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The Fallen Idol
1948 Drama / Thriller
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Credits
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Director: Carol Reed
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Script: Graham Greene, Lesley Storm, William Templeton
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Photo: Georges Périnal
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Music: William Alwyn
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Cast: Ralph Richardson (Baines),
Michèle Morgan (Julie),
Sonia Dresdel (Mrs Baines),
Bobby Henrey (Philippe),
Denis O'Dea (Inspector Crowe),
Jack Hawkins (Detective Ames),
Walter Fitzgerald (Dr Fenton),
Dandy Nichols (Mrs Patterson),
Joan Young (Mrs Barrow),
Karel Stepanek (First Secretary),
Gerard Heinz (Ambassador),
Torin Thatcher (Policeman),
James Hayter (Perry),
Geoffrey Keen (Detective Davis),
Bernard Lee (Detective Hart),
John Ruddock (Dr Wilson),
Dora Bryan (Rose)
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Country: UK
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Language: English
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Runtime: 95 min; B&W
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Aka: The Lost Illusion; Prèmiere dèsillusion
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Summary
Eight-year old Philippe is the only child of a London-based
ambassador. With his parents away from home, Philippe is looked
after by the kindly butler Baines, whom he comes to idolise. One
day, the boy finds Baines having an intimate conversation with an
attractive young woman, Julie, who works at the Embassy. Baines
tells Philippe that Julie is his niece and gets him to promise not to
mention the meeting to anyone. But the shrewish Mrs Baines
already knows about her husband’s infidelity and intends to confront
him with it. Believing his wife to be away on holiday, Baines
invites Julie to spend a day with him. That evening, Mrs Baines
makes a sudden re-appearance. As a row flares up, Mrs Baines
falls down a staircase and is killed. Philippe witnesses the
accident, but believing Baines pushed his wife to her death, he is
unsure what to say when the police arrive...
Review
Immediately before working together on the legendary noir thriller The
Third Man (1949), director Carol Reed and writer Graham
Greene pooled their artistic resources on this lesser known, but
equally stylish, suspense thriller. It was the third of three
collaborations between Reed and Greene - the last being the classic
comedy thriller Our Man In Havana
(1959).
What sets The Fallen idol
apart from other films of its kind is that most of the
narrative is seen from the perspective of a young child, achieved
mainly through some very ingenious camerawork. It is the violent
collision between the worlds of the child and the adult which creates a
torrent of conflict and tension, resulting in a very effective mix of
poignant childhood drama and suspenseful thriller (with a delectable
smattering of comedy).
The film was adapted from a short story entitled The Basement Room, written by
Graham Greene in 1935. Its stars are the distinguished English
actor Ralph Richardson and iconic French film actress Michèle
Morgan, both of whom were at the highpoint of their careers. The
part of the boy Philippe was played superbly by the eight-year old
Bobby Henrey, his first of just two film appearances (the second being
in The Wonder Kid in 1951).
The performances are perfectly judged - the understated contributions
from Richardson and Morgan allowing the focus to stay with Henrey,
whose presence dominates the film and gives it most of its charm.
The lighting, staging and choice of camera angles effectively evoke a
dark and menacing world of childhood vulnerability, which becomes more
disturbing and confused as the film progresses towards its dramatic
conclusion. The mood that Reed and his technical crew
create brilliantly conveys the turmoil that besets Philippe as he
struggles to reconcile his conflicting feelings with a terrifying
barrage of new experiences. It is undoubtedly one of cinema’s
most effective child’s eye views of the adult world.
The Fallen Idol won great
acclaim for its director. Reed received the Best British Film
BAFTA in 1949 and the New York Film Critics Circle Best Director Award
in 1949. The film also garnered two Oscar nominations (Best
Director and Best Screenplay).
© James Travers 2008
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