Drama
United States of America
The Tarnished Angels is a 1957 drama film based on the novel Pylon by William Faulkner. The story follows an eccentric journalist named Burke Devlin (played by Rock Hudson) who becomes fascinated with a daredevil barnstorming pilot named Roger Shumann (Robert Stack) and his dysfunctional family, which includes his wife LaVerne (Dorothy Malone) and son Jack (Jack Carson).
As Devlin delves deeper into the Shumanns' lives, he uncovers a web of dark secrets and tragic events that threaten to unravel their already tenuous bonds. Despite the danger, Shumann continues to perform death-defying stunts in his biplane, hoping to achieve fame and fortune while ignoring the risks to himself and others.
As the relationship between Devlin and Shumann deepens, the two men must confront their own demons and make difficult choices about their future paths. Along the way, they encounter a cast of memorable characters, including a drunken ex-pilot (Robert Middleton), a sympathetic oil tycoon (Alan Reed), and a worldly-wise barkeep (Troy Donahue).
The Tarnished Angels was directed by Douglas Sirk and features stunning aerial sequences filmed on location at an airfield in Louisiana. The film is noted for its stylish visuals, intense performances, and complex themes of ambition, self-destruction, and redemption. Despite mixed critical reviews at the time of its release, the movie has since become a cult classic and is regarded as one of Sirk's finest works.
