Marlene Dietrich & Melvyn Douglas in Ernst Lubitsch's "Angel" (1937) - feat. Edward Everett Horton скачать в хорошем качестве

Marlene Dietrich & Melvyn Douglas in Ernst Lubitsch's "Angel" (1937) - feat. Edward Everett Horton

The story describes a love triangle initiated by Maria, Lady Barker (Marlene Dietrich), the wealthy but neglected wife of Sir Frederich Barker (Herbert Marshall), a top-level British diplomat. Maria secretly flies to Paris to ask advice from her old friend, the Russian Grand Duchess Anna Dmitrievna (Laura Hope Crews), who operates a high-class escort business. By chance, Maria meets Anthony Halton (Melvyn Douglas). They are attracted to each other, and they have a brief tryst, during which he calls her "Angel". At the races at Ascot, Maria spots Halton through her binoculars and goes home. At a luncheon the following Saturday, Halton goes up to Frederick and confides, sharing all the details of his encounter with “Angel”. The two of them make plans for Halton to have lunch with Frederick's wife. Unable to avoid Halton any longer, Maria pretends not to recognize him when she meets him in her home. In a moment when Maria and Halton are alone, she makes it clear that she has no interest in continuing their relationship and that she considers his presence a threat to her marriage and her reputation. Meanwhile, tickets have arrived for the vacation to Vienna that Frederick promised Maria earlier. Frederick has forgotten all about it, and when he is reminded, he chooses to go to Geneva. Maria is crushed. Maria asks Frederick to drop her off in Paris on his way to Geneva so she can go shopping. He asks no questions and conceals his suspicions from her, but goes to the Grand Duchess' salon to investigate. Maria appears. She is impressed by his jealousy. He wonders if she has been leading a double life, and the fact that he has missed the conference to find Angel. She claims that Angel is another woman who is in an adjoining room, and asks him to believe her without looking. Frederick enters the other room, which is empty. While he is there, Halton asks Maria to come with him. Frederick joins them. He says he has met Angel. He says he has thought more about their married life together in the last few minutes than in all the years before. He humbly tells her that the train for Vienna leaves at 10. He has said goodbye to Angel, and so must Maria. The camera follows him as he takes his hat from a side table. Then she steps into frame and he takes her arm. They walk out together without looking back. A 1937 American Black & White romantic comedy drama film produced & directed by Ernst Lubitsch, screenplay by Samson Raphaelson and Frederick Lonsdale (uncredited), based on an adaptation by Guy Bolton and Russell Medcraft from the play "Angyal" by Melchior Lengyel, cinematography by Charles Lang, starring Marlene Dietrich, Herbert Marshall, Melvyn Douglas, Edward Everett Horton, Ernest Cossart, Laura Hope Crews, Herbert Mundin, Dennie Moore, Lionel Pape, Michael Visaroff, James Finlayson, Gerald Hamer, Gino Corrado, Olaf Hytten, and Suzanne Kaaren. Released by Paramount Pictures. The last film for Marlene Dietrich at Paramount under her seven-year contract with the studio. It was not renewed due to a series of recent flops for her films at the box office. The music score was by Frederick Hollander with additional music by Gioacchino Rossini from "The Barber of Seville". The costume design was by Travis Banton. The film length was gradually cut from 2916.94m (11 reels) to 2478.33m (nine reels) after pre-release showings in New York City and six California cities from 25 July 1937 to 13 September 1937, so it runs only 91 minutes. Re-hired as a director and promising to repeat the success of "Desire" (1936), Lubitsch and Dietrich (the latter still under contract for one more picture) began this film, a suave, sly morality play encompassing infidelity, Parisian bordellos, fabulous clothing and servants who could gauge their employers' sex lives by the leftovers on their dinner plates. With Herbert Marshall and Melvyn Douglas signed as co-stars, the premise certainly seemed prime for the "Lubitsch touch," but almost from the beginning there were signs of trouble. Daily intrusions from the Production Code were causing expensive re-takes, re-edits and even re-writing (the aforementioned Parisian bordello being transformed into the Russian Embassy). Paramount executives, already dubious as to whether this kind of story would play with a public now infatuated with the feel-good movies of Bing Crosby and Frank Capra, had double jitters when "The Garden of Allah" (1936) bellied up, followed by the quick death of another highly touted Dietrich picture, "A Knight Without Armour" (1937). Orson Welles referred to Lubitsch as a giant. His movies influenced some of the greatest film artists all over the world. One of Lubitsch's most overlooked films, directed with the usual Lubitsch subtlety. Dietrich is luminous, showcasing her class and elegance in those expensive gowns and jewelry in this light-hearted, sophisticated marital drama that contains the necessary pieces to make that ending work. This treasure is a neglected gem.