A taut British thriller about a child’s first glimpse into adult hypocrisy, The Fallen Idol was the first collaboration between director Carol Reed and author Graham Greene who would go on to work together on The Third Man and Our Man In Havana. Carol Reed was nominated for a Best Director Oscar, and Greene for Best Screenplay, for their work on The Fallen Idol, which demonstrates the unique spark that these two mavericks brought to British cinema. Based on the Graham Greene story The Basement Room, The Fallen Idol is told entirely from the perspective of a young boy, Phillipe, (Bobby Henrey) who is the son of an Ambassador. Phillipe idolizes his butler Baines (Ralph Richardson) whom he discovers is having an affair with the Embassy typist (Michèle Morgan). When Phillipe reveals this secret to Baines’ wife a quarrel ensues between the couple and the wife falls to her death. Although Phillipe tries to help his friend, his actions only serve to implicate Baines as a suspect in the murder of his wife.

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