In William Irish 's aka Cornell Woolrich's novels ,woman is rarely a femme fatale; most likely a victim or a wife who gets out of her way to help her husband sentenced to death: such were the case of the heroines of "phantom lady" by Robert Siodmak or "silent as a grave" (adapted for the screen by French director Jean Delannoy as "obsession")
"Black angel follows suit : it's essentially a three-part movie, the middle one being IMHO the weakest,in spite of the talented Lorre and the smart trick of the piano playing ;Dan Duryea is the typical Irish hero; in the writer's world ,there are no brilliant lawyers,no sleuths , and the gangsters often take a back seat ;Duryea is a common piano player ,overtaken by events and he does not really intervene to save the damsel in distress in Lorre's den.
The trick of the brooch is a really a smart one, and amnesia,which has often been present in films noirs ,is given a very special treatment here .Suspenseful.
"Black angel follows suit : it's essentially a three-part movie, the middle one being IMHO the weakest,in spite of the talented Lorre and the smart trick of the piano playing ;Dan Duryea is the typical Irish hero; in the writer's world ,there are no brilliant lawyers,no sleuths , and the gangsters often take a back seat ;Duryea is a common piano player ,overtaken by events and he does not really intervene to save the damsel in distress in Lorre's den.
The trick of the brooch is a really a smart one, and amnesia,which has often been present in films noirs ,is given a very special treatment here .Suspenseful.