Furs on Film – Angel (1937)

Time to go back to the , still co-champ of best fur-film-decade with the 1980s. Sadly overlooked by generations who cannot conceive of a time when they couldn't turn their noses up at black-and-white film because that is all there was. Angel not only is from the 30s but stars one of the top fur wearers of all time, Marlene Dietrich. Again, for those new to this, she was an internationally famous star of stage and screen and not someone who calls herself a “queen” on Instagram.


Marlene Dietrich in Silver Fox Trim - Angel, 1937

Sponsored

Angel [Blu-ray]

Format: Anamorphic, NTSC, Subtitled


Angel – The Film

The age-old tale of a bored society housewife who has a fling with a playboy and, because it's way post-code, ends up with her neglectful husband because it's way post-code. The film ensures us he's changed a lot in the last 10 minutes of the movie. Cue jerk-off motion. It's categorized as a “comedy” everywhere. Still, a helpful IMDb reviewer confirms a few gags from secondary characters, but the film is pretty much heavy drama from the first reel.

Angel – The Furs

We open on a winner: Marlene Dietrich in fur. She plays Maria, Lady Barker, the wife of an important diplomat. She's snuck off to Paris to visit an old friend / current purveyor of earthly delights.

Marlene Dietrich in Silver Fox Trim - Angel, 1937

Like most of her films, the cinematography wisely provides several excellent closeups of Dietrich. When wearing fur, this decision is a no-brainer. Sadly, this is the shortest appearance of Marlene's furs in the film.

Marlene Dietrich in Silver Fox Trim - Angel, 1937

Lady Barker meets up with her old friend, Grand Duchess Anna Dmitrievna, wearing this sadly pedestrian stole.

Marlene Dietrich in a Mink Stole - Angel, 1937

The conversation is pretty long, so you are in luck if you like this particular piece.

Marlene Dietrich in a Mink Stole - Angel, 1937

Zipping to later in the film, we include the obligatory white feather nightwear that was quite the rage in this period. I know it is not fur, but it may pique someone's interest. I mean… if you squint…

Marlene Dietrich a Feather Nightgown - Angel, 1937

Another supporting piece is this , maybe a sable-trimmed dress worn by Lady Barker as she and the hubby catch the ponies at Ascot. At this point, she's already had her little “anonymous” fling, wherein she's dubbed the titular “Angel.”

Marlene Dietrich a Mink Trimmed Dress - Angel, 1937

Said fling becomes increasingly less anonymous as she notices the dumbass in question is also there and beats feet.

Marlene Dietrich a Mink Trimmed Dress - Angel, 1937

Fast forward (and you may want to) to the third act, where everyone is all together, and choices must be made. If you're Marlene Dietrich, you make the big calls wearing fur; in this case, a stole.

Marlene Dietrich a Black Fox Stole and Trim - Angel, 1937

This one gets a lot of screen time (4 minutes) and a lot of great shots of Dietrich in various closeups. It is worth mentioning that the black dress has matching black fox trim, but it's only visible for a few seconds as she is shot from the waist up exclusively.

Marlene Dietrich a Black Fox Stole - Angel, 1937

This is literally the end of the movie, where we're meant to rejoice that she ends up with her neglectful husband, who, literally, in the script, says he's changed a lot in the past few minutes. I'm sure that's gonna work out well for you, Mrs. Barker.

Marlene Dietrich in a Black Fox Stole - Angel, 1937

Anyway, I presume I shouldn't be grading historical media through a modern lens, but it's fun to point out the bullshit. The IMDb said this was not a banger for Dietrich and her last film at Paramount. It's a solid film for fur fashion, even if you can't be blamed for zipping through the melodrama. The silver fox in the opening is my favorite, and the black fox at the end gets all the attention it deserves. Mink fans can enjoy the rest, even if I am not amongst them. 

Fur Runtime: approx 12.5 minutes
Film Runtime: 91 minutes
On-Screen Fur Ratio: 14%

Find-a-Fur: Angel, 1937

(all times are approximate)

  • 01:40 – 03:20 – silver fox trim
  • 05:00 – silver fox stole (brief, not Marlene)
  • 06:05 – 08:30 – mink stole
  • 27:35 – 31:35 – white feather night jacket
  • 48:05 – 50:35 – mink trim wrap/dress
  • 1:23:20 – 1:30:40 (end) – black fox stole (+ black fox trim, barely visible)

Leave a Reply