I agree with virtually all that has been written about this film. It is true that Alice Faye's part seems to be less than fully fleshed out. According to Alice, who was a dear friend of our family for many years, the reason she left pictures in a huff following her initial screening of the film was because most of her finest scenes were left on the cutting room floor. Zanick perceived an opportunity to beef up Linda Darnell's part by downplaying Alice's character. Zanick was having a romance with Darnell and wanted to give her part more prominence than the writer or Preminger intended. His ploy worked, but Alice was indeed so furious at what she perceived as sabotage to her part, she left the studio that very day and never returned. Since this left her in violation of her contract, Zanick saw to it that Alice was not hired by any other studio. As a consequence, she and husband Phil Harris turned to radio in the Phil Harris Alice Faye Show for eight years and it was a major success.
When Alice did agree, after fifteen years away from the screen, to appear as Pat Boone's mother in the remake of State Fair. Again, she was disappointed as the director Henry King, whom she had been promised would do the film, was reassigned and the film given to Jose Ferrer, who had never been to a state fair or directed a film. Thereafter Alice appeared only in a few bit parts and left screen roles completely.
But, I think Alice under-appreciated the work she did in Fallen Angel. The critics were not that hard on her, but she really wanted to make a major success in a dramatic role and unfortunately that didn't happen. The film, however, is very much worth seeing and has never been available on video previously. Hindsight is a wonderful thing.
