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Tuesday, October 20, 2020

Angel (1937)

The neglected wife (Marlene Dietrich) of a British diplomat (Herbert Marshall) has a brief affair in Paris with a man (Melvyn Douglas). They don't exchange names or identities but several weeks later, her husband meets the man at a diplomatic function and invites him to lunch at his home. Based on the play by Melchior Lengyel and directed by Ernst Lubitsch. The only collaboration between Dietrich and Lubitsch doesn't enjoy a very high reputation among his movies. It lacks the famous Lubitsch "touch" and there's not much wit about it. It's not without its merits, particularly Lubitsch's handling of the servants which he would later perfect in CLUNY BROWN. But the central story is a bit of a drag and seems to go in circles. Marshall is his usual stolid self and Douglas can't seem to pull himself out of his lethargy. As for Dietrich, she's lovely and a bit more animated than usual. Not unworthy by any means, it's Lubitsch but not essential Lubitsch. With Edward Everett Horton, Laura Hope Crews and Ernest Cossart, who has the funniest line in the film.  

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