That's what the fight with her and Zanuck was about wasn't it?? So many want to marginalize the role Alice Faye played in this movie, just as Zanuck mistakenly did. She's no Bette Davis for sure, but she was effective as the repressed attractive spinster (as noted in the commentaries on the DVD notes). I'd say give her credit for her 1st time efforts in such a splendid film noir role for doing as well as she did. Also, HER NAME was the attraction at that time, she brought in moviegoers by the droves, being the top box office draw in 1940?, 39, well one of those years. One must recognize the importance of Alice Fayes' efforts to transition in real life from cute cuddly music star to serious movie star to realize why this movie had a dark background in real life and on the screen. While the men (naturally) gravitate to the darker sexy role of the femme fa-tale in the movie, the stunning Linda Darnell, Alice is just as important to realize what she represented during that time in the public's eye and Darryl Zanucks. He was losing his angel, she'd had two kids and now with a husband was certainly no longer innocent and virginal. Zanuck for his own reasons, wanted her to continue in that vein, and considering how much money she'd made Fox with her films (much more than Darnell ever made) one can see why. But the world had changed and Faye showed more smarts than Zanuck by seeing that when he didn't. Seeing the movie in that vein I was able to detect all the subtle undercurrents previously unnoticed by me. The transition from spinster to a carnal wife, in love with a husband is no small role, This needed to be explored more in the film, I can see why Alice was not satisfied with her scenes being cut, it was too rushed and we didn't get to see HER long fall from grace. The missing scene of her singing the theme song!!! That should be included! Where is it?? That would have helped us connect to Faye's character more. We didn't need to see that development of Darnell's character's fall, it was obvious right away. All in all, this is a very very underrated movie, I'm glad to see it finally getting some WELL DESERVED attention. Andrews, Darnell and Bickford were superb, but the other actors were good too. Preminger is a master.
Review of Fallen Angel
