Angel [Blu-ray]

Director: Ernst Lubitsch Ernst Lubitsch

Overview

In this melodrama, the neglected wife of a British aristocrat tires of her boring life and storms off to Paris. While in Paris, she meets a handsome American. They tour the city together until the wife begins fearing that her escort is becoming too interested in her.

Product Details

Release Date:	04/07/2020
UPC:	0738329244811
Original Release:	1937
Rating:	NR
Source:	Kl Studio Classics
Region Code:	A
Presentation:	[B&W]
Language:	English
Time:	1:31:00
Sales rank:	28,398

Special Features

Audio Commentary by Film Historian Joseph McBride, author of How Did Lubitsch Do It?; Trailers

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Marlene Dietrich	Maria Barker
Herbert Marshall	Sir Frederick Barker
Melvyn Douglas	Anthony Halton
Edward Everett Horton	Graham
Ernest Cossart	Walton
Laura Hope Crews	Grand Duchess Anna Dmitrievna
Herbert Mundin	Greenwood
Ivan Lebedeff	Prince Vladimir Gregorovitch
Dennis Moore	Emma,Emma
Lionel Pape	Lord Davington
Phyllis Coghlan	Maid at Barker Home
Leonard Carey	Footman
Gerald Hamer	Footman
James Finlayson	Footman
Eric Wilton	English Chauffeur
Michael Visaroff	Russian Butler
Olaf Hytten	Photographer
Gwendolyn Logan	Woman with Maria
George Davis	Taxi Driver
Arthur Hurni	Taxi Driver
Joseph Romantini	Headwaiter
Duci De Kerekjarto	Prima Violinist
Suzanne Kaaren	Girl who Gambles
Louise Carter	Flower Woman
Major Sam Harris	Extra at Club
Gino Corrado	Assistant Hotel Manager
Herbert Evans	Lord's Butler

Technical Credits

Melchior Lengyel

Ernst Lubitsch	Director,Producer
Farciot Edouart	Special Effects
Melchior Lengyel	Screenwriter

Editorial Reviews

Angel is a film which almost defies genre classification, working on different levels as a comedy, drama, romance, melodrama, and character study -- and therein lies its biggest problem. Director Ernst Lubitsch does not meld the disparate styles into a cohesive unit, resulting in individual scenes that work very well, but a film that, as a whole, does not feel complete. Lubitsch also has directed the actors to perform in a fairly muted style, which diminishes much of the humor in the film and makes it feel somewhat too heavy. Visually, however, Angel has some fine touches, particularly the opening sequence in which a complicated tracking shot flows across the façade of the Grand Duchess Anna's home, voyeuristically looking in on a series of encounters that pique the viewer's curiosity -- and give just enough information to keep the viewer interested. The ideas brought up in the film, such as the meanings of identity and love, are presented intriguingly. As Maria, Marlene Dietrich is quietly mesmerizing, and while she is not allowed to let go as much as one might wish, she turns in a performance of assurance and subtlety. She would follow Angel with a legendary performance in Destry Rides Again.