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      The Fallen Idol

      Released Sep 30, 1948 1h 34m Mystery & Thriller List
      100% Tomatometer 35 Reviews 88% Audience Score 1,000+ Ratings The young son of a diplomat, Phillipe (Bobby Henrey), often finds himself alone. To entertain the boy, the household butler, Baines (Ralph Richardson), creates adventurous stories of his past. As a result, Phillipe idolizes the servant, seeing him as a hero. But when Baines' wife (Sonia Dresdel) falls to her death, the police believe Baines was behind it. Phillipe, who witnessed the event, will do anything to protect the butler -- but he only makes things worse by doing so. Read More Read Less

      Critics Reviews

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      Steven Rea Philadelphia Inquirer The Fallen Idol finds innocence and inquisitiveness at odds with corruption, violence, desire, deceit - all the stuff that grown-ups trade in. Rated: 4/4 Jun 10, 2016 Full Review Alan Scherstuhl Village Voice The Fallen Idol stands as one of the great films about looking, about perspective, about the way we watch and interpret not just film plots but each other. May 25, 2016 Full Review Michael Wilmington Chicago Tribune As a portrait of the sometime destructiveness of innocence and as a sharp fresco of post-war Britain, this movie is a little masterpiece, an idol that has never fallen. Rated: 4/4 Aug 25, 2006 Full Review Brian Eggert Deep Focus Review Although Reed's auteurism has been debated and doubted, The Fallen Idol underscores several recurrent motifs in his career. Rated: 4/4 Feb 14, 2022 Full Review Mike Massie Gone With The Twins It's all quite moving and nerve-wracking - and believable. Rated: 9/10 Aug 5, 2020 Full Review PJ Nabarro Patrick Nabarro One of the movies' great treatises on the projection and (ultimate) limitations of a child's inner-world. Rated: 4/5 Nov 24, 2018 Full Review Read all reviews

      Audience Reviews

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      Steve D Ok bur not worth the hype. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 04/01/24 Full Review Blobbo X Not a Hitchcock, but what is? Nicely done, and very well-acted by the young boy. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 02/23/23 Full Review charles d Carol Reed directed, but you'da thought it was Hitchcock. Terrific photography, top-flight acting. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review Audience Member Another excellent companion piece to Carol Reed's " The 3rd Man" And "Odd man out" This Noir contains an air of mystery, Secrets and lies along side innocent bystanders . A young boy gets caught in the middle of infidelity, confrontation and misunderstandings. Being taught one must never tell lies he wants to do right by his Idol ,the Butler. A man known for spinning stories and tall tales ,ropes himself into a murder accusation. As the Police investigation gets heated everyone's moral values for truth and justice are put to the test. I wouldn't want to spoil this ending, Therefore I highly recommend you watch it to discover the secrets for yourselves. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/18/23 Full Review Audience Member "The Fallen Idol" exemplifies Carol Reed's mastery of the noir esthetic, enticing us with a gripping and original murder mystery in the bargain. If the film had simply sustained us with an engaging and dramatic story, it would have qualified as a strong installment in the tradition of suspense. That it achieved more than this by slyly introducing an understated thought-provoking subtext qualifies it as a work of the highest order, and supplies a fantastic entry point for any viewer wishing to further probe the mesmerizing works of Carol Reed. To behold this film is to cherish the full scope of cinematic possibility, supplying enthralling storytelling in the most immediate sense along with a deeper thematic significance that resonates long after the film's final credits. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/14/23 Full Review Audience Member If I taught a filmmaking class this work of art would be among the first films I'd shoe my students. It works on every level. Of particular interest is the set design of the embassy by Vincent Korda. Director Carol Reed's The Third Man, which he did months later, is why perhaps this gem of his has been overlooked. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/13/23 Full Review Read all reviews Post a rating

      Cast & Crew

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      The Fallen Idol

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      Movie Info

      Synopsis The young son of a diplomat, Phillipe (Bobby Henrey), often finds himself alone. To entertain the boy, the household butler, Baines (Ralph Richardson), creates adventurous stories of his past. As a result, Phillipe idolizes the servant, seeing him as a hero. But when Baines' wife (Sonia Dresdel) falls to her death, the police believe Baines was behind it. Phillipe, who witnessed the event, will do anything to protect the butler -- but he only makes things worse by doing so.
      Director
      Carol Reed
      Producer
      Carol Reed
      Screenwriter
      Graham Greene, Lesley Storm, William Templeton
      Distributor
      Selznick International Pictures, Criterion Collection
      Production Co
      British Lion Film Corporation, London Film Production
      Genre
      Mystery & Thriller
      Original Language
      English
      Release Date (Theaters)
      Sep 30, 1948, Original
      Rerelease Date (Theaters)
      Feb 10, 2006
      Release Date (Streaming)
      Nov 18, 2016
      Box Office (Gross USA)
      $58.1K
      Runtime
      1h 34m
      Sound Mix
      Mono