| ~The Dark Angel~ 1925 |
| ~Ronald Colman & Vilma Banky~ |
| ~Cast~ Ronald Colman ... Captain Alan Trent Vilma Bánky ... Kitty Vane Wyndham Standing ... Gerald Shannon Frank Elliott ... Lord Beaumont Charles Lane ... Sir Hubert Vane Helen Jerome Eddy ... Miss Bottles Florence Turner ... Roma George Bunny Roger Byrne ... Little boy Albert Schaefer ... Fat kid |
| Directed by: George Fitzmaurice Written by: Frances Marion Based on the play The Dark Angel, a Play of Yesterday and To-day by H. B. Trevelyan (London, 1928). |
We have been waiting, a long time for George Fitzmaurice to give us a picture with all the beauty and
artistry for which he is famous, in the background, over-shadowed by the story and submerged by a
great heart throb, the poignant note of real human warmth.
In "The Dark Angel," he has done it and it doing it has made not only the greatest picture of his career but
one of the finest pictures which have ever come to the screen. As proof, the English hunting lodge is
probably among the most beautiful sets he has ever achieved, yet against it are happenings of so vivid
appeal that you enjoy the set only subconsciously.
This story of a great love that survived war, separation, scandal, and belief of death and the fact of
blindness, is presented delicacy, a charm and an utter realism that prove more than pictures for many
moons the possibilities of the screen in this direction.
Another real service it performs is to bring to picture audiences for the first time the little Hungarian
actress Vilma Banky. She seems to us the find of the year and should crowd Norma Shearer very close for
first honors among the young stars. Under Fitzmaurice's able direction, she makes the young English girl
who defies convention for the man she loves and risks her own good name to protect his, exquisitely
touching and very real.
The night battle scenes, of which there are just enough, are most effective. Ronald Colman's work as the
hero is excellent and he has never looked more handsome. His lightness of touch makes the scenes after
his blindness much bigger and more pathetic than a heavier hand would have done. I. St. J.
artistry for which he is famous, in the background, over-shadowed by the story and submerged by a
great heart throb, the poignant note of real human warmth.
In "The Dark Angel," he has done it and it doing it has made not only the greatest picture of his career but
one of the finest pictures which have ever come to the screen. As proof, the English hunting lodge is
probably among the most beautiful sets he has ever achieved, yet against it are happenings of so vivid
appeal that you enjoy the set only subconsciously.
This story of a great love that survived war, separation, scandal, and belief of death and the fact of
blindness, is presented delicacy, a charm and an utter realism that prove more than pictures for many
moons the possibilities of the screen in this direction.
Another real service it performs is to bring to picture audiences for the first time the little Hungarian
actress Vilma Banky. She seems to us the find of the year and should crowd Norma Shearer very close for
first honors among the young stars. Under Fitzmaurice's able direction, she makes the young English girl
who defies convention for the man she loves and risks her own good name to protect his, exquisitely
touching and very real.
The night battle scenes, of which there are just enough, are most effective. Ronald Colman's work as the
hero is excellent and he has never looked more handsome. His lightness of touch makes the scenes after
his blindness much bigger and more pathetic than a heavier hand would have done. I. St. J.
| ~Photoplay Magazine, November 1925~ |
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| ~Remaining Credits~ Production Company: The Samuel Goldwyn Company Released by: First National Pictures Cinematography by: George Barnes Presenter: Samuel Goldwyn Length: 8 Reels Runtime: 80 minutes Released: September 27, 1925 |
| ~Vilma Banky & Helen Jerome Eddy~ |
| ~Vilma Banky~ |
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