The Fallen Idol (1948) User Reviews (88)

The Fallen Idol: Minor Masterpiece

[nmarshi · 9/10 · 14 April 2006]

Just saw "The Fallen Idol" at the Nu-Art in West Los Angeles on the last day of its one week run, with a new crystal clear 35 mm print. The meaning of the title only becomes clear at the film's conclusion, so I won't say much more on that score. From a Graham Greene novella which I have never read, the author drafted the screenplay, so presumably the film remains faithful to Greene's perennial themes: loyalty and betrayal; faith and faithlessness; marriage and divorce. What makes these issues intriguing is that the film largely revolves around the point of view of an innocent, charming young boy called Phillipe, played to perfection by Bobby Henrey. He lives in the London embassy of a French speaking country, which is a sort of purgatory (always the Catholic themes with Greene) which is both in England and not subject to its laws. He is taken care of by a kind valet/ chef de maison called Baines (understatedly played by Ralph Richardson) and his Cruella De Ville of a wife (played as the personification of small-minded evil by Sonia Dresdel). Phillipe has no mother (she has been unwell and away for a long time), and no memory of her. Insteads, he has the run of his own Garden of Eden-the huge Embassy with its lovely views over London, great rooms and sweeping staircases. He even has his own snake- a pet that he hides behind a brick on the balcony and carries around in his pocket. He hero-worships Baines, who indulges him and talk to him and hates Mrs Baines who orders him around, hectors him and threatens him at every turn. The story of the film occurs over a week-end, where Phillippe and the Baines' are left alone in the Embassy as the ambassador has gone to bring back his wife from her convalescence, and revolves how Phillipe understands the love triangle between Mr Baines and Mrs Baines and the lovely Julie (played with cheek-bones high) by Michele Morgan, speaking both French and English.

Look out for some terrific performances by the main cast (especially Bobby Henrey as Phillipe), but also by a series of supporting characters : two washerwomen, a sharp tongued lady of the night, a kindly bobby, several detectives and a perceptive doctor. The photography bears mentioning. There are shades of the "Third Man", as well as a great hide and seek game in darkness under the furniture in the empty Embassy, and a truly memorable run through the empty streets of London in the dark. From a personal point of view I enjoyed several scenes shot on location at the London Zoo, which was all very familiar even from a fifty year vantage point.

The film won a British Academy award so it's not exactly undiscovered, but it's not been easy to find at revival theaters or on DVD, but it deserves to be. As I said at the top, a minor masterpiece which operates on many levels. (Los Angeles-April 2006).

Fallen Idol one of my favorites

[rkroningi · 9/10 · 22 August 2005]

Fallen Idol is a great film, with all actors in fine form, especially Ralph Richardson, and including the boy. Richardon is the embassy butler married to a shrewish, domineering wife. He has an illicit, albeit discreet love affair with a beautiful young embassy secretary - you can't help but feel for them both. When the shrew is found done in by a fall down the ornate embassy staircase, the wonderful gentlemen detective types enter, ever so politely, of course. Fallen Idol is an example of the best of British movie-making: low key, sympathetic, civilized. The boy's pet snake is a nice touch. A gem; a good example of the type of fine film that I wish could be made more available here. A Graham Greene story, directed by Carol Reed - what more could we want. Another great Carol Reed 'lost' film is 'Outcast of the Islands', also with Ralph Richardson.

Oh what a tangled web we weave...

[PudgyPandaMan · 8/10 · 7 January 2009]

I'm amazed at the time of writing this, there are only 33 comments and 1700 votes. How is it that more people haven't seen this movie.

Another classic pairing of Directot Carol Reed with Writer Graham Greene - who would later go on to even more success with their collaboration in "The Third Man". While I wouldn't rate this movie quite as high as TTM, it is very good film in its own right.

This is a tale as seen from a child's eyes in a very grown-up world with very adult issues. This is captured superbly in the cinematography that uses low angles at child height and looking up. This is also a story of secrets and lies - and so the camera is very effective in changing shots and angles to always give them impression that others are spying or eavesdropping. This is also conveyed very effectively with the set - which is filmed substantially withing the Embassy residence which is a huge, lavish mansion. It has many levels and staircases - none so impressive as the ornate, curving main staircase. The camera also makes good use of close-ups and wide angle shots. Often times, movies with stick with one or the other. I think it helped keep it interesting.

The characters were all well cast. I especially liked Ralph Richardson as the butler whom the boy, Phillipe (Bobby Henry), idolizes. Richardson has just the right balance of decorum and warmth to make you understand why the boy, who is starved for attention, follows after him. He has a very smooth speaking voice that is pleasant to listen to. He reminds me a lot of Kevin Spacey in his appearance and demeanor (especially in "Pay it Forward"). I think the director did a great job of eliciting a good performance out of the then 8 year old Henry. I heard that the director's secret was not to have the child respond to an actors lines - but to que the child himself in a different take. I think the precociousness and spontaneity of the child were captured quite well with this.

There are quite a few memorable scenes - hide and seek in the dark, cavernous mansion; the boy running through the dark London streets with all the alleys, archways, wet streets and glowing lanterns; the paper airplane flying from the upper balcony and circling all the way down, slowly, to land at a detectives feet; the detective questioning Baines at the top of the stairs, all the while the tilted window is visible in the background. The music changes pace with the story, and at times it was frantic and frenetic to match the suspense and fear of the story. I felt it was used quite effectively.

The story addresses themes of loneliness, betrayal, secrecy, lies, and loss of innocence in a plot that kept my interest from beginning to end. My only complaint is that at times the dialogue was difficult to understand with the clip, British accents. I wish this had been offered in closed captions so I could catch some missed conversations.

Lies My Butler Told Me

[seanodartofilm · 10/10 · 11 April 2006]

Lies, sometimes, are an act of kindness. Many times I hasten to add. The imagination of a lonely child is ignited by a meek man in love. The man, as played by the extraordinary Ralph Richardson, is a mass of contradictions and yet we understand him. Married to a shrew and in love with Michele Morgan no less. Carol Reed is not a director that comes immediately to mind when one lists the greatest directors of all time, but in my book, is right up there with the very best. No other director has been able to bring Graham Green to the screen with its spirit so gloriously intact. Guilt and fear as riveting entertainment. Suspenseful, funny and beautiful to look at. Go try to top that.

"No, we have to tell lies, and more lies."

[theowinthrop · 10/10 · 29 October 2005]

Produced only a year or two before THE THIRD MAN, THE FALLEN IDOL is as good a film, and directed by the same man: Sir Carol Reed. Here we are in a claustrophobic world of an Embassy in London. The Ambassador and his wife are too busy to watch their son Phillipe (Bobby Henrey), so the boy is dropped off into the hands of the Embassy's butler Baines (Ralph Richardson). Baines' wife (Sonia Rendell) is a jealous shrew. She has reason to be jealous - Baines is having an affair with a younger woman named Julie (Michelle Morgan). Phillipe likes Baines, whom he idolizes as a strong father figure in the absence of his real father. He also likes Julie, and he dislikes Mrs. Baines. There is reason for that - in her moments of anger and jealousy she does act harshly and nastily towards Phillipe.

In pursuit of proof of her husband's infidelities, Mrs. Baines goes to incredible lengths. She even stands on a dangerous ledge to watch them. But a gust of wind causes the lower part of the window to knock her legs out from underneath her, causing her to fall two stories to her death. Enter the police (Jack Hawkins, Geoffrey Keen, Bernard Lee), who are wondering how Mrs. Baines died so violently. Baines and Julie panic, and begin trying to put together a coherent story of an accident (although they know nothing about what actually happened). They have no choice but to involve Phillipe, but this is unfortunate because the little fellow knows little about creative, consistent lying. So details of Baines' relationship with Julie come out, and the police begin to wonder that this is not an accident but murder.

The film is a gem because much of it is shot from the perspective of the boy. He has admired Baines as a honorable father figure, but he is increasingly worried for Baines and Julie and he is increasingly confused when, far from being advocates of honesty, they suggest he lie to assist them. The film does end with a degree of disillusionment for the little fellow, rather unusual for such films in general. But the disillusionment is a key to Greene's view of the world (Holly Martin's of his pal Harry Lime in THE THIRD MAN for instance, or Van Johnson's views of God and Deborah Kerr in the original THE END OF THE AFFAIR). It is a remarkably good film, and well worth watching.

Low-Key Classic

[dougdoepke · 14 July 2013]

Was there ever a more civilized treatment of infidelity than this British suspenser. Ralph Richardson's butler Baines is the very last word in polished civility and stiff upper lip no matter how extreme the provocation. Yet he's so unfailingly kind and considerate to the boy Phillipe that he's among the most admirable of transgressors. The bond between the lonely son of the French ambassador and the hen-pecked English butler is memorably touching and the emotional heart of the film.

Director Carol Reed has basically a single set to work with. But it's a great one with the sweeping staircase, high domed ceiling, and checkerboard tiles, all keeping the eye entertained at the same time the sinister events unfold. Those events are driven by poor Sonia Dresdel who has the thankless role of the cruel wife and housekeeper Mrs. Baines that she plays to the hilt. You just know from the start that Phillipe's pet garter snake, MacGregor, is doomed in her bleak household. In fact, the screenplay has loaded the deck by making her such an unsympathetic figure. Who can blame Baines for his covert rendezvous with the lovely Julie (Michelle Morgan) when his shrewish wife remains in the empty embassy waiting to pounce.

What really distinguishes the movie is its skill at viewing adult actions through the eyes of the child. Thus, instead of a conventional two-shot close-up of Baines and Julie in intimate conversation, Reed gives us a three-shot from the perspective of Phillipe as he watches them. We may know what's up with them, but we also share the boy's puzzlement over a world he has yet to grow into. We share that perspective throughout, which is not only an unusual one, but visually reinforces the touching bond between the child of the elite and the highly polished commoner. It also turns the emotional climax (not the dramatic) into a memorably revealing one-- a rite of passage, as it were.

Anyway, in my little book, the movie qualifies as a genuine classic, placing Carol Reed in the same Pantheon as contemporary British masters Hitchcock and Michael Powell. Once you see it, you don't forget it.

"Some lies are just kindness"

[ackstasis · 7/10 · 29 January 2011]

'The Fallen Idol (1948)' was adapted, with a few changes, by Graham Greene from his novella "The Basement Room." Greene himself supported most of these alterations, including a plot reworking that saw young Phillipe condemning the innocent Baines through well-meaning if misguided lies, as opposed to the novella, in which a guilty Baines is betrayed by Phillipe's inability to keep secrets. One change of which the author did not approve was that of the title. I must differ with Greene on that point; I find "The Fallen Idol" to rather beautifully suggest the erosion of Phillipe's childish trust in the father-like Baines. The general theme of a man condemned by another's love was explored in a subsequent Carol Reed drama, 'The Man Between (1953),' in which James Mason is trailed to the West German border by an adoring child.

'The Fallen Idol' was the first of three collaborations between Greene and Reed (the other two being 'Our Man in Havana (1958)' and the legendary 'The Third Man (1949)'). Here, many of the pair's trademarks are apparent. Certainly, Reed's favoured camera tilt makes several appearances, though rarely as eccentric as those in 'The Third Man.' For a moment, the film's ending looked to be treading in similar waters to the American noir 'They Won't Believe Me (1947),' and I had chills at the prospect of Baines committing suicide moments before his exoneration. That the ending doesn't follow through on this threat didn't feel at all like a forced happy ending; I genuinely felt relieved at Baines' survival.

The performances in the film are mostly impressive, particularly Ralph Richardson, who gradually reveals the flaws in his character, and Sonia Dresdel, as the nasty Mrs Baines who arguably gets what she deserves. French actress Michèle Morgan reminded me of Ingrid Bergman, and perhaps it's no surprise that she had previously starred opposite Bogart, Rains, Greenstreet and Lorre in 'Passage to Marseilles (1944).' Bobby Henrey, by all accounts a very difficult child actor to work with, does a good job of appearing a well- meaning nuisance, but the final scene, with his consistent and perplexing "please sir, please sir, please sir" whining was like fingernails down a blackboard.

Adult Mysteries Through A Child's Confused Eyes--and a Beautiful Camera

[noralee · 10/10 · 16 March 2006]

"The Fallen Idol" builds on a classic situation of English children's literature--the lonely rich kid from overseas in the big house left with hired caregivers-- to create a masterful suspense tale that deftly examines truths and half-truths, lies and white lies from the boy's confused perspective.

Based on Graham Greene's short story "The Basement Room", the film builds on the look of Hitchcock's "Rebecca", with a house as visually significant as Manderlay, plus fraught with Lillian Hellman's sophisticated view of childhood as in "These Three". Key is not just Georges Périnal's enthralling story, but the stunning direction by Carol Reed in how he uses gorgeous black and white cinematography from both a memorable interior and a London that ranges from scary night to a misleadingly bright daylight that is equally full of secrets, as seen in a new 35 MM print at NYC's Film Forum.

The beautiful production design is dominated by a gorgeous staircase in the ambassador's residence that has to rank with one of the all time movie centerpieces as in "Gone With The Wind", and is as central for the first and last third of the film as the Rear Window in another Hitchcock film. Reed has the camera go up and down those heavily symbolic stairs as a shared link from the main floors that are the busy public areas, down to the basement servant quarters then up and up to the private residential areas, with overlooking balconies and windows that are key for spying on each level. The staircase sets up several dramatic events (adding layers to the film's title), climaxing in a notable scene of the incredibly tense voyage of a child's innocent-seeming paper airplane that carries a significant clue slowly, slowly traversing that vertical no-man's/everyman's land from the top to the bottom, as we hold our breath where it will land.

Throughout the film, the complex world of adult relationships and interactions is seen through the eyes of a child (the wonderfully natural, lively, lisping Bobby Henrey - who now lives in Connecticut and did a Q & A at the Film Forum I didn't attend) so that childish activities take on ironic or double meanings of freedom or dread, between appearances and reality, from a good night story, to a game of hide and seek, to a picnic, to running away, to an idyll at the zoo that one would assume inspired Rowling for a key scene in "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone". Throughout the film, the boy constantly misunderstands what he is seeing - sometimes he sees the truth, sometimes he doesn't, sometimes he only sees part of the truth, as the adults alternate in advising him to lie or don't lie.

The young Ralph Richardson is absolutely marvelous as he switches from father substitute to hen-pecked husband (Sonia Dresdel as his wife recalls Agnes Moorhead), to relaxed lover, to efficient butler.

While this new print revival is being distributed as a forgotten masterpiece, my parents vividly remembered seeing it first run in their neighborhood Brooklyn movie theater and that it was quite popular. I presume that the same team's next work on the masterpiece "The Third Man" overshadowed this gem in film history, but also perhaps because this film doesn't end on quite the cynicism that a contemporary audience expects from their work.

An intelligent film better for being told from a child's view

[pontifikator · 7/10 · 14 March 2011]

An intelligent film from Carol Reed and Graham Greene, starring Ralph Richardson as the butler in the French embassy in London. The screenplay by Greene is based on his short story "The Basement Room," and the script is excellent, requiring some attention to catch all the details that are later lied about.

The gist of the story is that young Phillipe (Bobby Henrey) is the only, lonely child of the ambassador, and he's taken under the wing of Baines, the embassy's butler. Baines fills the impressionable youngster with tall tales of derring do and shootings in the wilds of Africa. Phillipe adores Baines. Mrs. Baines (Sonia Dresdel), however, is a harridan and our villainess, requiring strict behavior from her ward.

The problem is that Baines's tall tales take on a sinister aspect as we find out more about him and his relationship with his "niece." Baines is discovered by Phillipe who has no clue; at Baines's request, Phillipe agrees to keep the knowledge of the niece's existence secret. Based on the short story, I believe the boy is seven, but the actor was nine when the movie was made. In either event, Phillipe is no match for Mrs. Baines nor any other adult, so his attempt to keep his secrets are soon found out, and his attempts to protect Baines are branded as lies.

Mrs. Baines, of course, meets her end in an accidental fall from a window ledge. However, it appears that Baines pushed her down the stairs, and the police are called to investigate. Phillipe lies to protect Baines, and the police soon find out about the niece and other goings on, which exposes Phillipe as a liar. It turns out that had everyone told the truth from the beginning, the suspicions would not have been aroused.

Graham Greene is an excellent author, and I recommend his works. Since this is a Greene script, there are many turns of expectations and many amusing moments that are snuck in to take us unawares. (My favorite line: "Oh! I know your father, dear!") What makes this movie really work is the ending. Phillipe finally decides to tell the truth, but by doing so, he'll destroy Baines, although he doesn't know it. His attempts to get the police to listen to him are both tense and funny. It's a great ending to the movie. Greene also gets lots of characters in the movie in small parts; watch (and listen) for the charwomen and the clock winder. It's all very British.

The movie was made in 1948 by the director of "The Third Man," which premiered the following year. Unlike Harry Lime's Vienna, Phillipe's London is untouched by war and corruption. (Both movies were scripted by Graham Greene and had two of the Korda brothers on the crew.) The camera work is great, and we get a wonderful view of (I think) Belgravia from the upper floors of the embassy. The movie is subtle, and attention is rewarded. The themes are adult, and the use of the child for perspective makes the movie work much better than a straight telling of an affair of the heart.

The short story is considerably different from the film, and I recommend reading it after you've seen the movie. It's freely available online if you search for "The Basement Room." Phillipe has a much darker side in the story.

Sir Carol Reed, neglected genius

[ilprofessore-1 · 9/10 · 11 February 2009]

When the great directors of film are named these days, the incomparable Carol Reed is rarely mentioned. He has been completely surpassed in the public esteem by his British contemporary David Lean. After the success of Reed's English films, a period which began in 1940 with the coal-mining film "The Stars Look Down" and ended with "The Outcast of the Islands" in 1954, the director was discovered by the big Hollywood studios; he went on to direct a number of big-budgeted Technicolor international productions –-"Olivier," "The Agony and the Ecstasy," and "Trapeze"—all of which he handled with consummate professionalism, but somehow their box-office success unfairly diminished his reputation with the critics. He is perhaps best remembered today for "The Third Man," which many people erroneously think Orson Welles directed. Although Reed's early films were shot in London films studios and on location all around the word, they remain quintessentially British in understated mood and attack --B&W films made in collaboration with the best expatriate talent that had gathered in London during the war years. ("The Fallen Idol" is photographed by the French cinematographer Perinal, the Jugoslavian editor Hafenrichter, and the Hungarian set designer Vincent Korda.) Reed at his best has the unique ability to portray the most complex of human relationships with voices lowered; witness how masterfully he directs the detectives and suspects in the final reels of this superb film.

A lesser known but still poignant Reed/Greene work

[Polaris_DiB · 7/10 · 11 June 2007]

Like The Third Man, this film is directed by Carol Reed and written by Graham Greene. Unlike Third Man, it doesn't have Orson Welles... just kiddin', that doesn't matter so much. It's a unique story where the Butler DIDN'T Do It, but everyone thinks he did, helped along by a cute little boy named Phil who cries wolf. Once everything begins to get straightened out and Phil learns not to lie, it's too late and nobody believes him, which is ironic anyway because at that point had he told the truth things would have gotten complicated again.

Carol Reed is up to his cinematic tricks as he shows the majority of the action through little Phil's eyes, sometimes precipitated along an architectural edge and sometimes surprisingly balanced while discord and imbalance occurs among the characters. The cinematography does wonders to the area of the embassy, turning it into everything from a domestic area to a playground to a horrific fun-house to, eventually, a crime scene.

--PolarisDiB

A magnificent film, directed by Carol Reed and written by Graham Greene

[Terrell-4 · 9/10 · 22 February 2008]

Phillipe, the 8-year-old son of the ambassador, bored and lonely, has been left in the charge of Baines, the embassy butler, and his wife. The ambassador has gone to bring back his wife, who has been ill for several months. Phillipe (Bobby Henrey) idolizes Baines (Ralph Richardson), who talks to him, tells him stories, takes him for walks and pays attention to him. Baines' wife (Sonia Dresdel), however, is a shrew. She has little patience for Phillipe, she runs the housekeeping side of the embassy with an iron hand, and she is unshakeable in her commitment to the cold, loveless marriage she has with her husband. She doesn't know, quite yet, that Baines and Julie (Michele Morgan), a secretary in the embassy, have been meeting secretly each week for months, just for tea or a private walk. They love each other but seem to find no way to break free of his marriage. And then Mrs. Baines, after an hysterical argument when she discovers Julie, is found dead at the foot of the grand stairway in the embassy. Phillipe thinks Baines killed her and is determined to protect him. His lies make things much, much worse.

This is a marvelous film, full of irony and subtlety. Phillipe is too young to grasp the meaning of much of what he sees and hears. He unexpectedly interrupts a meeting between Baines and Julie in a tea shop. She is telling Baines she will be leaving; that their relationship is hopeless. Baines is trying to find someway for her to stay, if even for just a day or two more. Suddenly there is Phillipe, happy to find Baines, climbing onto a seat next to them, having a pastry, observing what Baines and Julie are saying to each other so quietly and intensely, and believing when Baines says they are talking about a friend and that Julie is his niece. Something is happening, he knows, but he simply doesn't register how desperately they want to talk to each other without pretense.

Phillipe tells fibs, especially to protect McGregor, his small pet snake, from Mrs. Baines' anger. When she accuses him of telling lies, Baines tries to protect Phillipe by saying that there are lies and there are lies...that some lies can simply be a kindness to protect others. Mrs. Baines finds ways to trap Phillipe into admitting he met Baines' "niece." When she dies, Baines tries to find ways to use lies...or at least not the full truth...to protect Julie. Phillipe lies to the police in an effort to protect Baines. The conclusion of the film is a masterpiece of amusing irony when we realize the truth might be more dangerous to Baines that Phillipe's lies.

Carol Reed directed The Fallen Idol in 1948. The year before he gave us Odd Man Out. In 1949 came The Third Man. Then Outcast of the Islands in 1952. That's four incredible films, one right after the other. And don't forget Our Man in Havana in 1959. The Fallen Idol, The Third Man and Our Man in Havana were collaborations with Graham Greene. These movies are not just literate and often amusing, they're thoughtful and often uneasy. And all are stunning to look at.

The Fallen Idol gives us two great performances, or rather one great performance and one performance great despite itself. Ralph Richardson as Baines is as understated as the character. We're witnessing a character full of emotion and longing, yet so carefully proper and repressed it hurts. Baines relationship with Phillipe is genuine, yet in many ways it's based on lies and made-up stories. This is one of Richardson's best performances. As Phillipe, Bobby Henrey does a masterful job, but that's because of the patience and skill of Carol Reed and the cleverness of the film editor. Henrey was a nonprofessional who got the part because Reed thought he looked exactly like the kind of young boy Phillipe would look like. As a person who worked on the film with Reed said later, Henrey couldn't act and "had an attention span of a demented flea." Reed took infinite pains to gain Henrey's friendship and confidence. He would walk the boy through the part, usually standing in for Richardson when Richardson would have been off camera feeding Henrey lines. He shot miles of film with Henrey, and then spliced the bits and pieces together into coherent reaction shots. You'll note that Henrey has almost no scenes that go for more than a word or sentence before there are cutaways. Even so, the result is a great film portrayal of a little boy, Phillipe, who can be irritating, impatient and willful, and yet touching in his determination protect his friend, Baines.

Are they kidding?

[mls4182 · 6/10 · 10 April 2021]

There are no thrills, no suspense, very little plot and virtually no real tension. It is long, drawn out and dull. One of the most unremarkable films of the era.

Overrated and slightly irritating

[demetrius11 · 5/10 · 1 August 2012]

Even though this is a well made movie regarding direction and cinematography, I found the plot to be lacking in depth, and the characters are not very likable. Not likable enough as to care what happens to them anyways. Philip, the little boy that is the protagonist, is one of the most annoying kids ever captured on film. He is exactly how Dennis the Menace would look if you were to put him in a film noir. I found my self thinking that I would never want to have kids on more than one occasion during this film ! As the entire plot revolved around the ill-mannered little devil, i found it to be very very thin. I wouldn't bother watching this film if I knew what it was about. Much better "film noir" movies out there...

Classic Greene

[davewe · 9/10 · 21 January 2005]

This film has almost been forgotten and isn't available on DVD. It was produced the year before the same principals (Graham Greene and Carol Reed) made The Third Man and delves into some classic Greene themes.

The POV is told almost completely through the eyes of a boy who wants to protect his beloved friend and butler Baines. In the process, he almost ensures that Baines will be charged with murder.

It's wonderfully staged so that the boy gets to witness all kinds of adult stuff, but doesn't completely understand what he's seen.

Ralph Richardson is great as Baines and there is genuine suspense in whether the boy will tell the truth or lie and whether either will help his friend.

excellent adaptation

[MissRosa · 9/10 · 4 October 2000]

This is an excellent adaptation of the Graham Greene novella. Richardson's performance is incredible, and the relationship between Philippe and the butler is the centerpiece of the film.

I sometimes wonder if this film would have been more successful with a different title. IMHO "The Fallen Idol" suggests a Saturday matinee shlockfest or a pretentious drawing room comedy.

This is a good companion piece to another Graham Greene novella -- also directed by Reed -- the Third Man, which is just possibly the greatest film of all time...

Very Hitchcockian, filled with suspense.

[douglas.soesbe · 15 August 2001]

A riveting little movie. Very Hitchcockian in its style. Smart, economical dialogue. After a somewhat slow, crafty build, it will grab hold of you. Wonderful bit with a paper airplane. Filled with superb little touches.

Intriguing and suspenseful movie about a butler working in a foreign embassy in London falls under suspicion , masterfully played by Ralph Richardson

[ma-cortes · 7/10 · 3 May 2019]

This one deals with a murder at a foreign embassy in London as the butler's (Ralph Richardson) wife , Mrs. Baines (Sonia Dresdel) shows up killed . As a young boy ,the engaging Anglo-French Phillipe (Bobby Henrey ) believes that thr honorable servant he admires is guilty of murdering his spouse . Unwittingly , the lonely little boy , Ambassador's son , influences the police investigation run by two Inspectors (Denis O'Dea, Jack Hawkins) so that the butler becomes the prime suspect . The child attempts to protect the person he admires, his working lower class hero , but things go wrong when apppear more and more clues against him . Furthermore , the butler has a hidden lover , Julie (Michèle Morgan) .The Suspense is Almost Unbearable ... in this Four-Award Thriller !

An intelligent and powerful effort by Carol Reed and a decent example of the respectable quality of the British cinema which achieved splendor and apotheosis in late 40s . Carefully crafted film with notable interpretations , plenty of thrills , intrigue , twists and turns . Director Reed carries out a restrained , tasteful making , as he explores admirabily a controlled environment , upper and lower classes , he has a special ability to elicit remarkable acting from his actors and a nice skill for delving psychological depths without sacrifice narrative coherence . And providing a sophisticated analysis of the intersection between realities of children and adults . Interesting and thrilling script based on a short story titled ¨The basement room¨ by Grahame Greene and adapted by himself . Ralph Richardson is perfect as the upright and accused servant , he gives a magnetic and sympathetic acting . And the child responds masterfully to the particular demands of the director ; in addition , Michele Morgan delivers an enjoyable portrait as the gullible lover . And remaining support cast is frankly excellent , such as : Sonia Dresdel , Denis O'Dea, Jack Hawkins , Walter Fitzgerald , Torin Thatcher, James Hayter , Geoffrey Keen Bernard Lee , James Hayter , among others .

The motion picture was compellingly directed by Carol Reed , being one of his most engrossing films showing understanding of character and realized in the middle of his best period . Reed once considered to the greatest British director , had his clay feet , mercilessly exposed by the auteurist critics of the 60s . Now stripped fo his old and inflated reputation it is posible to appreciate better his virtues . Reed worked for important producers as Alexander Korda and J. Arthur Rank . For Reed, who would wisely decide to start producing his own films in order to have more control over them, finding his niche was still a challenge into the 1940s. He was only too well aware that the film director led a team effort--his was partly a coordinator's task, harmonizing the talents of the creative team. The modest Reed would admit to his success being this partnership time and again. So he gravitated toward the same scriptwriters, art directors and cinematographers as his movie list spread out.There were more thrillers and some historical bios: Kipps (1941) with Michael Redgrave and The Young Mr Pitt (1942) with Robert Donat. He did service and war effort fare through World War II, but these were more than flag wavers, for Reed dealt with the psychology of transitioning to military life. His Anglo-American documentary of combat (co-directed by Garson Kanin), The True Glory (1945), won the 1946 Oscar for Best Documentary. With that under his belt, Reed was now recognized as Britain's ablest director and could pick and choose his projects. He also had the clout--and the all-important funds--to do what he thought was essential to ensure realism on a location shoot, something missing in British film work prior to Reed. Odd man out (1947) with James Mason as an IRA hit man on the run did just that and was Reed's first real independent effort, and he had gone to Rank to do it . And , of course , his greatest hit ¨The third man¨with Orson Welles and Joseph Cotten . Rating : 7.5/10 . Well worth seeing . Better than average .

A little boy thinks the butler did it

[blanche-2 · 9/10 · 17 March 2009]

A little boy (Bobby Henry) thinks he saw a murder in "The Fallen Idol," a 1948 film directed by Carol Reed from a Graham Greene screenplay. You really can't get much better than that.

Phillipe is the son of the French ambassador to England and his good buddy in the large place where they live is the butler Baines (Ralph Richardson). Baines and his shrew of a wife (Sonia Dresdel) run the place, and the action takes place while both the ambassador and his wife are away. Being an only child, Phillipe has a vivid imagination and is also very attached to Baines, whom he follows one day to a coffee shop. There, Baines is in deep conversation with a woman he introduces as his niece Julie (Michelle Morgan). In actuality, she's his girlfriend, and she and Baines are discussing whether or not he can get a divorce from his wife. When Mrs. Baines leaves to visit her aunt, Julie comes over to the house to spend time with Baines and Phillipe. Just one small problem - Mrs. B knows something is up and is still in the house. When she winds up dead at the bottom of the stairs, Baines falls under suspicion, and Phillipe is afraid Baines killed her.

This is a beautifully crafted film about the mind of a child and about secrets and lies. Baines tells Phillipe secrets and lies, Julie tells Phillipe secrets, Mrs. Baines tells Phillipe secrets, Phillipe can't keep a secret, so lies ensue. When the inspector (Jack Hawkins) shows up, it becomes exhausting all around.

One of the biggest stars of the film is the camera, which takes us down a London street as a little boy runs in the dark and rain; up a long staircase; through a game of hide and seek with covered furniture; the boy's view of the busy household; and most especially the precious final shot.

The magnificent Ralph Richardson portrays the complex Baines perfectly - unhappily married, in love with the beautiful Julie, afraid of his nasty wife, efficient at his job and fond of Phillipe, who is at this point clearly in the way. Michelle Morgan is believable as Julie, a kind young woman - these aren't two nasty, conniving people, just two people in love who don't know whether to go forward or separate. Bobby Henry is an excellent Phillipe. He's not sweet and adorable, but we don't want Mrs. Baines to be mean to him; he blows every secret all to hell and doesn't lie very well; he shows up at inappropriate moments; he makes the wrong assumptions - but we feel for his terror and confusion. If he'd been cute, it would have made Baines and Julie seem more exploitive than they were. It also would have made Mrs. Baines seem even meaner - but she's mean enough.

One of the best films to come out of British cinema, and more proof of the greatness of Carol Reed. A must see.

more trademark Graham Greene ambiguity

[mjneu59 · 7/10 · 16 November 2010]

Before they made 'The Third Man', director Carol Reed and screenwriter Graham Greene collaborated on this mild-mannered suspense story, in which a precocious young boy's devotion to one of his father's servants is tested after he witnesses what appears to be his long-suffering idol pushing his wicked wife to her death down a flight of stairs. An investigation follows, but the film isn't really a mystery since the audience already knows more about what happened than any of the characters on screen. Truth will prevail, although the outcome is ambiguous: the police set matters straight, but they do so from a clue that has no connection to the suspected crime. If the film appears dated today it's only because they don't often make them of this high caliber anymore.

It's a great life if you don't weaken.

[hitchcockthelegend · 8/10 · 29 April 2011]

The Fallen Idol (AKA: The Lost Illusion) is directed by Carol Reed and adapted to a screenplay by Graham Green from his own short story called The Basement Room. Additional dialogue was scripted by Lesley Storm and William Templeton, the music is by William Alwyn and Georges Périnal is the cinematographer. It stars Ralph Richardson, Bobby Henrey, Michèle Morgan, Sonia Dresdel and Denis O'Dea.

Film is told thru the eyes of Phillipe (Henrey), the young son of a diplomat living at the French Embassy in London. With his parents often away from home, Phillipe has latched onto the family butler, Baines (Richardson), for friendship and guidance. Baines regales the boy with fanciful tales of adventure, but in truth Baines himself is unhappy, stuck in a loveless marriage to the shrewish Mrs. Baines (Dresdel). When Bobby happens upon Baines in the company of a young woman named Julie (Morgan), it thrusts the youngster into a world he doesn't understand, and when a tragedy occurs, Bobby is in danger of shattering the friendship between Baines and himself.

The first of Graham Greene's literary works to be directed by the great Carol Reed, The Fallen Idol took some time to come out of The Third Man's shadow and be heralded in its own right. What transpires over 95 minutes is a tight psychological thriller that leaves a lasting image of childhood confusion, disillusionment and the innocence that's lost. Throw into the mix adult secrets, human conundrums and a gripping mystery investigation at its peak, and it's not hard to see why it's such a well revered picture. It's also a film that thrives on dialogue, again not surprising given that Green himself always said it was the best film adaptation of his work, while some of the deep-focus photography from Périnal adds real atmosphere to the proceedings.

Richardson is superb, and he leads a hugely effective cast, where Dresdel is scarily witch like and Henrey, plucked from nowhere to star as the naive boy, paints an indelible portrait of a child struggling to comprehend the mysterious world of the adults around him. In support there is quality thespians such as Bernard Lee and Jack Hawkins. The ending is notably different to that in the original story, and no doubt about it, the original ending would have garnered a different reaction from many. But Greene was happy to change his own source for the screen, so if it's good enough for him then it surely is good enough for us? Certainly time has been kind to The Fallen Idol, it's Hitchcockian feel blended with literary smarts has made it a lasting favourite of critics and fans alike. 8.5/10

Good

[Cosmoeticadotcom · 7/10 · 19 September 2008]

The Fallen Idol is the third film of British filmmaker Carol Reed's that I've seen. Prior to that I've watched the dreadful Oscar-winning musical Oliver!, the solid Charlton Heston biopic of Michelangelo, The Agony And The Ecstasy, and now this. Yes, I have also watched The Third Man, the 1949 film attributed to Reed, but have always hedged upon taking the Warren Commission-like stance that it was Reed's film alone, and not an Orson Welles film merely bearded by Reed. Well, after watching The Fallen Idol, the 1948 film that directly preceded The Third Man, I can tell you that I have no doubts that the bulk of The Third Man was a Welles project that used the functional journeyman studio director Reed as a studio front against the American blacklist.

This is not because The Fallen Idol is such a bad film- it's merely mediocre, even if it is based upon a Graham Greene work (as is The Third Man)- The Basement Room, but that there are only a few techniques in the film which augur the grandiosity of their usage in the later film- which was so Wellesian, that to contemplate that Reed soared to greatness out of mediocrity, for the single film he collaborated upon with Welles, then resumed a mediocre career, when the more Occam's Razor answer is that it was Welles who guided the vision of The Third Man, is to simply not recognize verities of the way art is created and the way artists work and mature.

As example, the two later Reed films I mention differ from The Third Man in that they are in color, in different genres, and made many years later, so that one could argue that Reed may have simply 'lost his touch.' But, given that The Fallen Idol was made a year earlier, is in black and white, and based upon a work by the same writer, the comparisons between the two films is apt, although the difference in quality is stark. But, why would Reed agree to such a thing? Well, he wanted to break into the American market, where this film did not do as well as other films by Britons as Alfred Hitchcock and David Lean, he shared political sympathies with and an artistic admiration of Welles. Plus, he got locked into a career track that led to greater financial success and recognition even as the requia for his solid artistic talents diminished in need. If you were a man who recognized his limits, and had a chance to help an idol whose techniques you aped, in exchange for personal success, would you refuse? Or would you do so, and deny the obvious to your grave?

Yet, especially in recent years, there seems to have been a critical movement afoot to try and argue that this mediocre film is somehow on par with The Third Man, and since it is so manifestly inferior, it begs a reasoning of the motives. The one which makes the most sense is that some critics want to argue that Reed was some visionary auteur, and that The Third Man was not such a great sore thumb in an otherwise workaday filmic resume. In short, the argument is clearly meant to bolster the claim that Reed was the force behind both films, rather than just the first one, and a beard for the second. Yet, The Third Man clearly is an oddity- due to its great quality, and unlike the bloated solidity of The Agony And The Ecstasy or the execrable dotty musical Oliver!, this earlier film is the key to unraveling The Third Man's real provenance, for without it, those who deny Orson Welles' hand in that film can obscure their arguments with time, technical developments, and technique, while The Fallen Idol acts as a smoking gun that reveals its creator's limits, its alibiers' motives, and its successor film's great ineffability. And, for that, there is no contrived misreading needed!

Excellent story

[abigler · 10/10 · 9 September 2006]

I just saw this movie last night at the Pacific Film Archive at UC Berkeley. Technically, the print was excellent; superb sound and picture from start to finish for a movie of this age. I completely enjoyed this movie's story from beginning to end. If you are a fan of The Third Man, I think you will enjoy this movie. For myself, I think I will make it a point to check out some more Graham Greene stories.

All of the actors were perfect in their parts, but I was most impressed with the little boy who played Phile. The way he would call after Baines and his broken heart after an episode with Mrs. Baines was amazing. Even bit parts like the prostitute at the police station were perfectly cast.

I hope you enjoy this movie as much as I did. Why is it only available on VHS, though?

On a Carol Reed note, I would love to see Odd Man Out on the big screen. Enjoy the movies!

Clever, if a little sluggish.

[gridoon · 7/10 · 28 December 2001]

This is an intelligent drama-thriller with some wonderful Hitchcockian moments (the paper dart, a clock that has to be wound-up at the most inappropriate time) and themes (the difference between appearances and actual facts, a man's struggle to prove his innocence although all the indications of guilt point at him), and also a good study of how different a kid's perception of the adult world can be. The pacing is a little sluggish, however, and the child actor they chose for the part is not really the best they could've come up with. Ralph Richardson, on the other hand, is excellent. And you may be surprised to know that Guy Hamilton, the future director of many Bond films, was the assistant director here. (***)

Where was Hitchcock when you needed him?

[Turfseer · 5/10 · 22 November 2010]

For awhile, 'The Fallen Idol" was part of the Criterion Collection but according to what I've read, the rights have now been acquired by Lionsgate. Be that as it may, any film that ends up as part of the Criterion Collection (even for a short while) is supposed to be considered a highly rated 'art' film, if not a 'masterpiece.' Certainly the film has things going for it including some wonderful noirish cinematography, Director Carol Reed's remarkable coaching job of a child actor, solid acting performances on the part of the adult actors and haunting on-location shots in 1948 London.

Despite the classy 'look' of the film, the screenplay itself is weak and as a result, I relegate the whole affair to the pantheon of 'B' melodrama. The weakest aspect of the film is obvious: the character of Mrs. Baines, who is just such a vapid, unlikeable martinet who would have been probably diagnosed as bipolar if she were alive today. And is Mr. Baines much better a character than the evil Mrs.? What exactly do we find out about the wily butler besides the back story that he killed a black man while he was living in Africa before working at the Embassy? As it turns out, that's just a tall tale Baines has made up to impress Phillipe. Otherwise, Baines spends most of his time trying to convince Phillipe to keep his mouth shut so that no one finds out about his affair with Julie, an Embassy employee who works in the steno pool.

I suppose it was very progressive of director Reed to hold up Baines and Julie as 'the good guys' despite the fact that they were having an affair (Reed himself was the product of an illegitimate union). But why should we hold them in such high esteem? Just because they're the victims of the unreasonable Mrs. Baines? I appreciate the fact that Baines wins points because he's kind to Phillipe but really that's all we know about him. And as far as Julie is concerned—to my mind, she's seems to be a complete empty vessel.

In watching the documentary about director Reed as part of the DVD 'supplement', we learn that he was master in extracting wonderful performances from the child actors he worked with during his long career. The case of Bobby Henrey who played Phillipe was no exception. Henrey reportedly could never sit still and eventually Reed had to hire a magician to perform tricks for the boy in order to keep his attention. Reed expertly brings out the child's confusion as he misunderstands the reason for Mrs. Baines' death which leads to Baines being placed in jeopardy (the child believes that Baines 'murdered' his wife after confusing that event with Baines' tall tale which initially the butler appeared to communicate as a 'murder' but later clarifying it as 'self defense').

The rest of "Fallen Idol" involves the rather stodgy police investigation into Mrs. Baines' death. Will the boy gum things up despite attempting to cover for the butler at every turn? Since he's just a kid, he's unable to cover up the discrepancies in Baines and Julies' story and after they're found out, Baines is on the verge of suicide. Fortunately an eagle eyed cop comes upon Mrs. Baines' footprint next to the window where she fell; this of course ends up exonerating the happy (or shall we say semi-happy) couple. I believe that the original ending from the book the film was based on, was Baines doing himself in, and some internet posters would prefer the more unpleasant denouement. I was actually pleased that the films' scenarists changed the ending to a happy one as the thought of having that child experience such an awful event as suicide would have ruined the picture for me.

If there is a moral in this story, it's probably 'always be honest' because Baines and Julies' decision not to tell the truth almost led to their arrest and complete downfall. Despite the fact they prevail in the end, I would have much preferred that Phillipe had a direct hand in saving them. As it turned out, it was pure coincidence that saved Baines from the hangman's noose and not little Phillipe who will only be remembered for not being able to keep his big mouth shut.

Like Hitchcock, The Fallen Idol is concerned with an innocent man being unjustly accused. Unlike Hitchcock, the characters of The Fallen Idol have little or no ambiguity. And when the protagonist is finally saved, it's not from his own exciting efforts or efforts on the part of a valuable ally (in this case, a nine year old boy) but from a slow-paced, pedestrian police investigation. Where was Hitchcock when you needed him?