The Fallen Idol

The Fallen Idol (1948)

The suspense is almost unbearable…

Phillipe, the son of an ambassador in London, hero-worships his father's butler Baines. His perception of the man changes when he accidentally discovers the secret that Baines keeps and witnesses the consequences that adults' lies can cause.

Date of release
1948-09-30
TMDB
7.2 / 10 (200)
Runtime
1h 36m
Genres
Drama, Thriller
Director
Carol Reed

Casting

Interesting facts

  • Awards: 1 · Nominations: 2. Including: National Board of Review: Top Ten Films

The Fallen Idol is a 1948 British mystery thriller film directed by Carol Reed, and starring Ralph Richardson, Bobby Henrey, Michèle Morgan, and Denis O'Dea. Its plot follows the young son of a diplomat in London, who comes to suspect that his family's butler, whom he idolises, has committed a murder. It is based on the 1936 short story "The Basement Room", by Graham Greene.

Production

Filming began on 17 September 1947. The first location scene to be filmed was of Philippe running across Belgrave Square in London. The script departs significantly from the original 1936 story. In "The Basement Room," Mrs. Baines dies while struggling with her husband in a jealous rage; the mistress is not a Frenchwoman; and the boy (here simply Philip) does not deliberately lie to protect Baines.

Read on Wikipedia · Text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Data from Wikidata.

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