The Fallen Idol (1948)

Synopsis: In Carol Reed, Graham Greene found his ideal collaborator, one willing to tackle a subject as complex as that of a child's glimpse into the ambiguous moral twilight of the adult world. Although THE... In Carol Reed, Graham Greene found his ideal collaborator, one willing to tackle a subject as complex as that of a child's glimpse into the ambiguous moral twilight of the adult world. Although THE FALLEN IDOL stars Ralph Richardson as Baines, an embassy butler, it's told from the point of view of Phillipe (Bobby Henrey), the eight-year-old son of the ambassador. The butler has regaled the boy with tales of his youthful adventures, and the boy's feeling for the servant has come to border on idol worship. One weekend when Phillipe has been left in the care of Baines and his wife (Sonia Dresdel), he learns that the butler is involved with Julie (Michele Morgan), an embassy typist. As Mrs. Baines grills the boy about what he knows, the truth slips out. From belowstairs, the boy later hears a violent quarrel between husband and wife. Shortly thereafter, Mrs. Baines falls to her death fom a window whle spying on Julie. As events unfold, Phillipe begins to understand how little he had known his friend, and how slippery truth can be in the world of adults. A penetrating study of an area seldom explored, the film features a performance of tremendous subtlety by Ralph Richardson. [More]

Starring: Ralph Richardson, Michele Morgan, Bobby Henrey, Jack Hawkins

Starring: Ralph Richardson, Michele Morgan, Bobby Henrey, Jack Hawkins, Denis O'Dea, Sonia Dresdel, Walter Fitzgerald, Karel Stepanek, Joan Young, Torin Thatcher

Director: Carol Reed

Director: Carol Reed
Screenwriter: Graham Greene, William Templeton, Lesley Storm
Producer: Carol Reed
Composer: William Alwyn
Studio: Rialto Pictures

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