Black Angel

Director Roy William Neill and screenwriter Roy Chanslor really wanted you to spend the majority of your time watching Black Angel being convinced the villain was one specific man, only to pull the rug out from underneath you with a last-minute reveal. The only problem is, we as an audience, in general, are savvy to those kinds of red herrings, and the true culprit becomes obvious pretty early on because of that. This is a film that follows a template that may have been more unique back in 1946 but has been done so much in the decades since that the twist can be seen quite early into the proceedings. But that doesn’t mean the film isn’t worth watching. There is quite a bit to enjoy here, including a particularly slimy performance by Peter Lorre (is he ever not playing slimy?). 

The mystery presented to us is the murder of Mavis Marlowe, a famous singer and the ex-wife of alcoholic composer Marty Blair (Dan Duryea). Marty tried to reconnect with her that night but was denied access to her room, though he witnessed two other men being allowed to go to her. One of these was Kirk Bennett (John Phillips) who finds Mavis’s body in her apartment and flees the scene, though he is seen by several people at the time. Kirk is arrested, convicted of the murder, and sentenced to death. 

Catherine Bennett (June Vincent), Kirk’s wife, is determined to prove that her husband is innocent of the murder, though he was guilty of having an affair with Mavis. She pairs up with Marty to go undercover as a singer and piano-playing duo who get hired to work for Marko (Peter Lorre) at his club, the Rio. One of Marko’s bodyguards was the other man Marty saw going into Mavis’s apartment the night she died and their theory is that Marko had her killed, taking a rather expensive brooch from her, a gift from Marty. If they can find the brooch among Marko’s affects, they will have their proof of his guilt. 

Casting Peter Lorre in the important role of Marko is a deliberate attempt to manipulate us into assuming he is the villain. The problem is that it is obviously misdirection. This film would feel rather lackluster were this to pan out that way. Instead, it only convinces us that the culprit has to be someone we would otherwise not suspect. Catherine, were she not so obviously determined to prove her husband’s innocence, would make for a prime suspect. But the filmmakers have painted her as saintly to a fault, not even fazed by her husband’s extramarital affair. She sticks by him despite all that and it never even enters the conversation between them. There is the understanding wife and then there is this and it almost takes things too far. The title of the film, Black Angel, suggests that this may be a possibility, too, though we never really believe it. The true black angel is that of Mavis, herself. 

Because of our meta knowledge about filmmaking, and the revelations on screen that exonerate Kirk from the murder charge, we are led automatically to the one person who could have possibly committed it. That revelation is meant to be a shocking revelation, but it just isn’t. By the time we get it, the truth has already been made obvious. The only thing we don’t know is how it happened. That is wrapped up in a neat bow in a lengthy flashback, the truth drawn back like a veil. It’s an effective revelation, too, but it is hampered by how obvious it is. But, even with that in mind, this is an exciting mystery to watch unfold, elevated by some wonderful performances from the leads who, despite not being a romantic couple on screen, have great chemistry nevertheless. 1946 - 81 minutes