck Hamilton	Man
Mauritz Hugo	Gambler
Ann Lawrence	Girl Clerk
Steve Olsen	Bartender
Pat Starling	Tap Dancer
Dick Wessel	Doorman
Eddy Chandler	Sgt. Baker

Technical Credits

Tom McKnight	Producer
Roy William Neill	Director,Producer

Editorial Reviews

Black Angel is not one of the landmarks of film noir, but it has a number of elements worth commenting on. These include a fairly original pay-off in terms of the identity of the killer, as well as a central unrequited love plot that is handled with considerable finesse. The most unusual element, however, is the casting of Dan Duryea as a fairly likeable romantic lead. While the part still calls for a certain darkness to it, Duryea, usually cast as a heavy, comes across as winning and engaging; certainly the audience ends up rooting for him, even as it feels uneasy trying to push him into the arms of a woman determined to be faithful to her wrongly-convicted husband. June Vincent is fine, if a little distant, as the would-be love interest; although she' occasionally too bland, she does resist the temptation to make more of the character's relationship with Duryea. Angel does drag in a few places, and director Roy William Neill could have done more to create tension and atmosphere, but the film is still effective and quite enjoyable.