Pulp poet Cornell Woolrich provided the story for Black Angel (1946), a tale of murder, love, alcoholism, & sleuthing that leads to the unexpected.

There are excellent performances by the two main leads. Dan Duryea is Martin a songwriter & newly a widower, whose femme fatale wife is the murdered nightclub singer (Constance Dowling), & June Vincent as Catherine the woman whose unfaithful husband (John Phillips) sits on death row for a murder she does not believe he committed.

The bonus of Broderick Crawford as the police captain & the great Peter Lorre as the nightclub owner rounds out a wonderful cast.

Martin & Catherine both want better answers than the police have provided, & set out to find the truth. There are hard-hitting moments as when Martin's alcoholism gets the better of him just when he's most needed. Although there is nothing unfamiliar in this basic film noir, it delivers plenty of character & suspense. It is great to see Dan Duryea playing something other than a villain.

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